HEALTHY GUT = EASY BREATHING
What are allergies? Allergies are when the body comes into contact with a substance and the immune system overreacts to it – the substance is normally harmless! Allergies are the most common chronic disease in Europe; a staggering 44% of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy. The number of sufferers is on the rise, growing by around 2 million between 2008 and 2009 alone. Almost half (48%) of sufferers have more than one allergy.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of allergies caused by your histamines working to ‘protect’ you include a runny nose, watery eyes, constriction of bronchi, tissue swelling – these are all things your body does to try to expel the substance it thinks is trying to harm you.
Unfortunately, in this scenario, all this trouble is for nothing. The poor pollen cells aren’t really a threat to your system, and it’s the overreaction of your immune system with IgE. which has made everything go horribly wrong.
How to manage an allergic reaction
Studies have shown you can treat an allergic reaction by boosting the action of your immune system. This is so it can still protect you from bad stuff, whilst not overreacting to innocent antigens.
Vitamin A in kefir contributes to the normal function of the immune system in two ways which impact allergic reactions:
- The vitamin A in kefir helps to support lowering the amount of IgE. in your system so that your body doesn’t overreact to antigens
References
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Allergy UK - "Allergies statistics". Written by Various on January 1, 2004
https://www.allergyuk.org/information-and-advice/statistics
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NHS - "Allergies". Written by NHS on November 22, 2018
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergies/
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World Allergy Organization - "IgE in Clinical Allergy and Allergy Diagnosis". Written by Jay Portnoy, MD Professor of Pediatrics University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Division Director of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Children's Mercy Hospital & Clinics Kansas City, MO, USA on May 1, 2003
https://www.worldallergy.org/education-and-programs/education/allergic-disease-resource-center/professionals/ige-in-clinical-allergy-and-allergy-diagnosis