A recent study from the University of Michigan has found that inulin could be a new treatment for food allergies. Inulin is a naturally occurring plant fiber found in over 36,000 plant species. Because it is a prebiotic, it is also used as a dietary supplement to increase fiber or as a replacement for sugar or fat. When taken as a gel-based oral immunotherapy, it was shown to successfully stop allergic reactions in mice. It did this by targeting certain bacteria in the gut to normalize the imbalance of intestinal microbiota. This establishes an allergen specific tolerance and prevents allergic reactions.
Although this research is new, I believe that this is a promising discovery for many people that suffer from food allergies. This research is interesting because it is addressing the root cause of allergies instead of just managing the symptoms. It also has a potential for long-term protection even after you stop the oral immunotherapy treatment. Inulin is also very accessible and could be produced at a larger scale for consumers. The article also states that inulin could be used in the future to treat diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, or even cancerous tumors. This finding goes to show how important studying the gut microbiome is as it relates to health and disease.
However, it is important to realize that this study was just done in mice, and more research needs to be done on inulin’s effect in humans. But it does provide some hope for the millions of people that suffer from allergies and could provide a more long-lasting solution. If successful in humans, it could change how we approach health conditions that are related to the gut.