Daily Probiotic May Ease Allergy Symptoms
Posted on: Tuesday, 3 June 2008, 16:40 CDT
Researchers in Britain reported today that consumption of a daily probiotic drink can alter the immune system response to common causes of allergies."These data show that probiotic supplements modulate immune responses...and may have the potential to alleviate the severity of symptoms," Claudio Nicoletti and colleagues at Britain’s Institute of Food Research wrote in a report about the study.
Probiotics contain live micro-organisms that colonize the intestine. They are found naturally in many fermented foods, such as yogurt and certain juices, and are also available as supplements.
Typically, humans have several pounds of bacteria in their intestines, which play a key role in digestion and immune system function. These so-called "good bacteria" can also out-compete any "bad bacteria" that may cause disease.
The small study found that the probiotics changed the immune system's response to grass pollen, a common cause of allergies, and balanced antibodies in a way that might alleviate allergies in those suffering with the condition.
"The probiotic strain we tested changed the way the body's immune cells respond to grass pollen," Kamal Ivory, a researcher who worked on the study, told Reuters.
In the study, volunteers with a history of seasonal allergies consumed a daily milk drink with or without Lactobacillus casei, a bacteria commonly studied for its beneficial properties, over a period of five-months . Researchers then obtained blood samples at three different times -- before the grass pollen season, at its peak and after the end of season. The study results showed that those who consumed the probiotic drink had lower levels of an antibody that helped produce allergy symptoms. Concurrently, these people also had higher levels of IgG, a different antibody, which is thought to play a protective role against allergic reactions.
The researchers plan to conduct further studies, but believe the changes they observed may reduce the severity of allergy symptoms. However, they cautioned that the findings were from a small study and additional research is required.
The study was reported in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy.
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Source: redOrbit Staff and Wire Reports
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