As allergic diseases become more common in children, researchers hunt for causes and cures to prevent not only ER visits, but deaths as well. Endless debate between the genetic (nature) and the environmental (nurture) camps has raged- as well as the argument between the hygiene theory adherents and the nay-sayers. This study points towards a contribution by gut bacteria in babies’ colons very early in life, bacteria that make butyrate in particular. Without as much butyrate produced by these bacteria, the immune system ramps up to make more antibodies including IgE allergy antibodies, leading to allergic diseases.
The body’s allergic response centers mainly around IgE antibodies. Like other antibodies, they are designed to bind to specific antigens. Ideally, our antibodies should bind dangerous things like viruses, bacteria, and parasites, but when IgE antibodies deploy against everyday things like foods, pollens, pet dander, and more, a cascade of reactions develop. Depending on where these reactions occur, different symptoms arise. In the sinuses, we get runny noses and congestion. In the lungs, we get asthma. In the skin we get rashes like hives. In the gut, we can get diarrhea or irritable bowel symptoms.
With more and more children and adults suffering from allergies, we need better therapies than just treating the symptoms. Whether pharmaceuticals or supplements, symptom-based therapies just lower the impact. Instead, the ideal is to remove the cause and get the body to calm back down to normal. If we can remove triggers or change gut bacteria at the right time, we can lessen the impact of allergic diseases.
In the study from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers reported that a fatty acid called butyrate appeared to play a role in modifying immune cell behaviors in the colons of baby mice. Baby mice with more butyrate in the early part of their lifespan had lower rates of IgE and allergy conditions. This fatty acid is produced by certain bacteria which live in our colons. Apparently, good levels of bacteria producing this chemical correlated with a tendency towards lower rates of allergies.
The downside was that therapy intervention had to occur very early in life or else it had little effect. The researchers are looking into other therapies to alter the activity of the cells impacted by low butyrate. Such therapies which impact later in life but have to be applied early points should motivate us to make sure we don’t miss critical opportunities to intervene.
In functional medicine, we already use butyrate and probiotics which make butyrate to treat problems like leaky gut. Helping patient restore healthier, more abundant lives requires looking at the whole picture and staying on top of studies like this.
Original Article:
Ahmed Kabil, Natalia Nayyar, Julyanne Brassard, Yicong Li, Sameeksha Chopra, Michael R. Hughes, Kelly M. McNagny. Microbial intestinal dysbiosis drives long-term allergic susceptibility by sculpting an ILC2-B1 cell–innate IgE axis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.07.023
Thanks to Science Daily:
University of British Columbia. “How early-life antibiotics turn immunity into allergy.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 August 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240820124553.htm>.
Medical Disclaimer:
This article is intended for educational purposes only. I have attempted to confirm the accuracy of these statements but with time, some currently true statements may be proven incorrect. Before making any medical decisions, you should consult your medical provider. I am not a lawyer nor am I a remediator and cannot provide definitive answers in either category. Discuss legal and remediation decisions with appropriate professionals. Sanctuary is not responsible for decisions you make based on this short video.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
