- FRIDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — Eating peanuts early in life
may help prevent development of peanut allergy, according to a study that
casts doubt on government health recommendations that infants and new
mothers shouldn't eat peanuts.

The researchers examined the incidence of peanut allergy in 8,600
Jewish school-age children in the United Kingdom and in Israel. They then
compared the results with data on peanut consumption by infants ages four
to 24 months.

The prevalence of peanut allergy was 1.85 percent among the U.K.
students and 0.17 percent among the Israeli children, said the study,
which also found that 69 percent of Israeli children were eating peanuts
at nine months of age, compared to only 10 percent of the British
children.

“The most obvious difference in the diet of infants in both populations
occurs in the introduction of peanut,” wrote lead author Dr. George Du
Toit and colleagues. But they cautioned that more research is needed
before the U.K. and other countries change their guidelines that advise
avoidance of peanut consumption during pregnancy, breast-feeding and
infancy.

The study was published in the November issue of The Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

While these findings are promising, they shouldn't prompt any immediate
changes, cautioned the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &
Immunology (AAAAI). There are a number of other factors that may explain
the differences in peanut allergy prevalence between Israel and the
U.K.

“While this study's findings provide optimism for prevention of peanut
allergy in the future, randomized, controlled trials are needed to verify
that early introduction of peanut is indeed effective,” Dr. Jacqueline A.
Pongracic, vice chair of the AAAAI's Adverse Reaction to Food Committee,
said in an academy news release.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about nut and peanut allergy.