Probiotics and infant food allergy

Last month I discussed the importance of probiotics and iron uptake. In fact rarely does a newsletter go by without some promising research into the effectiveness of various strains of probiotics and disease. I’ve reported in previous newsletters of the association of childhood eczema and imbalance of the probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG). The effectiveness of this species in clearing up infant eczema is well documented.

Now we have findings reporting that by adding LGG to infant formula increases tolerance to milk proteins at higher rates than those treated with a non-probiotic formula. Supplementation with LGG appears to alter infant gut flora to help offset the unprecedented increases in cow’s milk allergy. LGG alters microbial composition, so it more closely resembles that of a non-allergenic infant.