Probiotics - For allergies and eczema
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 December 2010 18:25
Probiotics for allergies
According to a study from the academy of sciences of the Czech Republic published in 2003 in International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, premature infants given a probiotic strain to colonize the intestine after birth had a significantly reduced incidence of repeated infections and allergies 10 years later. Another group of full-term infants were shown to have a lower incidence of allergies 20 years later.
More recently a Finnish team of researchers led by Emma Marschan at the University of Helsinki conducted an experiment by treating pregnant women with either probiotics, or a placebo. Probiotic children were found to be 30% less likely to develop an itchy skin conditions such as eczema, which is often an early manifestation of allergies.
Roger Katz, an allergist at the University of California at Los Angeles, School of Medicine, says the results are good news for people who know allergies run in the family.
"Even if someone has the genes for allergies, these results suggest that people can take action to at least reduce the chances of developing early allergic conditions like eczema," he says.
Probiotics for Eczema
Administration of a lactobacillus strain to at risk newborns reduces the incidence of atopic eczema up to age four, according to a trial at the University of Tarku, Finland published in the Lancet in 2003.
However a 2008 review by Dr Robert Boyle found that there is not enough evidence to recommend using probiotics in the treatment of eczema.
‘The results varied between different trials but overall do not suggest that probiotics are an effective treatment for eczema. Further studies of new probiotics are needed, because it is possible that different types of probiotics which haven't yet been studied in eczema treatment could be more effective. Probiotics can rarely cause infections and gut problems.’ 1
Member of the British Association of Dermatologists Dr Nick Levell said: "There are many very well researched and effective treatments available for eczema, so sufferers should seek medical advice from their GP."
More on: Probiotics for Gastrointestinal Disorders
References:
1. Boyle RJ, Bath-Hextall FJ, Leonardi-Bee J, Murrell DF, Tang MLK. Probiotics for treating eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD006135. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006135.pub2
