Yoghurt could help with hayfever

Probiotics, the friendly bacteria found in 'live' yogurt, can ease hay fever, according to research. It is thought they may influence the behaviour of white blood cells " thereby boosting the immune system.

Probiotics, the friendly bacteria found in 'live' yogurt, can ease hay fever, according to research. It is thought they may influence the behaviour of white blood cells " thereby boosting the immune system.

Published May 18, 2015

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London - If you’re struggling with itchy eyes and bouts of sneezing, try eating a pot of yogurt.

Probiotics, the friendly bacteria found in “live” yogurt, can ease hayfever, according to research. It is thought they may influence the behaviour of white blood cells – thereby boosting the immune system.

American scientists examined 23 studies of the bacteria involving more than 1 900 people. They found 17 of the trials showed probiotics offered a significant clinical benefit for hayfever sufferers, when compared with taking a placebo.

The team from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee said: “The current study suggests that probiotics have the potential to alter disease severity, symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis (hayfever).”

Writing in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology journal, they added that there were also “no significant adverse effects” in consuming the bacteria.

Hayfever affects up to one in five people, and is triggered by pollen proteins which can cause swelling and irritation in the nose, eyes and throat.

While the protective properties of probiotics are not completely understood, they are believed to affect the activity of T cells – a type of white blood cell crucial to the immune system.

The team added: “The role of probiotics in the human response remains poorly understood and additional studies will likely be needed to clarify this in the future.”

Daily Mail

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