As suffers of eczema can attest to, this skin disorder ranges from mild to severe. It is an inflammation of the skin that often appears in the form of blisters. These blisters are described as dry, itchy, and scaly. Extreme eczema may result in bleeding due to the scratching of the blisters. As awful as eczema can be, you can rest assured that you will not pass it along to friends and family as it is not contagious. While no cure exists for eczema, studies are revealing more effective ways for treating and preventing outbreaks. One of the best, all-natural ways of treating eczema comes in the form of gut-friendly probiotics.
Let’s take a look at how these amazing strains of bacteria are bringing relief to children and adults that are suffering from eczema.
How Do Probiotics Work?
What many people do not realize is that eczema, while skin-based, is a sign of an immune system that is not functioning properly. What’s more, do you know where the majority of your actual immune system is located? In your stomach! More than three quarters of your total immune system can be found in your gut. Beneficial bacteria also lives in your gut so it should be no surprise that if there is a disruption in the balance of intestinal gut flora, you will see symptoms appear on the outside of your body.
When you encourage a well-balanced and diverse culture of flora through probiotic supplementation, you are enhancing your immune response. Your immune system is better equipped to distinguish what is dangerous such as a pathogen and what is harmless such as an antigen.
Can Probiotics Prevent Eczema?
Probiotics are a highly effective way of preventing and treating the symptoms of eczema. Several age groups have been tested in a number of studies for their reaction to probiotic supplementation with an emphasis on the severity of existing eczema and preventing further outbreaks.
Conception to Birth
- As demonstrated in this study from the British Journal of Dermatology, expecting mothers who supplemented with probiotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding were able to reduce the risk for eczema in their children dramatically.
Infancy to Early Childhood
- According to a study published in the Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, probiotics were shown to be successful at preventing eczema up to the age of two. Children continued to benefit from the probiotics until the age of four.
Childhood to Pre-Teen
- A study from Taiwan published in the British Journal of Dermatology took subjects, ranging in ages from 2 to 14, who all had severe cases of eczema and provided them with probiotic supplementation. After 8 weeks, researchers determined that the probiotic supplements had significantly improved the skin condition of the subjects.
Teenage to Adulthood
- In a ground breaking study published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, adults with a history of eczema and related skin conditions were given probiotic supplements or a placebo for 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the study, the results showed that the adults who had supplemented with probiotics experienced a dramatic improvement in their eczema while the placebo group reports no changes whatsoever!
What Is The Best Probiotic For Eczema?
There’s more to it than suggesting just one probiotic. Every individual is different and gut flora will vary drastically from person to person. Put simply: What works for one person may not work for another. With that said, there are strains of probiotics that have been determined to be the most beneficial across a wide spectrum of people. When shopping for a probiotic supplement, you will want to search for the following features:
- Choose a multi-strain probiotic – At least 5 strains
- Make sure it contains L. Acidophilus
- Other suggested strains to select:
- L. Plantarum
- L. Rhamnosus
- B. Bifidum
One of the best brands that you can buy is Probacto’s Probiotics. You can check out the supplement here.
Probiotics: Cream Vs. Capsule
If you have severe eczema, it would be highly recommended to make a capsule probiotic a part of your daily regimen as well as a topical cream for the worst areas of the breakout. Once the severity lessens, continue with a capsule probiotic supplement to help prevent further breakouts.
Conclusion
You don’t have to continue to suffer and be embarrassed of your eczema. Take an all-natural and scientifically-proven stand against eczema with probiotic supplements.
REFERENCES
1. Dotterud CK1, Storrø O, Johnsen R, Oien T. Probiotics in pregnant women to prevent allergic disease: a randomized, double-blind trial. Br J Dermatol. 2010 Sep;163(3):616-23.
2. Kuitunen M. Probiotics and prebiotics in preventing food allergy and eczema. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Jun;13(3):280-6.
3. Wu KG, Li TH, Peng HJ. Lactobacillus salivarius plus fructo-oligosaccharide is superior to fructo-oligosaccharide alone for treating children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial of efficacy and safety. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Jan;166(1):129-36.
4. Iemoli E, Trabattoni D, Parisotto S, Borgonovo L, Toscano M, Rizzardini G, Clerici M, Ricci E, Fusi A, De Vecchi E, Piconi S, Drago L. Probiotics reduce gut microbial translocation and improve adult atopic dermatitis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2012 Oct;46 Suppl:S33-40. doi: 10.1097/MCG.0b013e31826a8468.