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It turns out that more peanut exposure earlier on means fewer allergy cases later. Health experts suggested in years past that mothers with familial predispositions to developing allergies should avoid peanut consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding and that parents should avoid giving their children peanut products and other common allergens before the age of 3. According to a National Institutes of Health-backed study published on Monday in the American Academy of Pediatrics' medical journal, Pediatrics, the strategy of avoidance appears to have been the wrong approach. Background After observing the prevalence of peanut allergy among children in Western countries double...

Study shows protective effect of recommending peanut product consumption in infancyKey Takeaways =In this study, physician-diagnosed peanut allergies in children ages 0-3 declined by 27.2% after guidelines recommended early peanut product introduction. -The 2017 national guidelines recommended introducing peanut products by 11 months for low-risk infants, and by 6 months for those at high risk. Further analyses are needed to validate these trends in larger, more diverse samples using food allergy testing or oral food challenges. -Fewer toddlers developed peanut allergies after guidelines recommended introducing peanut products in infancy, a large primary care registry study showed. Physician-diagnosed peanut allergies in...

There have been countless examples of liberalism being a mental disorder.Here is another one:Two researchers from Western Michigan University have written a paper titled “Beneficial Bloodsucking,” which was published by the journal Bioethics this past July. (No, it isn’t about vampires.)The paper argues that intentionally spreading alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat, could be not only morally defensible, but perhaps even necessary, in order to reduce animal suffering and combat climate change.Here are the authors, Parker Crutchfield and Blake Hereth, in their own words:Because promoting tickborne AGS prevents something bad from happening, doesn’t violate anyone’s rights,...

The Food and Drug Administration said Gooder Foods, Inc. has issued a recall for some of its macaroni and cheese. Dig deeper: The company recalled five lots of its "Vegan Is Believin’ – Plant Based White Cheddar with Spirals" due to the possible presence of undeclared milk. The company is also recalling three lots of "Here Comes Truffle – Creamy Truffle Flavored Cheddar and Shells" after discovering they may contain undeclared cashew. The affected lots were manufactured between April 7 and April 15, 2025.

A freak allergy attack led to a surreal near-death experience for nurse Julia Evans, and she passed into an otherworldly realm where she saw long-dead friends and relatives and, briefly, 'Jesus'Simply breathing in the pollen from a bunch of flowers led to a dramatic near-death experience for a nurse. Canadian Julia Evans recalled how, as medics scrambled to save her life, she found herself in a serene state where she encountered relatives and friends who had died years before. Speaking to podcaster Jeff Mara, she told how the amazing experience had begun. She had just arrived at the hospital where...

A mouse study finds a gut “gatekeeper” that decides whether allergens can get through — and an existing drug that could block dangerous reactions before they start. In A Nutshell * In mice, a “gut gatekeeper” controls whether allergens can cross into the body and trigger a reaction. * The protective version of this gatekeeper is linked to a more active enzyme (DPEP1) that clears chemical signals which open the gut barrier. * Blocking those signals with an existing asthma drug (zileuton) stopped allergic reactions from oral exposure in mice. * While promising, the findings are in mice; human safety...

Nearly one in four infants lacks enough healthy gut bacteria essential for training their immune systems, putting them at greater risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as allergies, asthma, and eczema by age 2. Bifidobacteria are among the first group of good bacteria to colonize the human gut, and their presence has been linked to positive health outcomes for the host, including protection against metabolic diseases, gastrointestinal tract infections, and inflammation. A recent study analyzed the gut microbiomes of 412 infants, selected to represent the diverse demographics of the U.S, and found a widespread deficit of Bifidobacteria in infants....

University of Eastern Finland findings suggest that consuming avocados during pregnancy is associated with a 43.6% lower likelihood of food allergy development in children by 12 months of age. Maternal dietary choices during pregnancy influence offspring health, particularly in the development of allergic diseases. Previous studies on maternal nutrition have examined the role of fruits, vegetables, and specific food categories but lacked investigations into the impact of individual foods on allergy development in children. The team conducted a prospective cohort study to assess how avocado consumption during pregnancy relates to childhood allergy outcomes. Data were obtained from the Kuopio Birth...

I recently started taking a very common antibiotic, Amoxicillin, that years ago I had no issue with. I had a slightly itchy rash develop a couple hours later. A rash I can live with, but it can be the precursor to a more serious reaction. I took Cipro years ago and was one of those people who have the rare reaction of it possibly causing abrupt Achilles tendon ruptures (I got aching precursors to this happening, but fortunately was at the end of course of it and didn't have a rupture). I suspect I might have an issue with Zithro...

Allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies have been increasing in frequency over the last few years. They are typically caused by the immune system being hypersensitive to harmless substances in foods and the environment. Flavonoids are chemicals present in various fruits and vegetables that are known to have anti-allergic effects and show promise as natural allergic treatments. To better understand how these allergies can be treated, let's look at an interesting anti-allergic mechanism in our cells. In the intestines, specialized dendritic cells (DCs) produce an enzyme called RALDH2 (retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2) which converts retinal, a chemical...

Researchers have demonstrated how a novel approach to managing cow's milk allergy could transform how food allergies are treated. Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts abnormally to otherwise harmless food proteins, which can cause immediate symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, hives, and respiratory issues. Severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition requiring emergency medical attention. Now researchers have shown that cow's milk can be safely and effectively reintroduced to children with milk allergies which affects 2–3% of infants, marking a significant breakthrough in allergy management. Traditionally, IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy is managed through strict avoidance of...

Hundreds of thousands of Americans may be infected with a tick-born illness that causes an allergy to meat without knowing it, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Alpha-Gal syndrome, or AGS, is caused by the bite of a lone star tick, which can be identified by a white dot on its back. The saliva of the tick will cause those who have been infected to have a reaction to red meat, including pork and lamb. They may also have reactions to gelatin or dairy products. This illness can also infect all mammals, not just humans. Symptoms of the...

Climate change contributes to earlier, longer, and worse allergy seasons for millions in the U.S. that suffer from season allergies -- including 19% of children. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The first leaves and blooms of spring are arriving days to weeks early in the large parts of the southern and central U.S., according to the USA National Phenology Network. That's bad news for people with seasonal allergies -- about one-quarter of adults and one-in-five children in the U.S. Earlier springs, longer pollen seasons, and worse seasonal allergies are all linked to our warming climate

A new study has discovered that tattoo inks could be linked to cancer or organ failure. An analysis of 54 inks commonly used in tattoo parlors across America has uncovered that a staggering 45 of them contained unlisted additives, including chemicals known to pose alarming health risks. Multiple inks contained 2-phenoxyethanol, which can cause toxic effects in high doses. Researchers involved in the study found the most common additive to be polyethylene glycol, which is a compound that can cause acute renal failure. The study was led by Jonn Swierk from the Department of Chemistry at Binghamton University, and was...

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug to help people with food allergies in the event they are accidentally exposed. It’s called Xolair, and it’s been used to treat asthma for two decades. Now, it has a new use. News4JAX spoke to a local mom Monday who said her 9-year-old daughter, Catherine, ended up in the hospital last year after having an allergic reaction to a pecan on Thanksgiving. “It gave me hives. And um I think made me stop breathing for a little,” Catherine said. Catherine said it wasn’t scary for her. But it was for her...

An existing asthma treatment shows promise for reducing food allergies in children and is one step closer to approval that could come by the end of March. Early data from a federally funded clinical trial showed children who received injections of the monoclonal antibody omalizumab could consume higher doses of peanut, egg, milk and cashew without allergic reactions compared to those who received a placebo. Omalizumab, marketed as Xolair and developed by Genentech and Novartis, has been on the market since 2003 as a treatment for allergy-induced asthma, chronic hives and an inflammatory sinus disease called chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal...

Covid patients are becoming harder to distinguish from those suffering from allergies or the common cold, doctors say. The most common symptoms of the virus are now sore throat, sneezing or congestion — the same as RSV, asthma or a pollen allergy. For comparison, in the early stages of the pandemic, Covid had very distinct symptoms - such as a dry cough and a loss of sense of smell or taste. Dr Erick Eiting, vice chair of operations for emergency medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, which was hammered hard during the pandemic, said virtually every Covid patient in...

A four-year phase 2 clinical trial demonstrated that a peanut allergy treatment called sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, is effective and safe, while offering durable desensitization to peanuts in peanut-allergic children. SLIT is a treatment using a tiny amount of peanut protein that is the equivalent of only 1/75th of a peanut kernel. It is taken under the tongue, where it is absorbed into the body. The research shows that a 4 mg dose of peanut SLIT provides strong desensitization that would be expected to protect against accidental exposures to peanut in the majority of children. …The current trial was designed...

People with relatively high levels of lipids in their blood are less likely to develop allergic conditions such as eczema and asthma. These lipids cause genes that play a key role in allergic reactions to be less active. "We already knew that lipids in our blood, such as triglycerides and cholesterol, can influence the behavior of immune cells," says Professor Bas Heijmans. "We have now shown that these lipids dampen the activity of genes that play a key role in allergies." As a result, allergic reactions are less likely to occur. The researchers began by mapping which genes are active...

The prevalence of food allergies is increasing worldwide, approaching an epidemic level in some regions. In the U.S. alone, approximately 10% of children and adults suffer from food allergies, with allergies to cow's milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts being the most common. Some patients have mild symptoms that might not need medical attention, leaving these cases unreported. Food allergies, or food hypersensitivities, result from the overreaction of the immune system to typically harmless proteins in food. They can manifest as a spectrum of symptoms, ranging from itching, redness and swelling for milder reactions, to vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and...