Food allergies and itchy skin that worsen with seasonal change and contact with specific foods are frustrating for both adults and children alike. These itchy, scratchy and irritating conditions often first appear in our earliest years of life and impact the quality of life of not only the affected individual but also their caregivers and immediate family.
Science shows that these conditions are heavily influenced by the health and development of your gut microbiome. That’s right, our gut health plays an important role in the development and maintenance of food allergies, skin rashes, and intolerances and gut health could be the key to itch-free skin, easy breathing, and fewer food woes for the next generation.
Prebiotics, probiotics & allergies
Research has found that up to 40% of children are affected by an allergy of some description in their life. Allergic diseases are on the rise and have approximately doubled in western countries over the last 25 years. Recent human gut microbiome studies have demonstrated that individuals with food allergies, hay fever, and eczema have distinctly different gut microbiomes compared to healthy controls. These studies and others showing the health-giving benefits of prebiotics and probiotics highlight the current understanding that microbiome disturbances (often referred to as dysbiosis) likely precede the development of food allergies and intolerances in both adults and children.
It is believed that both probiotics and prebiotics are beneficial in helping babies and children develop the type of microbiome that supports strong immunity and protects them from developing allergy types responses and itchy skin. In summary, the regular addition of probiotics and prebiotics to a child’s diet may help to protect against allergies and childhood eczema. Whilst scientists are currently working on ways to fully understand how our gut microbiome interacts with our susceptibility to food and environmental reactivity, what we know to date is that the composition of the gut microbiome could be a determining factor in our susceptibility or resistance to developing and enduring adverse reactions to foods and the environment around us. We also know that the human body possesses unique structures and cells that are highly responsive to the presence and absence of certain microbes in our gut. These special cells and their microbial triggers appear to play a critical role in the development and maintenance of our tolerance to foods and common environmental allergens.
Armed with this new understanding of the role of the human gut microbiome in the development and maintenance of allergies and environmental tolerance, we can begin to promote the use of health-giving probiotics and specialised prebiotic fibres aimed at modifying the gastrointestinal microbiome and targeted microbially-responsive cells and structures.
L.Rhamnosus HN001
One of the probiotics that has been investigated for its ability to help foster immune tolerance in growing bodies is L. Rhamnosus HN001. This particular probiotic has been shown to enhance the immunity of new mums and their baby during pregnancy and the lactation period.
L.Rhamnosus HN001 supplementation in the later part of pregnancy and during an infant’s first two years has been shown to reduce the risk of childhood eczema up until the age of 6 years. This study shows the importance of microbiome development in the first few years of life and the lasting health benefits of probiotics when they are taken during this crucial developmental stage. This study and others provide hope and a potential window of opportunity to use probiotics as a way of intervening in gut-related health conditions such as eczema and allergies.
BePure Kids Daily Probiotics is a targeted and broad-spectrum probiotic and prebiotic blend designed to support your child's gut health, immune system, eczema, digestion, antibiotic recovery, and healthy growth and development. BePure Kids Daily Probiotic also contains a targeted dose of L. Rhamnosus HN001 to promote itchy-free skin for you, your baby, and anyone struggling with allergies and itchy skin. It’s easy to use - just add ⅓ tsp of the neutral-tasting powder to any cold food or drink.
Book in for a free clinic discovery call to learn more on how our clinic can support you and your little one with skin conditions and allergies.
