Gosline, Anna. "Dining with death." New Scientist, June 2006: 40-44.
"The American government estimates around 1 percent of the population - almost 2 million people - are allergic to peanuts (40)." That is a staggering statistic. Peanuts, unlike other allergenic foods, cause the most serious allergic responses, anaphylaxis among them.
This article is the creation of a freelance writer from London who has a severe peanut allergy. It begins with the proclamation that she "risks her life every time she eats out" and then goes on to relate the story of her near-death anaphylactic reaction in college to a chocolate dessert,which unknowingly contained peanuts. The article, after citing peanut allergy statistics, goes on to mention possible causes and cures for peanut allergies.
The information contained in this article, written for a non-technical/everyday man audience, is a good summary of peanut allergies from an author with first-hand experience. Because the author is not a medical professional, though, I'd be cautious about using any statistics she provides. I have read several other sources which provide figures that are probably more accurate and reliable.
The author did a nice job of relating the experience of an allergic reaction and living with a life-threatening food allergy.
Showing posts with label peanut allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peanut allergies. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Early peanut consumption: postpone or promote?
AW, Burks. "Early peanut consumption: postpone or promote?" J Allergy Clin Immunol 123 (2009): 424-425.
This article addresses an issue at the forefront of research concerning peanut allergies now: Should the introduction of peanuts early in infancy be promoted or postponed? In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that the introduction of peanuts be postponed in infants until 3 years of age. That is the guideline that I followed with my children. Current research suggests that early oral exposure to peanuts might actually decrease the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy. On the flip side of the issue, it has been suggested that environmental exposure to peanuts may increase the risk of developing a peanut allergy. The article also includes a discussion about the issue of whether or not maternal consumption of peanuts during pregnancy or lactation increases the risk of developing an allergy.
This is a good source of information about peanut allergy, environmental exposure, and oral consumption. Dr. Burks has been cited in a lot of the material I've been reading on this topic, so I believe that he is a reliable source.
This article addresses an issue at the forefront of research concerning peanut allergies now: Should the introduction of peanuts early in infancy be promoted or postponed? In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that the introduction of peanuts be postponed in infants until 3 years of age. That is the guideline that I followed with my children. Current research suggests that early oral exposure to peanuts might actually decrease the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy. On the flip side of the issue, it has been suggested that environmental exposure to peanuts may increase the risk of developing a peanut allergy. The article also includes a discussion about the issue of whether or not maternal consumption of peanuts during pregnancy or lactation increases the risk of developing an allergy.
This is a good source of information about peanut allergy, environmental exposure, and oral consumption. Dr. Burks has been cited in a lot of the material I've been reading on this topic, so I believe that he is a reliable source.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Peanut Allergies
My 9-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy. It was discovered when she was 3 years old and had her first bite of peanut butter. When the hives appeared around her mouth my stomach sank. I knew that this was a life altering experience for my daughter and for our family. Over the course of the past 9 years, I’ve learned as much as I can about peanut allergies and promising research into the desensitization of peanut allergies, but there are always new developments.
Most people know of someone who suffers from a food/peanut allergy. It’s a topic that touches many lives and that is why I’ve chosen it for my research project. After reading my paper, I’d like you to come away with information you didn’t know about peanut allergies and the research into possible cures. My working research question is: What are peanut allergies and is there hope for a cure?
1. Young, M.C. Peanut Allergy Answer Book. 2nd ed. Fair Winds Press, 2006.
This is the peanut allergy bible and it covers every topic from Food Allergies in a Nutshell to Peanut Allergies 101. I’ve read different portions of this book over the past 9 years, depending on which topic pertained to the current situation, and they were all very informative. The author is a pediatric allergist who graduated from Harvard University and Yale Medical School. Even though this edition is from 2006, the information is still valid and a research project would not be complete without it.
2.Clark, A.T., Islam, S., King, Y., Deighton, J., Anagnostou, K.,Ewan,P.W.
Successful oral tolerance induction in severe peanut allergy.Abstract.
Allergy.64(2009): 1218–1220. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.01982.x/abstract.
The goal of the study this abstract describes was to find out if peanut oral immunotherapy (OTI) would induce a greater tolerance to peanut protein. Background information on peanut allergy, methods, and results of the study were shared. The study demonstrated that tolerance to peanuts could be increased using oral immunotherapy. This is good research material for a project. The study was done in the UK.
3. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. (n.d.). Tips for Managing a Peanut
Allergy.www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut.html.
FAAN is a website which is an invaluable resource for those with food allergies. It provides information on the common food allergens and a host of other topics. The article I cited provides a list of items that may contain peanut and what kinds of restaurants to avoid. Again, this is a reliable source for introductory information regarding peanut allergies.
Most people know of someone who suffers from a food/peanut allergy. It’s a topic that touches many lives and that is why I’ve chosen it for my research project. After reading my paper, I’d like you to come away with information you didn’t know about peanut allergies and the research into possible cures. My working research question is: What are peanut allergies and is there hope for a cure?
1. Young, M.C. Peanut Allergy Answer Book. 2nd ed. Fair Winds Press, 2006.
This is the peanut allergy bible and it covers every topic from Food Allergies in a Nutshell to Peanut Allergies 101. I’ve read different portions of this book over the past 9 years, depending on which topic pertained to the current situation, and they were all very informative. The author is a pediatric allergist who graduated from Harvard University and Yale Medical School. Even though this edition is from 2006, the information is still valid and a research project would not be complete without it.
2.Clark, A.T., Islam, S., King, Y., Deighton, J., Anagnostou, K.,Ewan,P.W.
Successful oral tolerance induction in severe peanut allergy.Abstract.
Allergy.64(2009): 1218–1220. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.01982.x/abstract.
The goal of the study this abstract describes was to find out if peanut oral immunotherapy (OTI) would induce a greater tolerance to peanut protein. Background information on peanut allergy, methods, and results of the study were shared. The study demonstrated that tolerance to peanuts could be increased using oral immunotherapy. This is good research material for a project. The study was done in the UK.
3. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. (n.d.). Tips for Managing a Peanut
Allergy.www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut.html.
FAAN is a website which is an invaluable resource for those with food allergies. It provides information on the common food allergens and a host of other topics. The article I cited provides a list of items that may contain peanut and what kinds of restaurants to avoid. Again, this is a reliable source for introductory information regarding peanut allergies.
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