Doctor observes the positive effects of probiotics

• Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects at least 24 million people in the United States.
• Symptoms of asthma include episodes of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and increased mucus production.
• Genetics, allergy, environment, infection, emotions, and nutrition all play a role in this disease, which causes inflammation of the airways of the lung.
• The most common reasons why people try alternative and complementary therapies are dissatisfaction with conventional therapies and concerns about steroid side-effects.
• In a survey of 48 multicultural parents of children with asthma, 81% of the parents used one or more forms of alternative or complementary therapy to treat their child's asthma.
• African-American parents were more likely to rely on prayer, and Hispanic parents were more likely to use herbal and massage therapies.
• Other popular treatments include the antioxidants vitamins C and E, selenium, and zinc.
• Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, and other supplements such as the herb Petasites hybridus are also used to decrease inflammation.
• Probiotics are cultures of potentially beneficial bacteria that normally reside in the healthy gut.
• There are many different strains of probiotics; studies have found that probiotic-supplemented yogurt resulted in trends in reduced inflammation and reduced allergic symptoms.
• However, not all studies have had positive results; one study found no effect of yogurt consumption on asthma-related symptoms and lung function in a group of patients with asthma.
• In addition to the treatment of existing asthma, probiotics also show promise for asthma prevention.
• Pregnant women who had at least one first-degree relative or partner with either eczema, allergies, or asthma (related diseases), were given the probiotic Lactobacillus GG until six months postpartum.
• Keeping the household humidity level at less than 50 percent to control dust mite and fungus growth.