Probiotics are products with which one can stabilize the intestinal health. Especially support the intestinal flora. With successes that are not at home in the intestine, but on the skin or in the prevention of colds. Now there is also data on allergies.
Intestinal bacteria against allergy?
If the intestinal microbiome gets into disorder, this can actually have nasty consequences, which manifest themselves not as intestinal dragging or diarrhoea, but as tormenting neurodermatitis or susceptibility to infection. At present, however, it looks as if the end of this cognitive flagpole is far from being reached. A so-called meta-analysis – in which several studies are always subjected to a joint evaluation because a larger number of persons examined are scientifically more valuable – has now shed light on the question of whether probiotics could also help with allergies. This approach concerns the period before and immediately after birth.
Background music
The human gut contains billions of microorganisms. Most of these microorganisms are bacteria. “Intestinal flora” is a wrong term, since bacteria were previously believed to belong to the plant kingdom. More correct is the term “intestinal microbioma”. It is a complex ecosystem of enormous size.
The microbiome assumes important functions in the body
This is also a place of incomprehensible medical errors, since medicine once wanted to “liberate” people from this bacterial contamination by means of flushing procedures and even intestinal operations. The next mistake was to believe it was a digestive system only. This is certainly wrong: although we do not know exactly what works how, today the following meanings are attributed to this microbiome: inhibition of the spread of pathogens in the intestine, support of the immune system, formation of vitamin K for blood coagulation, energy supply of the intestinal mucosa and the breakdown of pollutants.
Casing in numbers
10 – 100 trillion predominantly anaerobic (do not need oxygen) bacteria. There is an enormous diversity, requiring estimates: 1,800 genera with up to 36,000 species. All this with a total weight of 1 to 2 kilograms.
Study results
The metaanalysis evaluated 25 high-quality studies in which probiotics were administered either to the mother before birth or to the newborn after birth. In summary, this was defined as an “early gift”.
The interpretation of the results is not easy. This early administration reduces certain immunoglobulins of class IgE that are involved in the development of allergies – the best example being neurodermatitis. Furthermore, the risk of atopic sensitization in small children is reduced. However, this only under the condition that probiotics have already begun to be administered before birth.
Unfortunatley these studies as of yet offer little explanation on the the exact mechanism of the influence of probiotics in the creation of allergies. This will be the aim of further investigations.
