Peanut allergy continues to increase, and affects an estimated 1% – 3% of the population in Western countries. Yet we’re still not clear what the cause is.
A recent British study though is indicating that exposing infants to peanuts early in their life can – surprisingly perhaps – decrease the chances of them later developing an allergy.
The LEAP study – or Learning Early About Peanut allergy – found that, with children who were at risk of developing a peanut allergy, avoiding peanut products for the first five years of their lives were seven times more likely to develop an allergy than those that were regularly exposed.
And their latest research suggests that this resistance to allergy continues, even after a period of avoiding peanut products.
You can find out more abut the study and its results in the latest video from Risk Bites:
This was a collaboration with the YouTube channel ACS Reactions – you can see their half of the allergy story here: