Author: Ivan Red Jr.
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Children with allergies to peanuts can overcome the problem of daily intake of minimal doses of peanut butter
Children with allergies to peanuts can overcome the problem with daily intake of minimal doses of peanut butter. A small clinical study conducted at Adenbrook Hospital in Cambridge shows that the method can ensure the development of tolerance.
Andy Klerk, the study's author, acknowledges that a possible reaction can be fatal, such as anaphylactic shock. So far, however, things are going well and children can safely eat up to 10 nuts a day without negative consequences.
Allergy is a type of pathological immune response in which the immune system is hypersensitive to foreign substances. Food allergies, including those to nuts, have been on the rise in recent years and there is no definite evidence for the cause. Previous attempts to overcome them by gradually building tolerance to the allergen through its application have failed. Clerk believes that this is due to the inappropriate form of administration - by injection, and not as he does, where the dose is many times lower.
In the beginning it starts with 5 mg of flour a day. After six months, the amount reached 800 mg, equivalent to 5 whole nuts. Currently, 18 children between the ages of 7 and 17 are participating in the program. In the future, middle-aged people are also expected to join.