Seasonal allergies can get debilitating since some people experience severe symptoms. Those few weeks to months per year easily become a nightmare for the ones that are sensitive to seasonal allergens.
Some new evidence suggests that a natural possibility could offer the sufferers some relief. This natural possibility is called probiotics.
The Main Causes Of Allergies
Allergies tend to have a genetic component. People that have an allergy are likely to “pass” the condition to their children. A susceptible person will be triggered by environmental factors that will cause symptoms.
Researchers believe there’s another component to allergy development in children.
Being preoccupied with hygiene, the use of antibacterial cleaning products and the lack of contact with microorganisms could be another reason why kids would develop allergies.
As a result of not being exposed to pathogens at an early age, the body doesn’t learn how to protect itself through the formation of antibodies.
How Probiotics Prevent And Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Probiotics are beneficial strains of bacteria. They live inside the human gut, creating a balanced flora and making it easier to fight pathogens. Due to the way we live, both children and adults are prone to having reduced colonies of the beneficial bacteria in their guts.
The missing beneficial bacteria can be obtained in several ways.
The consumption of fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kim chi is one of the options. These foods are filled with beneficial bacterial strains. Alternatively, a probiotic supplement could be sought.
By enhancing the gut balance, probiotics strengthen the immune response. As a result, the body becomes more capable of dealing with allergens without experiencing a faulty immune response (which is in fact what happens in the case of allergies).
As a result, probiotics are seen as a promising option both for the reduction of symptoms and for the prevention of allergic reactions.
Evidence And Clinical Studies
Several studies have already been carried out, proving that probiotic supplements could be the answer that allergy sufferers have been waiting for.
One of the experiments was presented in the Allergy and Asthma Proceedings journal and it studied the effect of Lactobacillus paracasei on Japanese cedar pollinosis.
The study lasted for three months, beginning a month before the beginning of the pollination season. It involved 126 patients who were asked to either take a probiotic or a supplement.
The volunteers that were given a probiotic had a major reduction in their nasal symptoms and improved quality of life in comparison to the placebo group.
The journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology published another clinical study that focused on the effect of lactobacillus bacteria on allergic rhinitis.
Patients in this study were either given fermented milk with added probiotics or simply fermented milk for a period of 30 days. The patients that were given the bacterial culture reported a decrease in the frequency of symptoms and a decrease in the severity of the allergic episodes.
Using Probiotics To Relieve Your Allergies
If you suffer from seasonal allergies and you’re dependent on antihistamines for their management, probiotics could offer a viable and natural alternative.
Boost your intake of probiotics-rich foods. In addition, you may want to try a good supplement. Choose a product featuring bacteria that have a positive impact on the immune response and that reduce the size of pathogen colonies in the gut.
Remember that probiotic strains aren’t created equal and each bacteria has a specific function.
Also, look for therapeutic-grade probiotic supplements to experience relief. Some probiotics feature three to four billion colony forming units (CFU).
These are created for the needs of people that don’t experience health problems. To be more effective in terms of curbing allergies, opt for supplements that feature 15 to 20 billion CFU.
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