nut lovers rejoice

Kereru wrote:

I have wondered this before. Somewhere I read (or saw) a study that idicated
the increase in asthma and hayfever was liked to the immune system being
underworked and turning on things eg. pollen which aren't actually a threat.
Perhaps the total avoidance of all potentially allergenic foods could
contribute, that's total speculation BTW I have absolutely no backup! For
some reason I haven't been able to get onto the lancet or NEJM websites
(which is where I probably saw the study) so I can't give you a ref. for the
underworked immune system theory.

Yes, I'm aware of that theory, and it's certainly a
possibility. The research is just still equivocal, so we
don't really know for sure whether avoidance is best, or
if some degree of exposure is good, and if so, when and
how much. For instance, some studies have shown breastfeeding
(without avoidance) to lessen the likelihood of food allergies
(because of not introducing solids? or because the baby is
being exposed to tiny quantities of potential allergens in
the breastmilk?) and others have shown breastfeeding to
*increase* the likelihood of some food allergies (or was
it asthma? I forget...). Anyway, the point is that the
jury is still out on this issue. Personally, if there was
serious atopy in the family, I'd probably go for avoidance,
but that's just my hunch of the moment, and probably worth
what you paid for it ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
Amy wrote:

I've often wondered about the logic to this. IMO, allergies are
inherited
and genetic and if you're going to get them you will, if you won't you
won't
My mother ate peanuts through all her pregnancies and breastfed us all.
None
of us have food allergies. Two out of three suffered asthma, as did our
parents, and one has a rare allergy to cold but that's it...I don't see
how

The tendency to atopic disease is inherited, but
the manner in which that tendency is *expressed* (allergies,
asthma, eczema, etc.), if at all, is partly determined by
exposure. You take a child with a tendency to atopic disease
and expose him or her to highly allergenic foods before the
immune system is fully developed, and you may get food
allergies where you might not have otherwise. Some would
argue that exposure in small, controlled amounts may
help protect against the development of allergies, but
research is still very equivocal on this point.

I have wondered this before. Somewhere I read (or saw) a study that idicated
the increase in asthma and hayfever was liked to the immune system being
underworked and turning on things eg. pollen which aren't actually a threat.
Perhaps the total avoidance of all potentially allergenic foods could
contribute, that's total speculation BTW I have absolutely no backup! For
some reason I haven't been able to get onto the lancet or NEJM websites
(which is where I probably saw the study) so I can't give you a ref. for the
underworked immune system theory.

Judy


Anyway, the point is that it is *not* the case
that you inherit a nut allergy and there's nothing you
can do about it at all. You may be able to avoid it
by delaying the introduction. The reason that there has
been discussion of avoiding exposure during pregnancy and
nursing is that there have been cases where babies have
reacted to their very first exposure to peanuts. Since
they know you *can't* react on your first exposure (you
have to have been sensitized through a prior exposure),
they theorized that the children might have been exposed
during pregnancy or breastfeeding and subsequently found
that nut proteins can pass intact over the placenta or
through breastmilk.

Best wishes,
Ericka