Prebiotic supplementation can improve skin, food and respiratory allergies and can
help prevent allergies in children when taken in pregnancy.

Prebiotics have been found to modulate the three major systems that are dysfunctional
in allergic disease development:
– the microbiota
– the immune system
– the epithelial barriers

In allergies, environmental and lifestyle changes drive the dysfunction of these
systems.
Allergic diseases, atopic dermatitis, respiratory allergies and food allergies, now affect
over 30% of individuals in many communities, particularly young children, highlighting
the need for effective early prevention strategies.

Prebiotics as a dietary strategy
Dietary changes can help alter the establishment and maturation of the microbiome,
including the associated profile of metabolites that modulate immune development and
barrier function.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially influence the health of
the host by:

Dietary changes can help alter the establishment and maturation of the microbiome,
including the associated profile of metabolites that modulate immune development and
barrier function.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially influence the health of
the host by:

1. acting as a fermentable substrate for host bacteria, leading to the release of
   short-chain fatty acids which influence many molecular and cellular
   processes.
2. acting directly on several compartments and specifically on different patterns
   of cells (epithelial and immune cells).
   Nutrients with prebiotic properties are central to allergy prevention of their potential to
   promote a more immune-modulated environment through these multiple pathways.

Why do allergies happen?
The development of allergic diseases has been linked to the dysfunction of complex
mucosal systems, existing within the microbiota, the epithelial barrier and the immune
system. This mucosal system operates as an interdependent functional unit to
maintain both host protection and immune tolerance. In an allergic state, these
processes are disrupted, and immune tolerance fails in response to specific allergen
targets.

Breast milk – rich in Prebiotics
Prebiotics are present in human milk and are called human milk oligosaccharides
(HMOs). They are preferred substrates for several species of gut bacteria and act as
prebiotics, promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal flora and shaping the gut
microbiome. Furthermore, HMOs induce a selective advantage for colonisation by
favourable bacteria, thereby inhibiting the growth of pathogenic species. Intestinal
microbiota composition varies between formula-fed and breastfed infants, which may
be due to the lack of HMOs in infant formula milk.

Non-breastfed infants
Prebiotic supplementation may be suitable for not-exclusively breastfed infants, both
at high and at low risk for developing an allergy.

Prebiotics in pregnancy
New research is showing that prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy can help
improve immune regulation in the infant. This is through the increase in short-chain
fatty acid production, the transfer of metabolites from mother to foetus, the immune
tolerant environment induced in utero in foeto-maternal tissues, and the establishment
of immune regulation in the foetus.
Modulation of the gut microbiota of pregnant women with nutritional strategies such as
prebiotics are a promising tactic to prevent childhood diseases including allergies.

Natural ingredients for restoring gut health
A combination of natural ingredients has been shown to promote and maintain a
healthy gut and improve allergy symptoms in adults. A formula of prebiotic fibre along
with glutamine, zinc, aloe vera, turmeric and slippery elm provides targeted support
for better gut health. This combination encourages a balanced microbiota composition,
healthy gut function and improved intestinal permeability, which is linked to allergies.

References:
Brosseau, C., Selle, A., Duval, A., Misme-Aucouturier, B., Chesneau, M., Brouard,
S., … & Bodinier, M. (2021). Prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy modifies
the gut microbiota and increases metabolites in amniotic fluid, driving a tolerogenic
environment in utero. Frontiers in Immunology, 12, 2857.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.712614/full
Brosseau, C., Selle, A., Palmer, D. J., Prescott, S. L., Barbarot, S., & Bodinier, M.
(2019). Prebiotics: Mechanisms and preventive effects in allergy. Nutrients, 11(8)1841 . https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/8/1841