Farming lifestyle and human milk: Modulation of the infant microbiome and protection against allergy.

There has been an increased prevalence of several allergic manifestations such as food allergy, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Several explanations have been proposed why this has occurred, but one of the main contributing factors may be the gradual loss of microbial exposures over time in regions where allergy is prevalent. Such exposures occur in individuals who practise a traditional farming lifestyle and are protected against allergy. Infant consumption of human milk, more commonly practised in these farming communities, may provide an alternative in combatting allergy, as it known to be beneficial to infant health. In this review, we cover human milk and its role in shaping the gut microbiome promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium, as well as the downstream impact of the farming lifestyle, human milk and Bifidobacterium has on developing infant immunity.