Chicago—Gut bacteria in infants who developed tolerance to cow’s milk after treatment with probiotic formula was significantly different from babies who remained allergic, according to a study published recently in The ISME Journal. The infants who became tolerant after probiotic treatment had higher levels of several strains of bacteria that produce short chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, which help maintain homeostasis in the gut, according to the report. Study authors suggest that the discovery of bacteria that affect tolerance to foods such as cow’s milk could be crucial to developing new food allergy treatments. The report notes that previous Italian research from University of Naples researchers, who also participated in this study, showed that infants with cow’s milk allergy who are fed formula containing a form of the milk protein casein, supplemented with the probiotic bacterial species Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), develop tolerance at higher rates than those treated with a nonprobiotic formula.
Published October 7, 2015
