Serious Help for Seasonal Allergies
This tool to fight seasonal allergies may surprise you.
The more we learn about gut bacteria, the more I wonder if there’s anything it doesn’t affect. I’ve written about a number of ways our microbiome influences our health, from the obvious connections to digestive issues to the more surprising links to issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression. Now I’ve got another surprise for you: Having the right balance of gut bacteria can help with allergies. No, I’m not talking about food allergies here — I mean seasonal allergies, such as hay fever. A study recently conducted at the University of Florida helps to explain why.
I’ve explained before that our gut bacteria have such a profound influence on our health in part because they affect our immune system. That seems to be what’s going on with the seasonal allergies as well. The researchers believe that taking probiotics helps the body increase its percentage of regulatory T-cells, which in turn helps us better deal with issues such as hay fever.
It can cause everything from fatigue to memory problems to age spots — yet doctors rarely check for it.
The researchers enlisted the help of 173 adults suffering from seasonal allergies to investigate this issue. Over the course of eight weeks when spring allergies were peaking, half of the participants took a probiotic made from a combination of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, while the other half took a placebo. The participants filled out an online survey every week evaluating the severity of their allergy symptoms, and the researchers analyzed stool samples to see if the participants’ gut bacteria had changed. Those receiving the probiotic experienced improvements to their quality of life compared to the placebo group. In particular, their nose-related allergy symptoms decreased.
I think a probiotic is a great weapon to have in your arsenal but you have to be careful. All probiotics are not created equal as I went into in a previous newsletter. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you should soon find that you’re breathing easier with fewer symptoms.
Yours for better health,
Dr. Jack Belitz, DC
PS we cary a couple of different probiotics here because there ae different needs. Stop by or call the ofice to find out which one is best for you.
I’ve understood for a while now the importance of probiotics, however the extent of their usefullness is increasing with every new research project I have read. Call the office at 402-333-4848 and we will get you the proper one for your needs.