食物太干净竟可导致肠道疾病?

Increasing numbers of children need hospital treatment for gut allergies caused by reactions to everyday foods such as milk and bread, claims a leading doctor. Some experts believe over-hygienic lifestyles are driving the rise in allergies and asthma. Previous generations were exposed to more dirt and microorganisms, which kickstarted their immune systems. Other causes could include Caesarean births, which may affect the immune system, and early use of antibiotics. 炎炎夏日，患肠道疾病的人群大幅增加、特别是儿童的肠胃疾病频发，通常医生会给的建议都是建议患儿平时加强注意饮食卫生，特别是每日必须摄入的食物，比如牛奶、面包等等。然而，最近一些专家针对这些肠道疾病提出了自己的一些看法，他们认为“过度保持食物的卫生”，换句话说，让食物做到100%除菌甚至有可能提高肠道敏感疾病还有哮喘的可能性大大提高。反之，平常是自己经常处于有菌环境中反而能使得自己的免疫系统重新启动，恢复日常运转。此外，专家还发现“剖腹产”可以导致免疫系统受损，还有早期使用抗生素等等。

Gut allergies are difficult to pinpoint. Some sufferers have to wait years to get a proper diagnosis, suffering pain and losing valuable time at school, according to Dr Nikhil Thapar of Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. Dr Thapar, a consultant gastroenterologist and clinician scientist, hopes tests will be developed within a ‘couple of years’ that are faster and more sophisticated than existing methods which include endoscopy and eliminating certain foods.

一般来说，肠道过敏症状很难被确诊，这种疾病要花几年的时间去诊断。来自伦敦的医生Dr Nikhi Thapar希望关于肠道过敏疾病的确诊能够效率更高一些，效果更好一些，当然这些日常的检查手段包括内窥镜检查还有进行食物测试等等。

He said his unit investigates hundreds of children a year with gut allergies. A rising number are affected by common foods such as cow’s milk, wheat, soya, eggs, celery, kiwi fruit and other fruit and vegetables. Food allergy can take the form of a sudden life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis, as well as eczema or an itchy rash. Studies estimate 4 per cent of children have a food allergy.

据医生Dr Nikhi Thapar了解，每年有上百儿童感染肠道疾病，这些疾病大都因食物所引起，容易引起肠道敏感疾病的食物有很多，比如：牛奶、小麦、大豆、鸡蛋、芹菜、奇异果等等。这些食物容易引起肠道的过敏性反应、湿疹、以及发痒性皮疹等等。据悉，有4%的儿童感染过肠道过敏性疾病。

Modifying the diet is still a major part of treatment although drugs can help. Doctors eliminate various foods from the diet and then re-introduce them to see if they cause a reaction. ‘It used to be thought that children grew out of gut allergy but they don’t necessarily do so’ said Dr Thapar. A more rapid version of an endoscopy to take tissues samples from the bowel via a tube sent down through the oesophagus would reduce time spent in hospital, he said.

加强对食物的管理比起服用药物而言，更能有助于消灭肠道敏感性疾病，医生一般都建议进行常规的食物测试，来看看患者对食物的反映。