Pills and Parfaits: How probiotics could make living with CVID a little easier.

Between the far-too-frequent infections associated with CVID and the reoccurring gastrointestinal issues, many patients find themselves on various antibiotics. Unfortunately, in the process of alleviating one discomfort and eradicating colonies of bad bacteria, the good bacteria takes a hit too.

You may find yourself gaining relief from an infection or ulcers while simultaneously gaining diarrhea and bloating.

For those whose CVID has resulted in a GI tract that’s already inflamed, that’s definitely not something they need more of.  Not exactly a win-win situation when you have to trade the original problem for a list of uncomfortable side effects.

The good news is that one of the suggested treatments for these unpleasant symptoms is painless and surprisingly tasty. Yogurt, as well as a number of other foods, contains probiotics or  “good bacteria” that can help prevent the negative effects of antibiotics by restoring the bacterial balance in your gut and has even been theorized to lead to more effective treatment overall.

A recent study conducted at the College of William and Mary showed that the benefits of probiotics may not stop with your stomach. A possible association was discovered between an increase of probiotics in someone’s diet through fermented foods and a decrease in social anxiety and depression.

Their study will be published this August in the journal Psychiatry Research. You can read more here.

Although further experimentation is needed to determine a causation, this dietary change is one of the few treatments that carries very little risk and a lot of flavor!