Spring Allergies and Probiotics

"Hay fever affects performance, productivity and quality of life. For the people who suffer badly, it's no joke."

"For some time now, we've known that the gut microbiome of food-allergic people is different from that of those who don't have those allergies."

"We now have similar findings when it comes to hay fever and the bacteria that colonize our nasal passages."

"People with diverse bacteria in their nasal lining seem to be at lower risk of hay fever. Those with less diverse bacteria seem to be at higher risk."

"[It's never too early to start an anti-hay-fever diet.] You need to give the bacteria time to respond, and your immune system time to calm down."

Professor Adam Fox, consultant pediatric allergist, Guy's and St. Thomas' hospitals

"Our genes haven't changed in the past two decades, but allergies have risen and are continuing to do so."

"What's changed? Our food environment. Food can play a very important part in calming inflammation."

"[Children raised on anti-inflammatory diets are less likely to develop allergies in the first place, while] what you eat can certainly decrease your symptoms, too."

Shilpa Ravella, gastroenterologist, assistant professor of medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

 

"Vitamin C also acts as a natural antihistamine, which can be found in foods such as citrus fruits, broccoli, peppers, chili, kale and rocket."

"[It is, however, easily destroyed by heat and light], so trying to cook these as little as possible will help to retain more potency."

Eve Kalinik, nutritional therapist

Hay fever is a misery in the spring, leading to red eyes and sneezing. Caused by the inhalation of grass or tree pollen granules which are processed by the immune system, Hay fever is a dreaded spring event. With a genetic predisposition to developing an allergy to these plants, a risk that an inappropriate response will develop to release a chemical called histamine is highly likely. No cures for allergies exist and they're difficult to treat.

However, a growing body of studies suggest an alternative method may exist for tackling symptoms; through diet and dietary supplements. The journal Nature Microbiology published results of a study comparing nasal microbiomes of 55 hayfever-plagued adults with those of 205 healthy volunteers, finding hay-fever sufferers had a narrower range of bacteria in their noses and 17-times more of a particular kind: Streptococcus salivarius A situation that can drive the inflammation that haunts hay-fever sufferers.

Factors of lifestyle can come into play even though allergies are genetically-inherited conditions. Allergies that include hay fever are inflammatory conditions which some foods like meals containing sugary or processed ingredients can make cellular swelling worse. The Mediterranean diet as example of an anti-inflammatory therapy, can help to prevent and can alleviate hay fever in that it contains fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil.

 

Apples are a good source of anti-inflammatories, as are onions which are both anti-inflammatory and contain as well the polyphenol quercetin, which acts as an antihistamine. Fermented foods like live yogurt, kimchee, kefir and sauerkraut are also linked to lower inflammation and higher diversity of gut bacteria. and while the science of probiotics is still in its infancy it shows great promise also in the area of treating allergies.

A study led by scientists at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, gave the probiotic formula NC-Seasonal-Biotic to hay-fever sufferers in 2022. The finding was that it significantly reduced symptoms compared with a placebo group. In ten to 12 weeks, the noses of the volunteers ran less, their eyes were less itchy, and they slept better and felt less irritable.

Experts recommend liquid probiotics such as Symprove and BetterVits Probiotic Complex, instead of the powdered varieties.

"Hay fever is an overreaction of your immune system to pollen. If your immune system is already sensitive because of irritation in your gut, then it's highly reactive."

"If it's calm, it stands a better chance of reacting healthily to pollen."

"It's a challenge for a powdered [probiotic] product to deliver live bacteria into the gut [so opt for liquid probiotics instead]."

Dr. Simon Gaisford, professor of pharmaceutics, UCL

Nature Knows Best

"A lot of experts believe the epidemic of allergies we're having is related to the gut microbiome being in a much worse state than it was 30 years ago for the average child."
"Every parent really ought to know about this."
"So there is this window where you can really mess it up with things like antibiotics, but also when it will really benefit from good foods and probiotics."
"Along with the beneficial chemicals in breast milk, babies also pick up microbes from the mother's skin that they won't get from a sterilized bottle."
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology, King's College London

"All babies born by caesarean, particularly elective, will effectively receive a slug of antibiotics because the advice is to give them to the mother prophylactically to reduce the risk of wound infection, and they cross the placenta."
"A mother may not always know or recall whether she was given them. I don't think there is a clear enough discussion with mothers about whether they want to prioritize the certain risk of an infection that could be treated later, or the uncertain long-term risk their baby might be more prone to asthma or other allergic conditions."
Dr. Nigel Field, researcher, University College London

"You can't change what's happened in the past. My boys were born by caesarean and had more antibiotics than I would have wanted thanks to various infections. Breastfeeding is undeniably better for their microbiome, but it's hard. You have to be realistic and not beat yourself up. Remember, stress is also bad for the gut."
"We know that for a healthy microbiome, the key thing is a diverse diet with lots of plant-based foods."
"Parents tend to be busy, on a budget, with fussy eaters. So rather than restricting anything, I think, 'What can I add that's easy and tasty'?"
Hanna Doyle, author of The G Plan Diet: 'parents should focus on positive steps'

The human gut is a vessel comprised of 100 trillion microbes that live within that organ, called the microbiome  and over the last ten years science has discovered just how vital the gut is in controlling our immune system, even our mood, not just our digestion alone. That healthy-microbiome gut has immense importance in our lives. If the microbiome are not well-balanced and in a healthy condition it can trigger depression, diabetes, asthma, even cancer, let alone obesity or anorexia, pointing out just how influential the gut's microbiome is, dubbed "the second brain" by some researchers.

Children, according to new scientific investigation, are particularly sensitive to external influences, crucial to their long-range risk of disease. Researchers are pointing to the rise in caesarean sections, the continued reliance on antibiotics and their over-prescription, overt cleanliness along with a diet heavy on processed foods as leading to a grim distortion of the microbes in children's guts, a situation that drives health problems. According to The Diet Myth, authored by Dr. Spector, a child's microbiome is flexible up to the age of four or five. Past that age, the microbiome begins to reflect an adult's, becoming more difficult to alter.

Caesarean birth prevents important bacterial functions from being passed on. This change impacts immune stimulations during the first days of life and may explain why caesarean-born children suffer more frequently from chronic immune disorders.  Credit: Linda Wampach / University of Luxembourg

When a child is born, their system is exposed to bacteria. Studies have shown that children born through caesarean section come away with different microbiomes whose composition may raise their risk of problematical health conditions. Scientists recently reported that children born by C-section become likelier to be obese by age five, and become asthmatic by age twelve. Experts in the field hypothesize that the first bacteria these babies have exposure to are from their mother's epidermis and the outside environment rather than those existing in the vagina, resulting in a decreased optimum start in life.

The antibiotics normally administered following a C-section procedure are considered necessary but inspire concerns that the drugs may impact profoundly on a child's microbiome, perhaps also raising the risk of resistance. The Baby Biome Study follows 3,500 mothers and babies in Britain, mapping the links between children's gut bacteria and health outcomes. Dr. Nigel Field, a researcher with University College London whose study it is, believes that parents should be proffered more information relating to the potential pros and cons of antibiotic use.

Interest is growing in the idea of giving probiotics to babies with the intention of replacing missing beneficial bugs, although evidence is yet to be convincing with respect to its success. Seeding, where microbes from a mother's vagina are swabbed and transferred to her newborn soon after a caesarean delivery is gaining momentum yet experts warn against the practise since enough research to produce data is not yet in hand with respect to unknown risks. On the other hand, breastfeeding is universally acknowledged as a safe and effective way to launch "good" bacteria.

Published last year, an American study found that babies exclusively or mostly breastfed gained microbiota similar to their mothers'. Advice abounds on how mothers can take steps to boost their babies' microbiota, such as not to sterilize everything a baby will come in contact with since some exposure to dirt can help to develop a stronger immune system. Allowing infants to pick things off the floor and to play with animals, another, allied piece of advice. "You could be doing them more harm by always washing their hands", stresses Dr. Spector.

"We need to move away from the idea of antibiotics having no down side. There's definitely evidence you're increasing the risk of them having more allergies and getting fatter. If you can get your children used to the tastes of yogurt and kefir that's very useful. It's a natural probiotic ... and is probably safer and better."

Aside from fermented foods and drinks to increase the diversity of microbes, fibre, fruit and vegetables are recognized for their utility in acquiring a healthy got. Other naturally probiotic foods encouraging the growth of good bacteria will include onions, garlic, asparagus, artichokes, lettuce, green bananas. While the additives in junk food can kill good bacteria.