Peanut allergy is a type of food allergy to peanuts. One of the most common food allergies, peanut allergy is an overreaction of the immune system that occurs when your body mistakenly identifies peanuts as a harmful substance.
Peanut allergy (PA) is estimated to affect approximately 3% of the general population of Western nations.
Now, a new study has found that boiled peanuts could help overcome children’s allergic reactions
In a clinical trial with 70 children aged 6 to 18 years with peanut allergies, Australian researchers gave doses of boiled peanuts to the children, followed by roasted peanuts. They found that the protocol helped up to 80% of the child participants overcome their peanut allergies.
The clinical trials were conducted at Flinders University and The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Boiling peanuts for up to 12 hours helped reduces allergic responses
For the study, child participants were given 12-hour boiled peanuts for 12 weeks, then they were given 2-hour boiled peanuts for 20 weeks, and roasted peanuts for another 20 weeks. Additionally, the children received 12 roasted peanuts daily.
Although the findings are promising, researchers suggest that this still requires a larger definitive clinical trial. Researchers estimate it will be years before any treatment could become available until then it’s best to avoid any exposure to peanuts.
