Probiotics, live microorganisms much touted for their health benefits, could help alleviate the symptoms of allergies, if researchers at Vanderbilt University are right about their assumptions. The researchers, who reviewed 23 previously published studies on probiotics and allergy symptoms, came away persuaded that there was a “statistically significant improvement in both the rhinitis-specific quality of life of those patients and in their nasal specific quality of life,” which means yes, probiotics seem to do the trick. A Vanderbilt news release reports that of the 23 studies that were reviewed, 17 showed that probiotics were linked to improvement in at least one facet of a patient’s health — either rhinitis-specific quality of life or in symptoms. Probiotics are found in many foods, such as yogurt, and can also be taken as a supplement.
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