Reclaim your summer by finding allergy relief with probiotics

Sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses are common symptoms for people suffering from seasonal allergies at this time of year.
Since there is no cure for allergies, most health professionals recommend avoiding known allergens to reduce symptoms. The problem is that it is almost impossible to avoid tree, grass, and ragweed pollen.

Pollen is almost everywhere.

The type of pollen that causes symptoms varies by season:

• Tree pollen is most common in spring.
• Grass pollen is most common in summer.
• Ragweed pollen is most common in fall.

Allergy symptoms can quickly spoil summer pleasures. While over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants are effective in treating allergy symptoms, they unfortunately do not maintain a healthy immune system.

Did you know that 70% of our immune system is found in our gut and that an unhealthy gut can worsen allergy symptoms?
The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that help maintain a healthy immune system. When the delicate balance of these organisms is compromised – due to poor diet, infections, certain medications, and stress – the immune system can react abnormally to otherwise harmless substances, including pollen.
We now understand that there is a link between the gut microbiota and allergies. In fact, allergic individuals have a different gut microbiota than non-allergic individuals. An evaluation of the fecal microbiota showed that allergic individuals had lower diversity and fewer bacterial species.¹

We need more diversity in our gut to prevent allergies.
It may be difficult to understand that seasonal allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny nose can be caused by an unhealthy gut microbiome. After all, hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is a hypersensitivity reaction to airborne allergens, not gut allergens.

While it seems unusual that a healthy gut can alleviate allergy symptoms, Canadians are intrigued.

Many allergy sufferers are now adding probiotic-rich foods to their diet, including sauerkraut and kimchi. They are also turning to probiotic supplements, as hypersensitivity reactions and allergic diseases are more likely to occur when there are not enough protective bacteria in the gut.

While many people are just beginning to learn about probiotics, their health benefits have been well known since the late 19^th century.

Evidence shows that probiotic supplementation modulates immune responses in patients with allergic rhinitis.²
When buying probiotics, look for those that contain multiple strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. A study on the use of probiotics in patients with allergic rhinitis showed that "probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) seem to prevent allergy recurrence, mitigate symptom severity, and improve the quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis."³

Very powerful probiotics (e.g., 80 billion live active bacteria) provide more bacteria per capsule in the gut.
Given that this gut supplement is well tolerated and easy to find where natural health products are sold, why not try a different approach this allergy season? Apparently, these good bacteria can even make your environment more friendly.