Genetics and food exposure in early life can impact if you develop allergies or not. But those aren't the only factors at play!

This month we are continuing on the topic of allergies, and this time we will explore how our microbiome and exposure to microbes can impact our risk of developing allergies.

We talk about how a diverse microbiome can reduce your risk of allergies and why, and what happens when your microbiome is less well-balanced.

And to end - have you heard of the hygiene hypothesis? Well, it has an update... Listen in to find out more about the 'old friends' hypothesis!

Key References:

• Tan J et al. Your Regulatory T Cells Are What You Eat: How Diet and Gut Microbiota Affect Regulatory T Cell Development. Front Nutr. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.878382
• Gang Y et al. Risk and protective factors for food allergy: an in-depth analysis of dietary patterns and specific dietary components. Allergy Medicine 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.allmed.2025.100076
• Kim CH & Baker JR. Regulation of allergies across the body by microbial metabolites. Exp Mol Med 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-026-01642-1
• Rook GAW. The old friends hypothesis: evolution, immunoregulation and essential microbial inputs. Front Allergy 2023. https://doi.org/10.3389/falgy.2023.1220481
• Azad MB et al. Infant gut microbiota and the hygiene hypothesis of allergic disease: impact of household pets and siblings on microbiota composition and diversity. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol 2013. https://doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-9-15