Reduced Hay Fever Symptoms: One More Reason to Love Probiotics

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Can taking probiotics reduce hay fever symptoms?

Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial in dealing with regularity, colicky babies, weight loss, and staving off infection. It seems amping up your immune system with the aid of probiotics can do a lot for our overall health. And now, a new study has shown that seasonal allergy sufferers who took probiotics had significant relief from itchy eyes.

The study included 435 allergy sufferers already being treated with antihistamines. One group was given the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei and the other group was given a placebo. The group given the placebo had a higher quality of life and more relief from itchy eyes than the group taking the placebo.

Seasonal allergies are caused by a skewed immune reaction to common allergens and this may be the ultimate natural remedy. Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts as part of food, confers a beneficial health effect by producing gut microflora on the host.” The clinical benefits of probiotic therapy depend on a number of factors such as bacterium, dosing, regimen, and other underlying factors. Other studies are needed to determine which probiotic strains are the most effective for hay fever symptoms and if they’re safe.

Another recent study found that a daily probiotic drink changed how cells lining the nasal passages of hay fever sufferers reacted to common allergens. The study also showed changes in their blood associated with immune responses. Though there were immune response changes in the cells and the blood, this particular study did not show a difference in hay fever symptoms.

The connection between probiotics and seasonal allergies makes sense because probiotics aid gut health. Gut health has been shown to be closely linked to immune health and it’s irregularities in immune health that cause seasonal allergies. Enter holistic health.

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Image: Brooke Novak

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