Kefir Might Help Prevent Food Allergies

According to a report released by the Society of Chemical Industry, London, feeding babies kefir may help to protect against some food allergies. Kefir, a traditional fermented drink, is consumed in Eastern Europe as a health food, and is often used to wean babies, as it is easily digested. Food allergy prevalence is especially high in children under the age of three, with around 5% to 8% of infants at risk. Currently, the only treatment is avoidance of the problematic food.

Research published today in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (see http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/1294) has shown that the milk drink inhibits the allergen-specific antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE is involved in immune responses to inactivate organisms that might cause disease. However, in the presence of allergens it can also activate cells responsible for the release of histamine, a chemical which stimulates allergic responses, such as inflammation and constriction of airways.

Ji-Ruei Liu's team of scientists at the National Formosa University, Yunlin, Taiwan, fed mice kefir and found that after three weeks, the amount of ovalbumin-specific IgE was reduced three-fold. Ovalbumin is an allergenic protein found in egg white, which cause most allergies in young children. Kefir is also reported to prevent food antigens from passing through the intestinal wall. Liu believes that kefir could be a promising tool in the prevention of allergies.

To obtain a full copy of the research paper, e-mail the Society of Chemical Industry Press Office at [email protected].