06/02/2023
A is for Allergies.
Becoming more and more common, allergies are annoying at best and life threatening at worst.
Causes of allergies include intestinal hyperpermeability, “leaky gut” and a hyperactive immune response to different food proteins such as cow’s milk, wheat, eggs, nuts and also environmental allergens like pollen and dust.
Eczema and asthma are also allergic responses, and since the 90’s there has been a 30% increase in cases of eczema worldwide. This is a huge increase; what is causing this?
There is a huge body of evidence to suggest that the gut microbiome - all of the bacteria and microbes that live in us and on us - plays an important role in allergies due to its ability to regulate the immune system.
Vitamin D deficiency is also known to increase the risk of allergies. Vitamin D supplementation when pregnant is essential to prevent allergies in offspring and children can also take a vitamin D supplement under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner to prevent deficiency and the impacts that this has on the immune system and allergies.
Top tips to support the microbiome to reduce the prevalence of allergies include avoiding chemical sanitiser, avoiding the use of antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, breastfeeding, letting kids play in dirt (exposure to dirt microbes!), having a pet, having indoor plants, and focusing on an unprocessed diet of wholefoods.
Do your kids have allergies? 🌱
