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Australian researchers find that boiled peanuts could help children overcome peanut allergies
- Feeding children boiled peanuts can help them build tolerance to the popular nuts
- The Adelaide researchers tested the theory on 70 children between the ages of six and eighteen.
- They found that up to 80 percent of children could eat 12 roasted peanuts after the study
- Immunotherapy could be ‘life-changing’ for allergy-suffering children and parents
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Thousands of Australians could soon get respite from crippling peanut allergies after the discovery of a life-changing treatment.
The researchers discovered that by boiling peanuts, a key protein that ‘drives’ the body’s allergic response to the popular nut, was transformed, helping children overcome their allergies.
Scientists in Adelaide have studied the impacts of the innovative therapy on 70 children between the ages of six and eighteen with mild to moderate peanut allergies.
By slowly increasing their consumption of boiled peanuts over the year-long study, the children’s bodies were able to develop a tolerance to the nuts.
The results proved ‘life changing’ with up to 80 per cent of children able to consume 12 roasted peanuts without a reaction after the study.
Scientists in Adelaide studied the impacts of the therapy on 70 children aged six to eighteen who had a mild to moderate peanut allergy (file image)
The group began taking small, slowly increasing amounts of boiled peanuts over 12 hours, twice a day, for the first 12 weeks.
They then moved on to eating peanuts that had been boiled for two hours for 20 weeks before finally tackling roasted peanuts for the last 20 weeks.
Associate Professor at Flinders University and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Luke Grzekowiak, said most of the reactions had been mild.
He said 61 percent of the children experienced some reaction during the course of the study, while three required adrenaline.
By slowly increasing their consumption of boiled peanuts over the year-long study, the children’s bodies were able to develop a tolerance to peanuts.
Professor Grzekowiak said the immunotherapy worked because the body cannot recognize the structure of the peanut after it is boiled.
“Boiled peanuts are much safer to give to children and help the body build tolerance,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It provides a high level of protection against accidentally biting into a peanut candy bar and having an allergic reaction.”
There is currently no approved therapy or treatment for peanut allergy in Australia, however there are some that have been approved overseas.
Scientists hope findings from ‘promising’ boiled peanut study can be tested in a larger clinical trial; however, parents are cautioned not to repeat it at home.
The children in the study began by taking small amounts of peanuts that had been boiled for 12 hours, twice a day, to increase their tolerance (stock image)
Immunotherapy requires children to be closely monitored by doctors, with the potentially fatal consequences of home-boiled peanuts.
Almost three per cent of Australian children have a peanut allergy by the age of one year and around 20 per cent of children outgrow the allergy.
However, some peanut allergies don’t show up until later in life.
It is one of the most common childhood food allergies, and some people suffer a life-threatening reaction if only small amounts of peanuts are eaten.