Twelve million Americans suffer from food allergies. Though some children outgrow allergies, many have to live with a condition for life. Now it appears that there is a glimmer of hope for some families. Earlier this year, researchers at Duke University Medical Center and Arkansas Children’s Hospital presented a treatment plan that seems to be working. Introducing tiny amounts of peanuts into a child’s diet, and gradually increasing the amount over the course of months, may lead to a tolerance level and even desensitization:

“It appears these children have lost their allergies,” says Wesley Burks, MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Duke.

“At the start of the study, these participants couldn’t tolerate one-sixth of a peanut,” Burks said. “Six months into it, they were ingesting 13 to 15 peanuts before they had a reaction.” Read more…

The initial dosage can be as low as one thousandth of a peanut!

The four-year study shows real improvement – 89% of the kids with severe peanut allergies could eventually eat up to 15 peanuts without showing any allergic reaction. However, 11% had to quit because their bodies couldn’t handle the treatment. In a parallel experiment, 25% of the children seem to have lost their allergy altogether.

What you need to know:

Of 150 deaths from allergic reactions each year, 75 are caused by peanuts. Around 3 million Americans suffer from peanut allergies. For some, the allergy is so severe that even sitting next to people who are eating peanut products may cause a reaction. Peanut allergies are the leading cause of food-induced anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening reaction that constricts the airways and lungs. They account for 15, 000 emergency room visits every year year.

Especially worrying to parents are young children with peanut allergies. They have to be educated at a very tender age that they can’t have the same foods, snacks, and treats as their friends.

Warning! This research is still ongoing. Parents are cautioned against trying any version of this treatment on their own.

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