Peanut-eating prevents allergy?

In the United States, the number of children allergic to peanuts has doubled in 10 years, reaching nearly three million.

Until recently, U.S. doctors recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding avoid peanuts and not feed them to young kids.

But this apparently hasn't helped. Studies have shown eliminating food allergens at this time doesn't prevent an allergy from developing.

Now, a new study suggests it may be peanut-eating, not peanut avoidance, that prevents an allergy.

Philadelphia Enquirer

Eliminating allergy causing proteins

UGA researchers aim to change the peanut itself, eliminating some of the proteins that trigger the allergy.

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If all the proteins in a peanut that can cause allergic reactions were eliminated, the resulting peanut plant could not grow, said Ozias-Akins, who has been researching peanut allergies for six years.

Ozias-Akins hopes to develop a peanut minus three of the proteins that cause the most problems.

OnlineAthens

Alexander the Elephant childrens DVDs

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is proud to announce the release of two animated DVDs that both entertain and educate children about food allergies. Alexander, the Elephant Who Couldn't Eat Peanuts ... Goes to School and Alexander, the Elephant Who Couldn't Eat Peanuts ... Gets a Babysitter help children cope with their own allergies and teach other children about tolerance. Both videos combine colorful animation with interviews of real-life children with food allergies who talk about their experiences.

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The first Alexander video, Alexander the Elephant Who Couldn't Eat Peanuts, introduced youngsters to Alexander 10 years ago. It was an engaging award winner that won critical acclaim from young viewers, parents, and educators. Children watched it over and over. That video spun off a series of books featuring Alexander and his friends, which has won its own awards. To date, there are 13 books in the series that examine how children with food allergies can stay safe while going out to eat, attending school, riding on an airplane, and going to a birthday party. All are beautifully illustrated in full color and are written for children ages 2 through 7 years.

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Alexander DVDs can be ordered at http://www.foodallergy.org/ or (800) 929-4040.

Earthtimes

Battle of the genes

A breakthrough discovery will bring a new generation of drugs that target the cause rather than just the symptoms, scientists say.

A hay fever cure could be available within two years, they claim. Treatments for other allergies – including asthma and potentially fatal peanut intolerances – would follow.

Scientists identified a “battle of the genes”, with allergies coming on if the wrong “side” wins. They hope the discovery will help them find a way to re-programme allergy cells.

Daily Express

Anti-anaphylaxis pill?

The prospect of a pill that could cut the risk that a child with peanut allergy is killed by an extreme allergic response is raised today.

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Now Dr Kirk Druey of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, and colleagues report that they have found a protein that suppresses anaphylactic shock, when an allergic response triggers a quick release of substances from special immune cells found in tissues, called mast cells, that can lead to these deadly effects.

Dr Druey said this find will provide basic insights into how to damp down this deadly response, by gene therapy or a small drug molecule to mimic the effects of this protein. However, he emphasised that, though potentially significant, it would take some years to do.

Telegraph.co.uk

Risk of soy

Children with peanut allergies are at risk of severe reactions from soy, including death, and should strictly avoid anything containing this widespread ingredient. That is what the parents of 13-year old Emily Vonder Meulen warned after reading the cover article,”Kids and the Growing Food Allergy Threat” in the current issue of Newsweek.

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"Soy has been significantly underestimated as a cause of food anaphylaxis" Dr. Daniel continues. "As early as 1999 in the journal Allergy, Swedish researchers reported that four children died after eating a minuscule amount of soy 'hidden' in hamburgers.

The Swedish National Food Administration quickly warned parents and pediatricians of the soy-peanut link and stated that children with a combination of peanut allergy and asthma are at highest risk. Additional risk factors include other food allergies, a family history of peanut or soy allergies, a diagnosis of asthma, rhinitis or eczema, or a family history of those diseases.

"Tragically, the Swedish warning has not been publicized here in the U.S. As a result, more children have died," says Dr. Daniel.

NewsWireRelease.com

Allergen-free peanuts

An agricultural researcher at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has developed a simple process to make allergen-free peanuts. The new process – believed to be a first for food science – could provide relief to millions of peanut allergy sufferers, and be an enormous boon to the entire peanut industry.

Doug Speight of the N.C. A&T Office of Outreach and Technology Transfer said food companies are showing a strong interest in licensing the process, which does not degrade the taste or quality of treated peanuts, and might even render them easier to process for use as a food ingredient.

EurekAlert

Peanut allergy is misdiagnosed in many children

Many children are erroneously told they have a peanut allergy because the standard skin-prick test is not accurate enough, a new study suggests.

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A child who develops a hive measuring 8 millimetres or more is allergic to peanuts, according to the diagnostic cut-off level.

However, only 67% of those in the study with hives measuring between 8 and 10 mm, proved to be allergic when given peanut to eat under hospital supervision. The test only became 100% accurate when the hive measured 15 mm or more.

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“For many with a positive result on the skin-prick test, it would be worth doing a peanut challenge in a hospital environment,” Wainstein says.

NewScientist.com

Food Allergy Awareness Week

This upcoming week, May 13-19, is 10th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Week. I encourage people affected by allergies to let others know and those not directly affected to acquaint themselves on how they can help.

Good resources include Check My Tag and The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Allergy passed in blood transfusion

A woman suffered a life-threatening reaction after being given blood from another patient with a peanut allergy.

It is believed to be the first time a severe food allergy has passed from one person to another through donated blood.

scotsman.com