food allergy probiotics

There is no so-called "universal food allergy probiotic". Some specific strains with clear numbers can only reduce the risk of food allergy and help alleviate mild to moderate allergic symptoms in people who meet the indications. They absolutely cannot replace allergen avoidance and conventional anti-allergy treatment. The effectiveness varies from person to person, and there is no universal recommendation.

I just met a mother of a 3-year-old child a while ago. Her child has been allergic to eggs and milk since she was a child. She has developed hives and diarrhea after being exposed to the slightest contact. She bought several probiotics called "anti-allergic patents" from the recommendation of a maternal and child store. After taking it for half a year, it was of no use. Last week, she went to the allergy department for a follow-up. The doctor prescribed probiotics with a clear strain number based on her child's immune indicators, and combined with allergen avoidance. It has only been a month, and she has not developed a rash recently even after a little contact with milk.

You may have seen people around you taking probiotics to treat allergies. Some people say it’s amazing, while others say it’s all an IQ tax. This is really not a lie. The main reason is that there are two completely different research conclusions in this field, and they are not yet completely unified.

The guidelines updated by the European Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in the past two years have clearly mentioned that for high-risk infants whose parents or siblings have a history of allergic diseases, continuous supplementation of specific strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 in the first 6 months after birth can reduce milk protein in infants and young children. The risk of developing allergies is reduced by about 30%. There are also many small-sample clinical studies showing that children who have developed mild to moderate cow's milk protein allergy can supplement this type of strain while drinking deeply hydrolyzed milk powder, which can advance the establishment of tolerance by 2-3 months, and allergy-related symptoms such as eczema and diarrhea will be much lighter.

But on the other hand, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology poured cold water on the position paper issued just last year. They counted more than 200 related studies in the past 10 years and found that the strains, doses, and subject populations used in different studies were so different that the conclusions could not be unified at all, and even 12% Studies have shown that there is no difference between probiotic supplementation and placebo. Some cases have mentioned that excipients such as lactose, maltodextrin, and soy lecithin added to some probiotic products may trigger adverse reactions in people who are allergic to these ingredients. In severe cases, they may even induce asthma.

To put it bluntly, many people’s understanding of probiotics is still that “they regulate the intestinal tract and there is no harm in taking them.” This is really a huge misunderstanding. Just think of different strains of probiotics as different types of antibiotics - penicillin can cure pneumonia, but it will definitely be useless if you use it to treat influenza, and it may also have side effects. I have been working in the pediatric care department for 5 years, and I have seen too many parents who only look at the word "anti-allergy" when buying probiotics, and do not look at the strain number at all. Some of the strains they buy are not even in the "List of strains that can be used in infant food" issued by the National Health Commission. If they take it, it will be mild if it has no effect. Some babies have diarrhea for almost half a month after taking it. And there are many people who think that taking probiotics eliminates the need for dietary restrictions. Last year, I met a parent who gave probiotics to a child with peanut allergy for three months. She thought everything was fine, but gave the child half a mouthful of peanut butter, which directly caused laryngeal edema and sent him to the emergency room. This should really sound the alarm: probiotics are at most an auxiliary and can never replace allergen avoidance, let alone first aid methods such as anti-allergic drugs and epinephrine pens.

If you or a family member has food allergies and you really want to try probiotics, it’s not impossible. Just remember a few key points: Go to the allergy department of a regular hospital for a comprehensive screening first to clarify your allergens and immune status. Ask the doctor if there are specific strains suitable for your situation. Don’t blindly search for them.； When buying, be sure to read the strain number on the package. If it only says "Bifidobacterium" or "Lactobacillus" without the specific number, just pass it. ； Go to the ingredients list and take a look at it to see if there are any ingredients you are allergic to, such as milk, eggs, gluten, soybeans, etc. Don’t let your allergies go untreated and create new problems. ； Finally, look at the number of viable bacteria. It must be at least 10^9CFU, which means that each bag has at least 1 billion viable bacteria. The kind that only has a few million is equivalent to eating sugar water with some bacteria, which is useless.

In fact, the research on food allergies and probiotics is still constantly updated. Every year, new strains are proven to be effective, and previous conclusions are overturned. There is really no need to praise it as a miracle drug, and there is no need to beat it to death with a stick. Only the ones that suit you and follow the doctor's advice are useful.