Study: Eating Peanuts During Childhood May Prevent Allergies
Photo by Vladislav Nikonov on Unsplash
One of the most common allergies these days is also one of the most deadly: peanuts. For those with a serious allergy to peanuts or other types of nuts, and parents of children with this allergies, it’s a major task to be 100% sure that no foods that contain nuts are consumed.
Over 400,000 children across the country suffer from a peanut allergy, and this number has shown a significant increase over the last 20 years. Recent research has led to a new development for the prevention of this increasingly common allergy. Scientists are now suggesting that during childhood, peanut allergies may be avoided by eating more nuts – not less – before an allergy develops.
A new study found that in high risk infants, early exposure to peanuts as opposed to avoiding nuts all together, has reduced the risk of developing an allergy by almost 80%! In the study, children were given small amounts of peanut traces. Later, they received the common “skin prick” allergy test to find out if a sensitivity had developed. Results showed that the babies who were exposed to nuts earlier did not develop an allergy.
Experts look at this as a groundbreaking discovery in allergy research. For the first time, preventative measures are an option, when before it was believed to be impossible.
However, it’s important to note that giving your infant peanuts in any form should still be done under the supervision of a pediatrician. Close monitoring for any reactions is necessary, but this new research definitely points experts in the right direction to unlock the solution for this and other life-threatening allergies.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/24/health/peanut-allergy-prevention/index.html
