A new study has found that food allergies may be able to be reversed, but the way to get there may not taste that pleasant. Food allergies are things that impact a lot of families, and they can be a real struggle. For moms who have children with food allergies, it can feel like constant anxiety when there is food around.
They carry around epi-pens to make sure they are prepared for any reactions, and they try to make sure they know the ingredients of every item of food. These parents likely with there was a magic potion out there that could take away all allergies, and eliminate the added stress.
According to Interesting Engineering, a study has found that food allergies may be able to be reversed by targeting the microbiome with a compound that tastes like poop. The study can be read in full here.
Food allergies can be deadly, and this new compound is bacterial and called ‘butyrate; and it is made by healthy microbiomes, and it is showing promise against allergic reaction in lab tests that have been run on mice. The only downside is that it does not taste good, and this could pose problematic for children.
The researchers are said to present their findings at the American Chemical Society’s Fall 2022 meeting. This work came about because it is known that some bacteria in the gut is responsible for protecting the lining of the gut. When that is not present, food items can get through the gut, and they can lead to an immune reaction that would be presented as an allergic response.
The clear solution would be to present the body with some missing bacteria orally, or with a fecal transplant, but those methods have not worked well in a lab.
The oral method they discovered works, but it tastes awful, and it is not likely that any adult, much less a child, would want to take it. Butyrate has a “very bad smell,” and it has been described as smelling as dog poop and rancid butter, and that it tastes just as bad as it smells.
The other problem would be that the butyrate would be digested before it could reach the lower gut. This means that the researchers had to develop a new way of getting it in the system. They were able to cloak the smell and taste of the bacteria, and this seems to have more promise.
The world could be on the way to a “cure” for food allergies.
Sources: Interested Engineering, Eureka Alert
