A team of scientists in Australia have developed a new probiotic treatment that may erase peanut allergy. Following a lengthy clinical trial, about 80 percent of the children that received the treatment were able to tolerate peanuts. Now, four years since the completion of the trial, 70 percent of the participating children have passed a test confirming long-term tolerance.
We Need an Effective Peanut Allergy Treatment
Food allergies affect an estimated 15 million Americans, with more than half of those being children. The peanut allergy is particularly troublesome, as it is one of the most common causes of death from food allergy.
Peanut allergy increased significantly in the 1990. It affects children more than adults and can lead anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis can cause vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing, and shock. This is why the probiotic treatment is a much-welcome breakthrough.
Professor Mimi Tang pioneered the probiotic and peanut immunotherapy (PPOIT) treatment. To test PPOIT effectiveness, she and her team conducted a randomized trial at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Australia. Each day for 18 months, they administered the combination of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus and a peanut protein, or a placebo.
MCRI reports on the trial results:
Amazingly, more than 80 per cent of children who received the combination probiotic peanut oral immunotherapy treatment were able to tolerate peanut at the end of the trial, compared to less than four percent in the placebo group.
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Prof Tang commented:
Of the PPOIT-treated participants who achieved short term tolerance at the end of the original trial, 80% were still eating peanut and 70% had long-lasting challenge-proven tolerance four years after stopping treatment.
These children had been eating peanut freely in their diet without having to follow any particular program of peanut intake in the years after treatment was completed. Over half were consuming moderate to large amounts of peanut on a regular basis, others were only eating peanut infrequently. The importance of this finding is that these children were able to eat peanut like children who don’t have peanut allergy and still maintain their tolerant state, protected against reactions to peanut.
Consequently, MCRI and investment firm OneVentures are now working to turn the PPOIT treatment into an-FDA approved product.
Probiotics for Overall Health
The PPOIT peanut allergy treatment is a customized combination of probiotics with peanut enzyme. Regardless, it is still a testament to the potential benefits of supplementing with probiotics
The body needs probiotics to counteract harmful bacteria. As well, the good bacteria enable the production of vitamins and enzymes essential for healthy body function. Finally, healthy bacteria prevent build-up of carcinogenic toxins.
Considering that many people follow a Western diet, high in processed foods, starches and meats, it is easy for their gut flora to become unbalanced. Artificial food additives, GMOs, chlorinated and fluoridated water, and use of antibiotics exacerbate the problem.
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Furthermore, our bodies are increasingly subjugated to chemicals from pesticides, herbicides and plastics. Certain probiotics are able to handle these toxins better than our own detoxification processes.
Scientists believe that lack of balance of good and bad bacteria may lead to cancer, hypertension, mood disorders, and many other types of ailments…possibly food allergies.
Probiotic Foods and Supplements
Probiotics are readily available to you in a variety of natural foods. These include yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir. These products are regularly available in stores. Just read the labels to insure you aren’t also buying products with too much sugar and food additives, like many yogurts. This way you’ll get the most benefit from the probiotics you are eating.
Additionally, there are many types of probiotic-rich foods that you can make at home. These are likely to have far more beneficial live bacteria when compared to foods that have been sitting on a store shelf.
Below are some great resources to help you make fermented vegetables and other probiotic foods.
Related Articles:
3 Easy Ways to Make Fermented Vegetables with Probiotics
Two Easy-to-Make Probiotic Drinks That Heal the Gut
How to Turn Milk Into Probiotic Medicine
Resource Books:
How to Make Probiotic Drinks for a Raw Food Diet: Kefir, Kombucha, Ginger Beer, and Naturally Fermented Ciders, Sodas, and Smoothies by R.J. Ruppenthal
Delicious Probiotic Drinks: 75 Recipes for Kombucha, Kefir, Ginger Beer, and Other Naturally Fermented Drinks by Julia Mueller
Fermented Foods for Health: Use the Power of Probiotic Foods to Improve Your Digestion, Strengthen Your Immunity, and Prevent Illness by Deirdre Rawlings
Mastering Fermentation: Recipes for Making and Cooking with Fermented Foods by Mary Karlin
Finally, if you prefer to take a supplement, here are some high-quality products:
ReNew Life Ultimate Flora Critical Care 50 Billion, Vegetable Capsules
Klaire Labs – Ther-Biotic Complete – 60 Vegetarian Capsules
Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra Ultimate Probiotics Formula
Keep in mind that regular probiotic foods and probiotic supplements aren’t meant to cure you of peanut allergy or any other food allergy. Prof Tang’s treatment is quite specific, and so is its administration. Yet, ensuring a balanced gut flora can be quite beneficial to your overall health.
Here’s a recap of what good gut bacteria do for us:
- Help to metabolize sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins.
- Are integral to vitamin production.
- Help us to absorb vital minerals.
- Help us detox harmful substances, such as pesticides and food additives.
Source: https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/research-trial-shows-evidence-cure-may-be-possible-peanut-allergy
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