As summer kicks off, people around the world are dreading the transformation of plant-life and other particles as it hits the air and sends allergy season into full-speed.
A recent study, adjoined by a surgeon, Dr. Justin Turner, along with faculty and researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee found that probiotics, which are special bacteria found in the gut, serve a greater purpose in minimizing and combatting common allergies. Unfortunately, even though the process of over 20 previous studies and research to-date, there are far too many forms and causes of allergies (such as various forms of allergens and pollens) to be certain as to the total preventative qualities of probiotics and your health.
While probiotics are found in common foods such as yogurt or sauerkraut, they do offer the scientifically proven positive benefits of balancing the bacteria in the intestines and turn to prevent severe inflammation or reactions in the stomach to allergies, improve the immune system, and overall health. Scientists and professionals agree that while probiotics offer a healthier you—as they possess multiple beneficial nutrients—it might be best to consume them along with an official allergy treatment regime and medication.
Allergy symptoms aren’t any fun. While the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology finds that over 50 million Americans are affected by allergies, some symptoms are more severe than others. Ranging from itchy eyes to a runny nose, medical treatment instead of standard allergy medications, steroids, sprays, and even decongestive agents appear most scientifically practical. Recent research conducted by the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology journal shows that nearly 85% of individuals from a test group of more than 1,900 people reflected that professional medical treatment and medication improved allergy-like symptoms or dispelled them altogether. More recent research found that individuals who increased their intake of regular probiotics obtained a stronger immune system, and on varying levels minimized their allergy symptoms or otherwise improved their health and comfort during allergy season.
Like any field of science, each test and individual will be subjective to variations in cause and effect. Additionally, conclusive results of treatment or medicinal efforts to rectify medical conditions and concerns may also vary. While some test subjects immediately showed signs of improvements through increasing probiotics in their diet, some didn’t at all—and some took a lengthier period of time to demonstrate changes in their allergy symptoms. Some of these studies also did not take into account the time of exposure outside, such as to allergens, other medications being taken, consistency of consumption, or variations in dieting and physical fitness. These studies also did not take into consideration exterior diet to the probiotics method.
Like all research conducted in the fields of science, a more thorough review and sets of open studies over a longitudinal survey must be conducted to truly reflect potentially scientific improvements, declines, or changes in treatment and allergic reactions to seasonal irritants along with tested medication affectivity.