Why peanut allergies are plummeting
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Date: 2025-12-23
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Comments and reviews: 20
A. L. _S.
The people you're crediting for reducing it are the ones who got borderline abusive about my mom letting us eat peanut butter, and carried it on to some of my children.
When I took my eldest in, the doctor told me that he was required to state that if I was going to let the child try peanut butter, it should be in the hospital for treatment of possible allergic responses, and should be delayed until. Because that is when it is easier to treat, not for any reason related to it helping.
Then he quietly stated what he had done with his own children. He also stated he was required to tell me I should avoid peanuts while pregnant if I asked, but as I was not his patient he didn't have to tell me that without my asking.
They stopped causing the problem -- by forcing the experts to give bad advice that, in rare situations, could be helpful, without concern for the new problems it caused--is exactly why the mess is being taken apart to find the useful bits.
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The people you're crediting for reducing it are the ones who got borderline abusive about my mom letting us eat peanut butter, and carried it on to some of my children.
When I took my eldest in, the doctor told me that he was required to state that if I was going to let the child try peanut butter, it should be in the hospital for treatment of possible allergic responses, and should be delayed until. Because that is when it is easier to treat, not for any reason related to it helping.
Then he quietly stated what he had done with his own children. He also stated he was required to tell me I should avoid peanuts while pregnant if I asked, but as I was not his patient he didn't have to tell me that without my asking.
They stopped causing the problem -- by forcing the experts to give bad advice that, in rare situations, could be helpful, without concern for the new problems it caused--is exactly why the mess is being taken apart to find the useful bits.
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ThomasCB777
I have a son-in-law who jas a lethal peanut allergy. I’m sad this didn’t provide info to help his situation improve. But reality is reality. It will not help him. Going off on the current admin does nothing useful either. I’m get the frustration, but please just focus on the improvement options for the very young and if it comes about, the older. Helping is always good and useful. Political shit is always shit. Never scientifically valid (regardless of group in charge) and full of useless political shit. Please just give us the good stuff so we might improve, regardless of them, in conjunction with our professional healthcare providers. Disregard politicians. Acquire positive health outcomes. Any US parties are pretty damned clueless about real science. Some are better, some are worse, but all suck compared to current real studies.
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I have a son-in-law who jas a lethal peanut allergy. I’m sad this didn’t provide info to help his situation improve. But reality is reality. It will not help him. Going off on the current admin does nothing useful either. I’m get the frustration, but please just focus on the improvement options for the very young and if it comes about, the older. Helping is always good and useful. Political shit is always shit. Never scientifically valid (regardless of group in charge) and full of useless political shit. Please just give us the good stuff so we might improve, regardless of them, in conjunction with our professional healthcare providers. Disregard politicians. Acquire positive health outcomes. Any US parties are pretty damned clueless about real science. Some are better, some are worse, but all suck compared to current real studies.
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SDOtunes
Here's another epidemiological rabbit hole for you to dive in after lactose intolerance and peanut allergies: celiac's disease. There's a thing called the Celiac Paradox that hypothetizes why, even though it should breed out over generations due to its harsh consequences on the body, celiac remains prevalent, especially in some societies and has been recognized since antiquity (even surviving times like the European Middle Ages, when intensely grain-based diets were like THE thing for the largest portion of society. I did a paper deep-dive like 3 years ago because I am celiac and wanted to understand the big picture, and it's absolutely fascinating how it ties into the history of humans, the neolithic revolution and even lactose intolerance. Shout out to the Berber people as a special case with the highest prevalence of celiac's in the world!
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Here's another epidemiological rabbit hole for you to dive in after lactose intolerance and peanut allergies: celiac's disease. There's a thing called the Celiac Paradox that hypothetizes why, even though it should breed out over generations due to its harsh consequences on the body, celiac remains prevalent, especially in some societies and has been recognized since antiquity (even surviving times like the European Middle Ages, when intensely grain-based diets were like THE thing for the largest portion of society. I did a paper deep-dive like 3 years ago because I am celiac and wanted to understand the big picture, and it's absolutely fascinating how it ties into the history of humans, the neolithic revolution and even lactose intolerance. Shout out to the Berber people as a special case with the highest prevalence of celiac's in the world!
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moonrock41
This is fascinating and very good news, so I hope you'll forgive me for asking a difficult to answer question: Why have I had allergies to dust and/or dust mites and mold for nearly my whole life I was intensely allergic to cats when I was a kid, but that allergy has nearly faded out of existence. I haven't been tested since I was 11yo, (I'm now 61yo) but I'd guess that I'd still react to these other substances. I've known about the hygiene hypothesis for a long time, however, I'm skeptical that it can be the sole explanation for all allergies. I suspect there are other exposures in wealthier countries, such as to antibiotics, that are less available in poor countries to account for the disparity. Coincidentally, perhaps, I was hospitalized with an intestinal infection when I was 8yo and injected with massive amounts of penicillin.
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This is fascinating and very good news, so I hope you'll forgive me for asking a difficult to answer question: Why have I had allergies to dust and/or dust mites and mold for nearly my whole life I was intensely allergic to cats when I was a kid, but that allergy has nearly faded out of existence. I haven't been tested since I was 11yo, (I'm now 61yo) but I'd guess that I'd still react to these other substances. I've known about the hygiene hypothesis for a long time, however, I'm skeptical that it can be the sole explanation for all allergies. I suspect there are other exposures in wealthier countries, such as to antibiotics, that are less available in poor countries to account for the disparity. Coincidentally, perhaps, I was hospitalized with an intestinal infection when I was 8yo and injected with massive amounts of penicillin.
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jazzpear8877
One thing I wish more people would touch on is that allergies are a spectrum, you mentioned it but I think this narrative of fakers vs real allergies comes from that misunderstanding. You can have a mild allergy where occasional exposure might be worth the risk. Like, my partner has a mold-moderate peanut allergy so she tries to avoid it but if she tells people she’s allergic to peanuts, they imagine anaphylactic shock, but then later she eats a peanut butter sandwich, they’d probably assume she was lying but no she just will pay for it later lol. It’s a huge comfort food for her and sometimes she just has a hankering for it and accepts the consequences, but still deserves to be accommodated when she is trying to avoid being exposed to it.
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One thing I wish more people would touch on is that allergies are a spectrum, you mentioned it but I think this narrative of fakers vs real allergies comes from that misunderstanding. You can have a mild allergy where occasional exposure might be worth the risk. Like, my partner has a mold-moderate peanut allergy so she tries to avoid it but if she tells people she’s allergic to peanuts, they imagine anaphylactic shock, but then later she eats a peanut butter sandwich, they’d probably assume she was lying but no she just will pay for it later lol. It’s a huge comfort food for her and sometimes she just has a hankering for it and accepts the consequences, but still deserves to be accommodated when she is trying to avoid being exposed to it.
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COrischuk
We had a speaker at my fibromyalgia support group, that talked to us about some of the correlation with western farming practice, particularly North America. Because many places here continuous cropped, and peanuts are planted after a cotton crop, as they help make the soil support anther cotton crop, as the pesticides they use to control bull weevils deplete the soil so much, and he speculated, it was reaction to pesticides. The University I attended, is also studying the higher prevalence of asthma in children of farmers, and if it has any correlation to the use of pesticides and herbicides. My dad farmed, and I have allergies, and autoimmune issues, and there is asthma as well in my family, so I find these topics very interesting.
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We had a speaker at my fibromyalgia support group, that talked to us about some of the correlation with western farming practice, particularly North America. Because many places here continuous cropped, and peanuts are planted after a cotton crop, as they help make the soil support anther cotton crop, as the pesticides they use to control bull weevils deplete the soil so much, and he speculated, it was reaction to pesticides. The University I attended, is also studying the higher prevalence of asthma in children of farmers, and if it has any correlation to the use of pesticides and herbicides. My dad farmed, and I have allergies, and autoimmune issues, and there is asthma as well in my family, so I find these topics very interesting.
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moonsugarine
my mother has a whole litany of eating disorders and all of her children excluding myself have a smattering of allergies. I was raised by my aunties and whereas we always snacked on vegetables with cheese and peanut butter as well as bombay mix pretty much every. My mother projects her ED onto her children, and she uses the allergies her children have to justify more controlling food behaviours, around junk food, food in the house, things other people can bring to parties etc. The allergies are severe, yes, but also they likely wouldn't happen if her children had been allowed to eat any of these foods (eggs, crustacean, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soy, dairy. Kids got fed nothing but rice chicken beef and vegetable puree.
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my mother has a whole litany of eating disorders and all of her children excluding myself have a smattering of allergies. I was raised by my aunties and whereas we always snacked on vegetables with cheese and peanut butter as well as bombay mix pretty much every. My mother projects her ED onto her children, and she uses the allergies her children have to justify more controlling food behaviours, around junk food, food in the house, things other people can bring to parties etc. The allergies are severe, yes, but also they likely wouldn't happen if her children had been allowed to eat any of these foods (eggs, crustacean, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soy, dairy. Kids got fed nothing but rice chicken beef and vegetable puree.
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BenKozlan
Histamine, mast cells, it's kind of a trip to hear you someone else talk about something I've been researching every night for the last year. I developed a IgE disorder out of the blue which came on suddenly in my mid-twenties and has been causing whole body hives every day for almost a year. When my doctor finally ordered an immunoglobulin E test, the levels were 3-10X the normal amount. It's wild how our antibodies can become triggered by anything, even by your own cells, and then react in a self-perpetuating cycle. The inflammation, fevers, nausea, and especially the tiredness have been nothing short of life altering. I'm praying my insurance will approve a new monoclonal antibody treatment next year.
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Histamine, mast cells, it's kind of a trip to hear you someone else talk about something I've been researching every night for the last year. I developed a IgE disorder out of the blue which came on suddenly in my mid-twenties and has been causing whole body hives every day for almost a year. When my doctor finally ordered an immunoglobulin E test, the levels were 3-10X the normal amount. It's wild how our antibodies can become triggered by anything, even by your own cells, and then react in a self-perpetuating cycle. The inflammation, fevers, nausea, and especially the tiredness have been nothing short of life altering. I'm praying my insurance will approve a new monoclonal antibody treatment next year.
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freakyskull516
i keep forgetting that i live and even work in a place where there is a very real chance i could meet the elusive ragusea in the wild just doing my job one day
hasnt happened yet but every time he drops that he lives in tennessee i am reminded
as for why poor kids dont get as many peanut allergies
perhaps the humble peanutbutter and jelly sandwich has a hand
countless times in my young and adult life i have turned to it for a cheap and fast meal
peanutbutter in general is something ive always gone to for a snack my entire life and the idea of im hungry and there's nothing good in the house so ill just have a spoonful of peanutbutter is a sentiment common in and out of my family.
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i keep forgetting that i live and even work in a place where there is a very real chance i could meet the elusive ragusea in the wild just doing my job one day
hasnt happened yet but every time he drops that he lives in tennessee i am reminded
as for why poor kids dont get as many peanut allergies
perhaps the humble peanutbutter and jelly sandwich has a hand
countless times in my young and adult life i have turned to it for a cheap and fast meal
peanutbutter in general is something ive always gone to for a snack my entire life and the idea of im hungry and there's nothing good in the house so ill just have a spoonful of peanutbutter is a sentiment common in and out of my family.
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willdwyer6782
Allergies are not fixed genetic traits. They can come and go. Pediatric allergies often disappear because your immune system successfully habituated the trigger, often through constant, low-level exposure. New allergies can develop because of a reset event. A major viral infection, a period of intense stress, hormonal changes, or moving to a new geographic location can shock the immune system into identifying a new enemy. I was born in the late '60s and I was hospitalized several times as a toddler for pneumonia caused by a severe milk allergy as a kid that I outgrew as I got older. They thought I had cystic fibrosis until they put me on an elimination diet to rule out allergic reactions.
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Allergies are not fixed genetic traits. They can come and go. Pediatric allergies often disappear because your immune system successfully habituated the trigger, often through constant, low-level exposure. New allergies can develop because of a reset event. A major viral infection, a period of intense stress, hormonal changes, or moving to a new geographic location can shock the immune system into identifying a new enemy. I was born in the late '60s and I was hospitalized several times as a toddler for pneumonia caused by a severe milk allergy as a kid that I outgrew as I got older. They thought I had cystic fibrosis until they put me on an elimination diet to rule out allergic reactions.
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hawkatsea
Great review and discussion. I wonder if the same phenomena occur with soy allergies (another legume with different cultural & geographic patterns, or are peanut allergies more pervasive bc of cultural preference, exposure, or the actual proteins And as a descendant of peanut farmers, I can't wait to hear the geopolitical spin. perhaps, we may learn whether economic growth that leads to more meat-eating and less reliance on legumes for protein might then spike allergy frequency. More likely, somebody will just invent another product to sell. My mind settles on my original preference: Beans for Everybody! Beans are Good! Let's All Eat More Beans! (bean definition notwithstanding, LOL)
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Great review and discussion. I wonder if the same phenomena occur with soy allergies (another legume with different cultural & geographic patterns, or are peanut allergies more pervasive bc of cultural preference, exposure, or the actual proteins And as a descendant of peanut farmers, I can't wait to hear the geopolitical spin. perhaps, we may learn whether economic growth that leads to more meat-eating and less reliance on legumes for protein might then spike allergy frequency. More likely, somebody will just invent another product to sell. My mind settles on my original preference: Beans for Everybody! Beans are Good! Let's All Eat More Beans! (bean definition notwithstanding, LOL)
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joelhjd
Can I just point out here that Public health bureaucracy is what convinced parents to delay giving their children peanut based products in the first place.
For years, pediatric guidance in the US advised parents to avoid giving peanuts to infants and toddlers, especially those with eczema or family allergy history. This avoidance peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Parents were always listening to the bureaucracy. They're rightfully nervous about their children. And the government told them to delay exposing them to allergens.
This is hardly the right subject area to take a bow for on behalf of the bureaucracy.
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Can I just point out here that Public health bureaucracy is what convinced parents to delay giving their children peanut based products in the first place.
For years, pediatric guidance in the US advised parents to avoid giving peanuts to infants and toddlers, especially those with eczema or family allergy history. This avoidance peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Parents were always listening to the bureaucracy. They're rightfully nervous about their children. And the government told them to delay exposing them to allergens.
This is hardly the right subject area to take a bow for on behalf of the bureaucracy.
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kittycatcitycat
This makes me wonder about all the people from before this wonderful lowering of peanut allergies. As these allergies become less common, I imagine society may be less eager to accommodate peanut allergies. The generation where some people still live allergies may have greater trouble, and those with dangerous allergies may feel more and more endangered in everyday life. It's quite concerning - since this is prevention and not cure, the most seriously effected are still here and still dealing with their issues -- things could get a lot worse for them.
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This makes me wonder about all the people from before this wonderful lowering of peanut allergies. As these allergies become less common, I imagine society may be less eager to accommodate peanut allergies. The generation where some people still live allergies may have greater trouble, and those with dangerous allergies may feel more and more endangered in everyday life. It's quite concerning - since this is prevention and not cure, the most seriously effected are still here and still dealing with their issues -- things could get a lot worse for them.
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ybunnygurl
When I was a baby in the '80s my mother was told to expose me to peanuts starting at about 6 months of age and this is before peanut allergies were even a huge thing but she worked in the hospital and doctors had noticed a slight uptick and doctors in the 1980s new that babies who were exposed to peanuts at 6 months tended not to have peanut allergies tended to have lex eczema tended not to have egg allergies.
Further I had lactose allergy so this just made sense to my doctors. I'm an adult now my only allergies are mold, and dust.
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When I was a baby in the '80s my mother was told to expose me to peanuts starting at about 6 months of age and this is before peanut allergies were even a huge thing but she worked in the hospital and doctors had noticed a slight uptick and doctors in the 1980s new that babies who were exposed to peanuts at 6 months tended not to have peanut allergies tended to have lex eczema tended not to have egg allergies.
Further I had lactose allergy so this just made sense to my doctors. I'm an adult now my only allergies are mold, and dust.
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dogvom
When I was a child, I knew _no one_ with food allergies. It wasn't till I was an adult that I even heard of peanut allergies. I wonder if it was the times (late 1960s) or where I grew up (Regina, Saskatchewan, which had very little smog, or because my dad only made $50 a week, or whether allergies were more or less hype. I'm convinced that most people who claim they're allergic to dogs and cats merely dislike them, but they don't want people to call them monsters for disliking dogs and cats, so they just say they're allergic.
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When I was a child, I knew _no one_ with food allergies. It wasn't till I was an adult that I even heard of peanut allergies. I wonder if it was the times (late 1960s) or where I grew up (Regina, Saskatchewan, which had very little smog, or because my dad only made $50 a week, or whether allergies were more or less hype. I'm convinced that most people who claim they're allergic to dogs and cats merely dislike them, but they don't want people to call them monsters for disliking dogs and cats, so they just say they're allergic.
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NwinDii
Rather than hygiene hypothesis I'd rrnsme it to exposure. It's basically like exposure therapy. If you are exposed then freak out, but don't die it's more likely to stick not withstanding other factors. It is a symptom of wealth and abundance but also a boon of said abundance and opportunity.
The human body is so crazy. If you think about how far we have spread being able to eat so many things and get adequate nutrition to have more offspring is what what makes us so successful.
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Rather than hygiene hypothesis I'd rrnsme it to exposure. It's basically like exposure therapy. If you are exposed then freak out, but don't die it's more likely to stick not withstanding other factors. It is a symptom of wealth and abundance but also a boon of said abundance and opportunity.
The human body is so crazy. If you think about how far we have spread being able to eat so many things and get adequate nutrition to have more offspring is what what makes us so successful.
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Bigocto87
1: 09 the problem with this is it was the US Govt and FDA who DISCOURAGED giving peanuts to children for decades because they thought THATS what caused the allergies. The USA has some of the HIGHEST nut allergies as a result of decades of public health campaigns. It wasn’t until 2017 that the FDA reversed its position. I mean, I GUESS technically this reinforces that public health campaigns work. The problem is it was a public health campaign that CAUSED the problem.
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1: 09 the problem with this is it was the US Govt and FDA who DISCOURAGED giving peanuts to children for decades because they thought THATS what caused the allergies. The USA has some of the HIGHEST nut allergies as a result of decades of public health campaigns. It wasn’t until 2017 that the FDA reversed its position. I mean, I GUESS technically this reinforces that public health campaigns work. The problem is it was a public health campaign that CAUSED the problem.
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matthewwynne939
The cynic in me would say that food allergies are on the decrease because it is not as trendy as it used to be. Sadly, what gives a lot of people who have actual food allergies a bad name are the certain people out there who pretend to have food allergies. There's a wide range of reasons why people will claim to have allergies, anything from wanting to feel special and unique, or to avoid the public shaming of simply not liking a particular popular food.
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The cynic in me would say that food allergies are on the decrease because it is not as trendy as it used to be. Sadly, what gives a lot of people who have actual food allergies a bad name are the certain people out there who pretend to have food allergies. There's a wide range of reasons why people will claim to have allergies, anything from wanting to feel special and unique, or to avoid the public shaming of simply not liking a particular popular food.
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busimagen
In the US, we use to give little kids a peanut cookie quite frequently (even peanut shaped; the association with little kids has made this cookie to be derisively viewed by some people as a baby cookie and thus it isn't that popular with anyone over elementary age. That kind of ended in the '90s when pediatricians started warning parents away from any peanut products, not so funny enough just when peanut allergies started climbing rapidly.
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In the US, we use to give little kids a peanut cookie quite frequently (even peanut shaped; the association with little kids has made this cookie to be derisively viewed by some people as a baby cookie and thus it isn't that popular with anyone over elementary age. That kind of ended in the '90s when pediatricians started warning parents away from any peanut products, not so funny enough just when peanut allergies started climbing rapidly.
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petercarioscia9189
My son starts Pre-K next month, and he's going into a decent sized Pre-K/kindergarten. One of the first questions I asked was do I need to worry about other kids and peanut allergies, because my son loves PBJ and our case manager (special needs son) said nope, I don't think we have a single kid with a peanut allergy and the school nurse confirmed it. I was flabbergasted. A school with 50-60 K and Pre-K kids, not one nut allergy
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My son starts Pre-K next month, and he's going into a decent sized Pre-K/kindergarten. One of the first questions I asked was do I need to worry about other kids and peanut allergies, because my son loves PBJ and our case manager (special needs son) said nope, I don't think we have a single kid with a peanut allergy and the school nurse confirmed it. I was flabbergasted. A school with 50-60 K and Pre-K kids, not one nut allergy
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