Antibiotic Use Linked to Asthma and Allergies
Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School found that, in mice, antibiotics may be responsible for changing the makeup of the bowel flora. A change in bowel flora could affect the way the immune system responds to common allergens in the lungs. According to one of the researchers, antibiotics eliminate bacteria in the GI tract. The destruction of the normal bacteria enabled fungi to take control.
In earlier experiments, researchers have found that fungi produce oxylipins.Oxylipins are molecules that are associated with the level of immune responses. Oxylipins in the GI tract help prevent the production of regulatory T cells (a type of white blood cell) for ingested allergens. The result is that T cells in the respiratory system can become sensitive to allergens, leading to allergy symptoms and, in some cases, asthma.
The University of Michigan researchers tested this idea on mice. The mice were given Candidaalbicans(a yeast) orally after being given antibiotics for five days. The Candida served to inoculate the GI tract with yeast—in other words, change the makeup of the intestinal flora. Another group of mice received no antibiotics or oral Candidaalbicans. The mice were then injected with common mold spores. The mice that were given antibiotics and exposed to C. albicans displayed higher rates of hypersensitivity to mold, as opposed to the mice that weren’t given any antibiotics.
Normally there are between 4 and 7 pounds of bacteria in the colon. Many beneficial functions are performed by bacteria that are normal and in balance.
Beneficial bacteria do the following:
- * Produce vitamins like folic acid and B12.
- * Nourish the lining of the colon by producing butyric acid. They do this by feeding on vegetable fiber. Adequate butyric acid levels reduce the chances for colon cancer.
- * Inhibit harmful bacteria.
- * Break down toxins.
There are other bacteria and yeast that normally exist, but in smaller numbers. Think of the GI tract as an ecosystem, with a balance between beneficial and not-so-beneficial microorganisms.
When the ecosystem is out of balance, as it is with Candidiasis, health can be adversely affected.
Harmful microorganisms do the following:
- * Inhibit normal bacteria, creating deficiencies of nutrients and other problems.
- * Produce toxins. Harmful bacteria create toxins and inhibit normal bacteria from detoxifying the bowel. Toxins can burden the liver and affect every function in the body.
- * Hydrogenate polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- * Damage the intestinal lining creating increased intestinal permeability. This eventually leads to allergies and many other chronic health problems.
Return to the Allergy Articles page.
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