Getting gutsy about allergies

On a summer day in 1483, the Duke of Gloucester, soon to become King Richard III of England, sent for some strawberries to eat. Hours later, he broke out in a rash and displayed the skin on his afflicted arm (historians say he claimed his arm was “withered”) to members of the Privy Council. He then accused Lord William Hastings of bewitching him and ordered Hastings beheaded.

Today we know more about the causes of allergies, but when it comes to effectively eliminating symptoms, well, we aren’t much ahead of scientists in the late 1700s, who calmly identified hay fever but had no idea how to treat it. One recent survey found that only about 33 percent of people taking over-the-counter allergy meds say that they’re very or extremely satisfied with the results.

Now, researchers have discovered a surprisingly effective way to tamp down allergy symptoms – by taking probiotics. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers divided 173 people with mild to moderate seasonal allergies into two groups: one taking probiotics and the other taking a placebo. After eight weeks, the probiotics group (they took two capsules a day containing 1.5 billion units of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) reported fewer allergy symptoms and a higher quality of life than the placebo group.

So if you’re sneezing and red-eyed (or just not feeling your best), give these probiotics a try. (Culturelle contains Lactobacilli, activated by stomach acid, so more of it gets into your system.)

Added sugars and Alzheimer’s

In the “Parks and Recreation” episode “Sweetums,” everyone at the office decides to try a health bar called Nutriyum. Moments later, they discover it’s nothing but a block of solid sugar, and eating it stokes such a rush of mad energy that they all end up having a rave in the office.

Sugar doesn’t actually give you that mythical high, but it can do something far worse to your brain and neural networks. A new study in the journal Scientific Reports offers evidence that chronically elevated blood sugar damages a specific protein in your body called MIF, and that impedes its function.

When undamaged, MIF is a key immunoregulator and also is involved in insulin regulation. But, say the researchers, when damaged by chronic exposure to elevated blood sugar levels, glucose-modified and oxidized MIF may cause big problems: It’s linked to oxidative stress and impaired immune response that can lead to the cognitive decline observed in dementia and the development of amyloid tangles that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

So you can now add the peril of Alzheimer’s to the increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease that’s associated with eating added sugars, added syrups and stripped carbohydrates. That’s why, although the American Heart Association recommends that you limit added sugar intake to 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 for men, we say aim for none. The natural sugars in whole grains and five to nine servings daily of veggies and fruits supply what you need for optimal health and a sweet treat.

Aspirin and pregnancy

Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (a subdivision of the National Institutes of Health) may have discovered a possible remedy for infertility in women who have elevated levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein. Everything from diabetes and belly fat to chronic infection can boost CRP levels.

The remedy for fertility-blocking levels of CRP? A daily dose of 81-mg aspirin. Research at the Shriver Institute discovered that women with high levels of CRP who tried the aspirin therapy had a 35 percent higher birth rate than women who had comparably high CRP levels but were taking a placebo. During pregnancy, the aspirin reduced CRP levels when measured at weeks 8, 20 and 36.

So, if you’re struggling to become pregnant, check with your doc to see whether you have elevated CRP and if you’re a candidate for one 81-mg aspirin daily.

Tip: If you get the green light from your doc, always drink half a glass of warm water before and after taking the aspirin (and take a prenatal vitamin with DHA, too).

This story was originally published March 26, 2017 at 7:59 PM with the headline "Getting gutsy about allergies."