Prebiotics may help fight asthma

by Stepy — August 8, 2016

Prebiotics may help fight asthma caused by physical activity, according to a new study from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology:

The number of people with asthma continues to grow. One in 12 people (about 25 million, or 8% of the U.S. population) had asthma in 2009, compared with 1 in 14 (about 20 million, or 7%) in 2001.

Prebiotics are a non-digestible, fiber type compound. They are found naturally in foods like garlic, dandelion greens, onions, and bananas. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in your digestive system, maintaining digestive function and immune system health.

The study participants were given a prebiotic supplement randomly for 3 weeks, followed by a cool down period of 2 weeks.

After the treatment period, participants were tested for airway inflammation, as well as other lung function tests.

More surprisingly, patients with exercise-induced asthma showed in reductions in blood markers of airway inflammation after taking prebiotic supplements.

The researchers concluded:

“These findings suggest that B-GOS, through its impact on the gut microbiota, has the potential to modulate the underlying immunopathology of asthma, and thereby attenuate the airway hyper-responsiveness associated with HIB/EIB [hyperpnea-induced bronchoconstriction/exercise-induced bronchoconstriction].”

The study showing that prebiotics may help fight asthma was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

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REFERENCES:
1. “Prebiotics Could Help Treat Exercise-induced Asthma.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2016.
2. “Prebiotics Drastically Reduce Severity of Exercise-induced Asthma, Study Shows.” Nottingham Trent University. Nottingham Trent University, n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2016.
3. “A Prebiotic Galactooligosaccharide Mixture Reduces Severity of Hyperpnoea-induced Bronchoconstriction and Markers of Airway Inflammation.” British Journal of Nutrition. British Journal of Nutrition, n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2016.
4. “7 Reasons to Get Prebiotics in Your Diet, Plus Best Sources – Dr. Axe.” Dr Axe. Dr Axe, 07 Sept. 2015. Web. 08 Aug. 2016.
5. “Asthma Statistics.” The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2016.