How boiled peanuts could be the answer to peanut allergies according to this study

peanut allergies

How boiled peanuts could be the answer to peanut allergies according to this study

Amongst all the food allergies that exist, the peanut allergy might be the one that comes to mind first. It’s become practically synonymous with child allergies, and not without reason. They affect around 2% of children in the UK, with it seemingly increasing over the past few decades.

So it’s no surprise when new research into the topic comes out. We’ve even covered it ourselves in the past. But there’s a new study that’s taking its own approach – with interesting results. Let’s look at what they did and what they discovered in the process.

The study

Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia looked into the effectiveness of boiling peanuts as a way of treating a peanut allergy. They conducted what is called ‘oral immunotherapy’ – treating something through ingesting via the mouth. After eliminating any potential participants who had a history of severe reactions, they had 70 children aged 6-18 years old who underwent an almost year-long study.

It was carried out in phases, with the first involving feeding the children peanuts that had been boiled for 12 hours and crushed into a powder. This is part of the oral immunotherapy method – you start with small amounts and increase over time as tolerance builds up. And it was no different in this study.

As they moved through the phases, they went from 12-hour boiled peanuts to 2-hour boiled peanuts to roasted peanuts, all over the course of around 50 weeks. It ended with an oral food challenge, which involved eating 12 roasted peanuts under strict monitoring to see if there was any reaction.

What did they find?

Of the 70 children taking part, 56 (80%) were successfully desensitised to the 12 peanuts. Does that mean they were cured? No – they still had their peanut allergy. But how much they reacted was significantly lower. This could have interesting implications for how we treat peanut allergies and how we keep children safe.

It could be a way to eventually remove the risk of even the most severe reactions. Though note we said eventually. This is the start of something promising but it needs further research. And oral immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone. These are things to consider before getting too excited.

Also note that this is something you should NOT try on your own. Remember that this study was carried out under strict scientific supervision with an allergy professional in the room should the worst happen. But stay optimistic! This is a good reason to celebrate and we can’t wait to see where the research goes next.

While there is no cure for peanut allergies, there is plenty of support. If you or your child needs advice on how to cope with your allergic conditions, get in touch with our friendly and professional team today. You can call us on 02031 433 449 or register as a new patient with us.

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