Certain probiotics may reduce inflammation and symptoms of allergies, autoimmunity, rashes, and even complications from cancer treatments. How do they work, and which species are most beneficial? Learn more here.<\/p>\n
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Inflammation is one of the most complex and potentially dangerous mechanisms in the human body. When tightly controlled, it is important for healing and the immune response, but if it gets out of control, it can contribute to autoimmunity and tissue damage.<\/p>\n
Many probiotic bacteria are under investigation for their apparent anti-inflammatory effects. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits that have been studied so far. Remember that probiotics may not be right for everyone; talk to your doctor before starting a new probiotic supplement.<\/p>\n
Supplementation with a synbiotic, which is a mixture of probiotic bacteria (in this case L. casei<\/i>, L. rhamnosus<\/i>, S. thermophilus<\/i>, B. breve<\/i>, L. acidophilus<\/i>, B. longum<\/i>, L. delbrueckii<\/i> ssp. bulgaricus<\/i>) and nutrients for the bacteria to feed on (in this case, fructo-oligosaccharides) reduced inflammation markers in adults (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. longum<\/i> ssp. infantis<\/i> reduced proinflammatory markers in patients with ulcerative colitis<\/b>, chronic fatigue syndrome<\/b>, and psoriasis<\/b> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. casei <\/i>improved natural killer (NK) cell activity and produced a more anti-inflammatory cytokine profile in healthy non-immunocompromised elderly subjects (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. paracasei <\/i>significantly increased the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulated the innate immune system in human enterocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. delbrueckii <\/i>ssp. lactis<\/i> seems to have anti-inflammatory effects<\/b> (R<\/a>). Skimmed milk with L. delbrueckii <\/i>ssp. bulgaricus<\/i> inhibits the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines produced by accessory white blood cells<\/a> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. acidophilus <\/i>reduced inflammation in human intestinal epithelial cells (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. animalis<\/i> ssp. lactis<\/i> added to yogurt post-fermentation was anti-inflammatory <\/b>in healthy adults (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. animalis<\/i> ssp. lactis<\/i> inhibited inflammation in elderly volunteers (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. longum<\/i> ssp. infantis<\/i> suppressed proinflammatory IL-17<\/a> cytokine production and may be useful in the treatment of Th17<\/a>-mediated diseases (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n In one study, L. reuteri <\/i>inhibited<\/b> NF-\u03baB<\/b><\/a>, one of the most important factors in reducing whole-body inflammation<\/b> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n See individual probiotic posts for animal studies and technical information.<\/i><\/p>\n L. salivarius<\/i> decreased the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and showed beneficial immunomodulatory activity in asthmatic subjects<\/b> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. breve<\/i> showed promising probiotic properties and beneficial immunomodulatory activity in allergic asthma (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n C. butyricum<\/i> improved asthma<\/b> and serum specific IgE in the patients treated with specific immunotherapy (SIT), increased IL-10<\/a>, and converted antigen-specific B cells to regulatory B cells (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Oral administration of L. rhamnosus<\/i> attenuated the features of allergic asthma in mice (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. salivarius<\/i> decreased allergen-induced airway response in mice (R<\/a>). It also alleviated asthma symptoms like airway hyperreactivity and airway inflammation in mice (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. gasseri<\/i> attenuated allergen-induced airway inflammation<\/b> and IL-17<\/a> pro-inflammatory immune response in mice with allergic asthma (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. lactis<\/i> significantly attenuated atopic esophageal and bronchoalveolar eosinophilic inflammation in mice (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. breve<\/i> had strong anti-inflammatory properties<\/b> in asthmatic mice (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. paracasei <\/i>administration to mothers during gestation\/lactation protected against airway inflammation in mice offspring (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. longum<\/i> attenuated allergic airway inflammation<\/b> in mice (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. bifidum<\/i> significantly decreased airway hyperresponsiveness, decreased lung inflammation and lowered the<\/b> Th2<\/b><\/a> response<\/b> in allergic mice (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n 17 out of 22 trials in a review showed a significant benefit of probiotics clinically, whereas eight trials showed significant improvement in immunologic parameters in allergic rhinitis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Citrus juice fermented by L. plantarum<\/i> improved the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n C. butyricum<\/i> markedly enhanced the efficacy of SIT on allergic rhinitis<\/b> in patients with allergies (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Co-administration of C. butyricum<\/i> markedly enhanced the treatment of allergic rhinitis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. rhamnosus<\/i> supplementation showed good clinical and immunologic response in children with allergic rhinitis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Volunteers with seasonal allergic rhinitis treated with L. casei<\/i> showed a significant reduction in levels of antigen-induced cytokines (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n A significant reduction of nasal symptoms and improved quality of life were achieved in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis, who received L. paracasei <\/i>when pollen scattering was low. However, the effects were limited during the peak period (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n At least five clinical studies with L. paracasei<\/i> demonstrated clinically significant improvements in allergic rhinitis<\/b> (R<\/a>), while one did not (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Subjects with a medical history of allergic rhinitis to grass pollen that received L. paracasei<\/i>-fermented milk had lower nasal congestion<\/b> and less nasal itching (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n In children with perennial allergic rhinitis, L. paracasei <\/i>improved symptoms of sneezing<\/b>, itchy nose<\/b>, and swollen eyes<\/b> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. paracasei <\/i>improved the quality of life of subjects with persistent allergic rhinitis who were being treated with an oral H1-antihistamine. In this study, nasal symptoms did not change, but ocular symptoms consistently improved (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Heat-killed L. paracasei<\/i> effectively improved the overall quality of life<\/b> in patients with allergic rhinitis induced by house dust mite (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. acidophilus <\/i>alleviated allergic symptoms in patients<\/b> with Japanese cedar pollinosis (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n L. acidophilus <\/i>alleviated the symptoms in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Heat-killed L. gasseri<\/i> improved nasal symptoms<\/b> and pollen-specific IgE levels in subjects with Japanese cedar pollinosis (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n The addition of L. johnsonii<\/i> to levocetirizine improved perennial allergic rhinitis<\/b> in children (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Intake of yogurt or powder supplemented with B. longum<\/i> alleviated subjective symptoms<\/b> and affected blood markers of allergy<\/b> in individuals with Japanese cedar pollinosis (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>). Nasal symptoms such as itching, rhinorrhea, and blockage, as well as throat symptoms, tended to be relieved with this probiotic (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n B. animalis<\/i> ssp. lactis <\/i>improved nasal symptoms in subjects suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis<\/b> (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Check individual posts for more information and animal studies.<\/i><\/p>\n2) Asthma<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Human Studies<\/b>:<\/h4>\n
Animal Studies<\/b>:<\/h4>\n
3) Allergic Rhinitis<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n