The percentage of children affected by food allergies have increased suddenly by around 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, which according to some studies has a correlation to the use of antimicrobial and antibiotic. Interestingly, a new study finds that gut bacteria can actually protect us from food allergy.

The scientists at University of Chicago (UC) examined mice in their research and found that a common class of gut bacteria called Clostridia protects the body from food allergies.

The germ-free mice and antibiotic-treated mice as newborns were exposed to allergens from peanuts. The two groups showed a powerful immunological response, creating considerably higher antibodies levels against allergens from peanuts than mice with common gut bacteria.

Such gut bacteria reduce one’s exposure to allergens and stops sensitization—a key step in food allergy development—by stimulating the immune responses that stop the allergens from going into the bloodstream, the scientists say.

Reintroducing Clostridia into the mice, however, could overturn the sensitization. Bacteroides, another intestinal bacteria group, were also reintroduced into the mice for the purpose of sensitization but failed to lessen sensitization. This only goes to show that Clostridia truly have an exceptional protective role against fighting off food allergens.

The study says the causes of such allergies remain unknown, though some studies suggest that dietary practices and modern hygienic may have a role to it by disturbing the natural bacterial composition of the body.

"Environmental stimuli such as antibiotic overuse, high fat diets, caesarean birth, removal of common pathogens and even formula feeding have affected the microbiota with which we've co-evolved," says Cathryn Nagler, PhD, study senior author, and professor of Bunning Food Allergy at UC.

Nagler adds that the initial step to sensitization is for the process to get into your blood and the present them to your immune system. The existence of such bacteria is said to regular the entire process.

Regardless, she warns that the results of the study apply possibly at population level, as well as its cause and effect in individuals would still require further study.

"There are of course no guarantees, but this is absolutely testable as a therapeutic against a disease for which there's nothing. As a mom, I can imagine how frightening it must be to worry every time your child takes a bite of food,” says Nagler.

Other factors such as genetics may largely affect individuals in developing the food allergies and the way it manifests, but the new discovery on gut bacteria is said to show a new pattern in preventing sensitization to food.

The Clostridia gut bacteria are said to be common in humans and signify a clear target for possible therapeutics to treat or prevent food allergies.

The study, Commensal bacteria protect against food allergen sensitization, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America journal.