An elegant little study in Finland, published in the July 2002 issue of Gut, looked at babies with severe eczema – and their stools. Stools are teeming with bacteria, some beneficial, some neutral, and some that are not our friends. In this study, as levels of E. coli and bacteroides bacteria in the stool went up, so did IgE antibodies in the blood (evidence of allergy), and eczema on the skin. When these babies were weaned, half got hypoallergenic formula and the other half got hypoallergenic formula with beneficial bacteria blended in (like in yogurt or acidophilus milk). Those that got the beneficial bacteria decreased their levels of E coli and bacteroides in their stools, the IgE in their blood, and the eczema on their skin. We are healthiest when our internal ecosystem is healthy.
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