Allergies, naturopathy, and Spock's beard

[HuckleB]

http://scienceblogs.com/whitecoatunderground/2010/05/if_there_were_a_parallel.php

"...

Seasonal allergies are caused by a pathophysiologic process called "type I hypersensitivity". For those of us with a genetic susceptibility to seasonal allergies a normally harmless environmental substance, such as pollen, make us miserable. The first time I was exposed to pollen, it lodged in my nose and was consumed by immune cells patrolling for invaders. It was chopped up, processed, and it's proteins presented to other immune cells. Eventually, B-cells were exposed both to these cells and to pollen, matured into plasma cells, and started cranking out IgE antibodies. These antibodies are specific to the pollen I was exposed to. They can bind to it. But the other end of the antibody binds to cells in my nose called basophils and mast cells. These cells, with all of the pollen-specific IgE sticking out of them, hang out in my nose. When the pollen comes back, it locks on to these antibodies, causing the cells to flood my nose with histamine and other nasty substances. This makes my nose run, makes me sneeze, and makes me cranky.

That's a very basic look at the science. We have a number of ways of blunting this reaction. We can use antihistamines to fight the effects of histamine. We can use mast cell stabilizers to prevent histamine release. We can avoid allergens. We can use inhaled steroids to block the late inflammatory responses. We can use desensitization therapy (allergy shots). All of these are based on an understanding of the way our immune system causes the condition we call "allergies".

The website for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians has a different approach to allergies, a more creative one. They recommend dietary changes to alleviate allergy symptoms, none of which are supported by any evidence in the literature, and most of which show just enough knowledge of immunology to get things spectacularly wrong. For example:

Red meat contains a substance called arachadonic (sic) acid, which helps to produce the cytokines and leukotrines that cause your immune system to react with allergic inflammation. While you need a small amount of arachadonic acid for your immune system to function, your body can produce this amount naturally. Simply eliminating red meat from your diet can reduce the level of this acid, thus lessening your allergic reactions."

..."


------------------------------------


This stuff never fails to amaze me, and yet those with a little bit of information, you know, enough to be dangerous, keep fooling enough people to stay in business.

:eyes:

[villager]

1. What, specifically, about the cited statement is "spectacularly wrong?"

n/t

[HuckleB]

2. Read the full link.

http://scienceblogs.com/whitecoatunderground/2010/05/if_there_were_a_parallel.php

[villager]

3. Unconvincing, and not rigorous - -mostly just another screed.

"There are a few non-clinical studies of certain dietary supplements, but none of these show convincing evidence for treating real people who have allergies..."

So the studies are dismissed without actually being cited --and what is threshold of convincing, or not? Have some people had success with dietary measures?

Or are we saying that diet -- what goes into a body -- has no affect on that body, and rather than change what we eat, we should always, always choose medicine instead?

If it's a matter of people changing their diets, what's the harm? They can still treat symptoms in instances when dietary changes alone don't work.

Anyway, as I recall, the thinking in the Spock's Beard universe was entirely rigid, and wholly lacking in imagination, so even the metaphor is wrong... ;-)

[HuckleB]

4. Clearly, you want to believe what you want to believe.

Do you know what a non-clinical study is? If so, what are you failing to understand about the lack of evidence?

[villager]

5. "Clearly, you want to believe what you want to believe"

Indeed. The sustained lack of direct responses to any of my questions -- are you really against people changing their diets if they want? -- bears that out.

[HuckleB]

6. Thanks for clarifying your agenda.

I noticed that you didn't answer my questions. If you had, you would have answered the main questions you asked of me.

The general questions you offered about diet etc... don't add anything but diversion in a discussion of this very specific article.

Nice try.

[villager]

7. Do you offer anything other than attack? (Do you always mistake your attacks for "questions?")

Again, let's try this simple one: Do you object to people changing their diets for health reasons?

It's basically a yes or no answer.

[HuckleB]

8. People can change their diets for whatever reason they want to change their diets.

As I already noted, that question and answer has nothing to do with the article. The article simply noted that there is no evidence to support the claim that eliminating red meat will help with allergies. I can summarize where he goes from there (that any evidence for dietary changes is likely preliminary at best, and that the studies for supplements are non-clinical), but you can recheck the article, just as well.

Unless you can get back to the actual topic, and answer the questions I asked, I see no reason for this to go further.

[villager]

9. Well, I guess we both agree on the futility of this going further...

Ah well...

[pansypoo53219]

10. i cured my hay fever by eating local honey.

my cousin said his went away when he stopped eating wheat and bread.

[HuckleB]

12. The Role of Anecdotes in Science-Based Medicine

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=33

[BuddhaGirl]

13. very cool!

my husband has been gluten free for 3 weeks now, and his allergies have markedly improved.

Eating local honey has helped lots of people. I find that a quercetin/nettles combo really helps, too.

[Celebration]

14. Quercetin does it for me n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

15. Yes. n/t

[HuckleB]

11. A lengthier version of this article is now up at Science Based Medicine:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=5225

[HysteryDiagnosis]

16. Let's not let facts get in the way.

Clin Exp Immunol. 2010 Mar 16.
Various effects of different probiotic strains in allergic disorders: an update from laboratory and clinical data.
Ozdemir O.

Department of Pediatics, Division of Allergy/Immunology, SEMA Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract
Summary Epidemiological data show that allergic children have a different intestinal flora from healthy children with higher levels of Clostridia and lower levels of Bifidobacteria. Nonetheless, Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli are found more commonly in the composition of the intestinal flora of non-allergic children. Probiotics are ingested live microbes that can modify intestinal microbial populations in a way that benefits the host and they are represented mainly by Lactobacilli. Enhanced presence of probiotic bacteria in the intestinal microbiota is found to correlate with protection against atopy. There is also very promising evidence to recommend the addition of probiotics to foods for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases. Clinical improvement, especially in allergic rhinitis and immunoglobulin (Ig)E-sensitized (atopic) eczema, has been reported in most of the published studies. However, clinical benefit of probiotic therapy depends upon numerous factors, such as type of bacterium, dosing regimen, delivery method and other underlying host factors, e.g. the age and diet of the host. Selection of the most beneficial probiotic strain, the dose and the timing of supplementation still need to be determined. This review helps understanding of the role of probiotics in various allergic diseases, explaining laboratory and clinical data in light of recent literature.

PMID: 20345982

[HuckleB]

17. Please connect your abstract to the article, with a full explanation. Thanks.

PS:

Review Finds Probiotics Don’t Help Children with Eczema
http://www.health.am/ab/more/probiotics-dont-help-children-with-eczema/

Probiotics
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=344

Probiotics for the prevention or treatment of allergic diseases
http://foodallergies.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=foodallergies&cdn=health&tm=30&f=10&tt=12&bt=0&bts=0&st=33&zu=http%3A//www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2807%2900865-2/fulltext

Probiotic supplementation for the first 6 months of life fails to reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis and increases the risk of allergen sensitization in high-risk children: A randomized controlled trial
http://foodallergies.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=foodallergies&cdn=health&tm=99&f=10&tt=12&bt=0&bts=0&st=33&zu=http%3A//www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2806%2901798-2/fulltext