A recent study suggested that giving babies peanuts in their first year of life can protect them from the risk of developing peanut allergy. Moreover, the study discovered that the allergy protection can last to five years and it will not wane even after the children have stopped eating peanuts or any food that contain peanuts for a year.
The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that infants who consumed peanuts during the first year of life and continued eating peanuts until they were 5 could go for a year of peanut avoidance without showing any signs of any increase in the prevalence of peanut allergy. Furthermore, the study also discovered that there are other benefits when people expose kids to peanuts at the early age. Among those benefits include lower respiratory tract infections, reduce of skin problems like eczema and stomach bugs like gastroenteritis.
Eating peanuts early in life may reduce risk of developing peanut allergy, study shows: https://t.co/ZPO9kzRAGV pic.twitter.com/L9Kac0NhzR
— ABC News (@ABC) Marso 5, 2016
"It would appear early consumption of peanuts gives you long-lasting protection against peanut allergy," lead study author Dr. Gideon Lack told CBS News. He also added that the findings "exceeded" the researchers' expectations.
The study was released after Lack and his team conducted a research to 500 children, whom half of them had eaten peanuts regularly and half didn't eat any peanuts. After the initial five-year study period, the caregivers were instructed not to give peanuts or any food that contain peanuts to the children for the period of 12 months.
At the end of the research, the group found out that by the time the children turned six, there was a slight increase in risk of peanut allergy in the kids who consumed peanuts during the first year of their lives. Nevertheless, the researchers said the increase was not statistically significant.
The researchers conducted the study after data indicated that peanuts and other food allergies have risen sharply in the U.S. and Europe. Hence, the group has been exploring potential ways to prevent the problem.
