Getting gutsy about allergies

On a summer day in 1483, the Duke of Gloucester, soon to become King Richard III of England, sent for some strawberries to eat.

Hours later, he broke out in a rash and displayed the skin on his afflicted arm (historians say he claimed his arm was “withered”) to members of the Privy Council. He then accused Lord William Hastings of bewitching him and ordered Hastings beheaded.

Today we know more about the causes of allergies, but when it comes to effectively eliminating symptoms, well, we aren’t much ahead of scientists in the late 1700s, who calmly identified hay fever but had no idea how to treat it. One recent survey found only about 33 per cent of folks taking over-the-counter allergy meds say that they’re very or extremely satisfied with the results.

Well, in a 21st-century breakthrough, researchers have discovered a surprisingly effective way to tamp down allergy symptoms – by taking probiotics. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers divided 173 people with mild to moderate seasonal allergies into two groups: one taking probiotics and the other taking a placebo. After eight weeks, the probiotic group (they took two capsules a day containing 1.5 billion units of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) reported fewer allergy symptoms and a higher quality of life than the placebo group.

So this spring, if you’re sneezing and red-eyed (or just not feeling your best), give these probiotics a try. (Culturelle contains Lactobacilli, activated by stomach acid, so more of it gets into your system.)