Probiotic drinks help against allergies
Date: 17.6.2011
Probiotic drinks such as Yakult and Vivit can alleviate the symptoms of pollen allergies, says Wageningen UR PhD scholar Yvonne Vissers. They do this by diminishing the amounts of certain proteins that cause hay fever. The probiotic drinks also stimulate the manufacture of allergy-inhibiting substances. Particularly good results were obtained with Lactobacillus plantarum lactic acid bacteria.
After four weeks it was clear that all the bacteria strains used caused a significant reduction in birch pollen-specific IgE. One of the strains, L. plantarum CBS125632, also set off a reduction in interleukin 5 and 13, signal substances which stimulate an allergic reaction. What is more, there was an increase in signal substances which actually reduce an allergic reaction. 'These bacteria strains offer good prospects for reducing birch pollen allergies', says Vissers.
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