Can immunoregulatory lactic acid bacteria be used as dietary supplements to limit allergies?
Cross ML, Gill HS. Milk & Health Research Centre, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2001 Jun;125(2):112-119 Studies in gnotobiotic animals have suggested that the intestinal bacterial flora may play an important role in priming the immune system during ontogeny to limit dysfunctional responses, including allergy. Prospective clinical studies have identified a higher incidence of allergy expression in early childhood among children who have low enteric populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, further supporting a role for gut-colonizing bacteria in regulating immunological atopy. There is some evidence to suggest that supplementing the human diet with probiotic LAB might combat both allergy development and expression of atopy in allergy sufferers; however, definitive information, in the form of controlled intervention trials, remains scant. Recent immunologi
