Why all the nut allergies?

[DawnM]

I am just curious. When I grew up I knew no one with a peanut allergy or really many food allergies at all.

 

that isn't to say there weren't any, but it seemed far less common.

 

Just wondering what/if there are changes now?

 

Dawn

[laundrycrisis]

http://vactruth.com/2010/07/15/non-disclosed-hyper-allergenic-vaccine-adjuvant/

[Jennifer in MI]

http://vactruth.com/2010/07/15/non-disclosed-hyper-allergenic-vaccine-adjuvant/

 

I really wish it were that easy. We decided to delay vaccines with my second child. My third had his allergic reaction to peanuts before we started vaccines on him. So, no. They did not cause his allergy.

[Jennifer in MI]

I sure wish we could find out! My 11 yo is in getting more allergy testing today. When I was pregnant with him, I was SOOOOO sick. The only things that sounded good to me were: peanut butter, nuts, soy (I couldn't eat meat!), chocolate, and a few other things. When he had his first allergy testing, those were the things he was allergic to. Maybe a coincidence. I don't know.

 

None of my other children has any food allergies.

[HappyLady]

Genetic modification of said nuts surely plays a role (says this armchair scientist).

 

 

:iagree: I think it's the same with gluten issues. I never heard of people having gluten issues until recently. A naturopathic doctor I know told me she knows people with gluten issues that can go over to Europe and eat foods with gluten with no problem because their foods aren't GMO. I think when you start messing with foods you're going to end up with nothing but problems.

 

As far as vaccines go, most people I know whose children have allergies were never vaccinated.

[DawnM]

Interesting.

 

Well, I was highly vaccinated as I grew up in a 3rd world country. All of my friends were as well. None of us has the allergy issues.

 

I have heard that sprouted wheat will often not have the issues that the regular wheat allergies produce (not really talking about gluten here).

 

Dawn

[elegantlion]

I knew no one who had peanut allergies when I was a kid. I do wonder if the gluten issue has just been under/undiagnosed. I'm sensitive to gluten, my sister is as well. She also developed peanut allergies as an adult. My dad and his grandmother both have had intestinal issues, diverticulitis? I think. My dad ended up needing surgery a few years ago, he still won't go gluten free. :glare:

[sbgrace]

Interesting.

 

Well, I was highly vaccinated as I grew up in a 3rd world country. All of my friends were as well. None of us has the allergy issues.

 

I have heard that sprouted wheat will often not have the issues that the regular wheat allergies produce (not really talking about gluten here).

 

Dawn

 

People from 3rd world countries are much less likely to have allergy issues. They believe this is because things like parasitic infections at young ages have a protective effective--the hygiene theory of allergies isn't really about having a dusty home.

 

Low vitamin D levels in pregnancy and infancy may have something to do with allergy propensity.

 

I do think GMO foods are a problem especially for people already predisposed to allergies.

 

I also think there was less awareness of allergies "back when" though there is an increase too.

 

Our family has genetic presence including someone in their 60's with anaphylaxis so "back when" for him:

 

Neither my husband nor myself had any allergies growing up. His mother has allergies. My father and sister have allergies. My father is anaphylactic to a food and a drug. My husband developed an anaphylactic allergy as an adult (buckwheat of all things) but he has no other allergies.

 

My son is anaphylactic to nuts and sesame. He has been an allergy/asthma kid from the start. In his case I think genes have a lot to do with it. His very different twin has no allergies at this time.

[coffeegal]

I sure wish we could find out! My 11 yo is in getting more allergy testing today. When I was pregnant with him, I was SOOOOO sick. The only things that sounded good to me were: peanut butter, nuts, soy (I couldn't eat meat!), chocolate, and a few other things. When he had his first allergy testing, those were the things he was allergic to. Maybe a coincidence. I don't know.

 

None of my other children has any food allergies.

 

Interesting, dh once mentioned he read an article that said what women eat during pregnancy influences allergies. Perhaps it's the increased use of peanut oils, soy, etc in commercial foods that babies are exposed to in utero. A change in the processing techniques? :confused:

[Parrothead]

I think it is a combination of things. One big one being the hygiene theory. That combined with GMO foods. And possibly other things such as early exposure before the baby's system can handle it. Like the vax made with eggs.

 

It is, of course, my own personal theory.

 

When I was a kid in the 70s, I knew one person who had a food allergy.

[ccmom]

I suspect genetic modification.

[BigMamaBird]

Possible stupid question here.

 

But all the Cancer, AIDS, Autism, what-have-you awareness groups out there raising money for research and cures, you never hear about food allergy groups. Is there any research being done for a "cure" or at the very least, effective treatment? I just find it strange that this affects so many folks an you never see a "Peanut Free 5K for a Cure" poster floating around town or anything.

 

I don't mean to be flippant, I just find it strange. No offense I hope.

[Bang!Zoom!]

 

 

Robyn shares her personal story and how it inspired her current path as a "Real Food" evangelist. Grounded in a successful Wall Street career that was more interested in food as good business than good-for-you, this mother of four was shaken awake by the dangerous allergic reaction of one of her children to a "typical" breakfast. Her mission to unearth the cause revealed more about the food industry than she could stomach, and impelled her to share her findings with others. Informative and inspiring.

 

About this speaker

 

Robyn authored "The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It." A former Wall Street food industry analyst, Robyn brings insight, compassion and detailed analysis to her research into the impact that the global food system is having on the health of our children. She founded allergykidsfoundation.org and was named by Forbes as one of "20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter." The New York Times has passionately described her as "Food's Erin Brockovich."

[Hunter's Moon]

Possible stupid question here.

 

But all the Cancer, AIDS, Autism, what-have-you awareness groups out there raising money for research and cures, you never hear about food allergy groups. Is there any research being done for a "cure" or at the very least, effective treatment? I just find it strange that this affects so many folks an you never see a "Peanut Free 5K for a Cure" poster floating around town or anything.

 

I don't mean to be flippant, I just find it strange. No offense I hope.

 

I am not an expert on this, but I do know some people have successfully "cured" their food allergies. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but I suspect it is similar to those who use allergy shots to control their seasonal allergies. Tiny bits of the allergen are introduced and the allergen dosage is upped gradually. It is then required that the patient ingest a maintenance dose.

 

I would be too scared to do this, I admit, but I know of at least one family on this board who has done it.

[Tess in the Burbs]

well my aunt told me not to eat peanuts during my pregnancy but it was the one thing I craved. I ate pb sandwiches several days a week! My son had dairy/egg allergies as a baby but no peanut. He outgrew the dairy/egg and now has peanut, tree nuts, coconut, sesame and sunflower. Who knows if my pb cravings caused it or not. I suspect our food supply plays a role in all the issues. I can't eat gluten anymore. But had no issues until my 20s. why?

[MrsMe]

I've wondered the same thing. Seems everyone is sick or has an allergy. Hardly no one had strep, now it's not just a sore throat it's strep, asthma, allergies, peanut, gluten, cleaners, trees, etc. for every thing. I remember as well, none of my friends had an allergy to anything!

[dangermom]

No one really knows why. When my older daughter was born, doctors were saying one thing, but it turns out that was a total guess. Now they're trying to figure it out, but no one really knows.

 

De-sensitization therapies are in their infancy right now. I sure hope that goes well!

[Stacia]

But all the Cancer, AIDS, Autism, what-have-you awareness groups out there raising money for research and cures, you never hear about food allergy groups. Is there any research being done for a "cure" or at the very least, effective treatment? I just find it strange that this affects so many folks an you never see a "Peanut Free 5K for a Cure" poster floating around town or anything.

 

Actually, yes, there is research that is ongoing/being funded. Also, there are 'walks/5ks' to help fund research, etc.... We have at least one big 5k here every year. Perhaps I'm more aware of it because we live near a big city (perhaps a larger base of people w/ allergies?) & because we personally know quite a few families who deal w/ allergy & anaphylaxis issues.

 

You can see some of the info about research, upcoming fundraising walks/runs here:

http://www.foodallergy.org/

[Spryte]

There are many food allergy groups. We participate in the FAAN walk yearly.

[Spryte]

Sorry - my last post was interrupted. I was going to say that I'm in the GMO camp, environmental toxins, hygiene theory ... It's all connected. My son has a history of autoimmune disorders, and his allergist (aka immunologist) says it's possible that this is the way his autoimmune issues are manifesting. Maybe some kids are more genetically predisposed to develop allergies when exposed to the causal factors. We do know my kiddo had a high exposure to toxins in utero.

 

FWIW, my mom has had allergies since she nearly died from eating a plum in 1950. Anaphylaxis (potential) is just part of her life. In fact, we spent Sun in the ER with her! She is not genetically related to my allergy kiddo, either.

[Tammyla]

I always wonder about this:confused:, and what will we know in twenty years?

 

Genetic modification of said nuts surely plays a role (says this armchair scientist).

[BigMamaBird]

Actually, yes, there is research that is ongoing/being funded. Also, there are 'walks/5ks' to help fund research, etc.... We have at least one big 5k here every year. Perhaps I'm more aware of it because we live near a big city (perhaps a larger base of people w/ allergies?) & because we personally know quite a few families who deal w/ allergy & anaphylaxis issues.

 

You can see some of the info about research, upcoming fundraising walks/runs here:

http://www.foodallergy.org/

 

There are many food allergy groups. We participate in the FAAN walk yearly.

 

Good to know! There's a young lady in our co-op who has VERY serious nut allergies and I just saddens me to think about all the places she can't go. It seemed curious to me that there wasn't something being done about nut allergies.

[AuntieM]

I was also told that the pesticides used to treat (those wonderful gmo) crops are suspected.

[justamouse]

:bigear: I am baffled by them, myself.

[Mergath]

I was also told that the pesticides used to treat (those wonderful gmo) crops are suspected.

 

This would be my guess. With all the toxins most of us ingest on a daily basis, it has to be having some kind of effect on our immune systems. Even if it's not causing the allergies, it has to be doing something.

 

It would be interesting to see if children who grow up eating primarily organic food have a lower incidence of allergies. Of course, given how many generations have been consuming progressively worse food, the damage might be done regardless of what our kids eat.

 

Okay, now I'm depressed.

[Caroline]

I think a lot of people from the past with severe nut allergies are dead.

 

I was born in 1970 and knew a few people with nut and gluten allergies growing up. I think part of that was my house was a safe place for kids with allergies. My mom was a pediatric nurse and she knew how to read labels.

 

A side story--We had another family who were like our family best friends growing up. The dad has severe food allergies. For all of their kids weddings, my dad was in charge of making a trip through the McD drive-thru to get food for their dad to eat at the receptions.

[chepyl]

Interesting, dh once mentioned he read an article that said what women eat during pregnancy influences allergies. Perhaps it's the increased use of peanut oils, soy, etc in commercial foods that babies are exposed to in utero. A change in the processing techniques? :confused:

 

I ate peanut butter and strawberries all through my pregancies, my son lives on peanut butter, dd eats it on apples. No allergies.

 

I also did not delay trying peanut butter with my kids. I did do it during the day, ready to ryn to the very nearby hospital if something happened the first time. I think ds was actually in his carseat, buckles in ready to go shopping when I gave him a cracker. We were two minutes from tue doctor and hospital. No reactions. My friend delayed introducing allergy foods until 2 and avoided them all during pregnancy and nursing. Her kids do have food allergies.

 

It is a crazy mess.

[BatmansWife]

I don't know why two of my kids are allergic to peanuts (ds also allergic to several tree nuts, egg whites, egg yolk, and some forms of dairy). 15 years ago, when he had his first reactions, I never even knew people were allergic to foods! :001_huh: Back then, there definitely was a lot for me to learn. Now, it's just our normal. I do remember, years ago, a doctor telling me that it was an overactive immune system. That was new to me....because at the time I thought it would have been the opposite. Also, my ds had his baby shots (we stopped at booster/age 5 time). I thought maybe he did develop his allergies from the shots. But...that theory blew up when dd had her peanut reaction last summer. She's never been vaccinated.

 

ETA: To the op...not sure if you know this, but peanuts are not nuts, they are legumes.

Edited January 4, 2012 by ~AprilMay~

[ChrisB]

Genetic modification of said nuts surely plays a role (says this armchair scientist).

Makes you wonder that the way the peanuts are grown, with many applications of pesticides, chemicals, etc., if this too may contribute to allergies or intolerances.

 

ETA: Actually, the way any foods are grown...

Edited January 4, 2012 by ChrisB

[ChrisB]

I was also told that the pesticides used to treat (those wonderful gmo) crops are suspected.

:iagree:Ha! I posted before I saw your post.

[AFwife Claire]

I have 8 kids, and I have eaten a similar diet with each pregnancy, since I really don't have any morning sickness or anything to speak of. I love peanut butter, as well as nuts like almonds, and I snack on them frequently during pregnancy. I also drink a ton of milk because I really like it. I have one child, #3, who is anaphalactically allergic to peanuts, walnuts, and pecans. He was also allegic to milk until 1 1/2 years ago, when he outgrew it a few months before turning 9. He also has a lot of environmental allergies, and he suffers from asthma, although he has really improved over the past few years.

 

My 5th child, a girl, was allergic to milk from the get-go. She spit up tremendously even as an infant until I stopped consuming any dairy products myself, and she couldn't tolerate any formula other than that predigested really expensive stuff (I had to wean early, at 7 months, because I unexpectedly got pregnant again and lost my milk supply). But she outgrew her milk allergy by the time she was 2 (even had a milk challenge test in the allergist's office to make sure), and she was never sensitive to nuts of any kind.

 

The other 6 kids have no food allergies whatsoever. So in my very limited sample size, anyway, it seems unlikely that diet during pregnancy is absolutely tied to allergies. I think there is a genetic component, or something, that predisposes some to be sensitive.

[sixpence1978]

I believe it is mostly genetic based. My DS is allergic to peanuts, nuts, and soy. He is also highly allergic to dust mites, certain molds and grasses, and has a slight allergy to eggs. I admit, I ate a ton of peanut butter products while pregnant with him.

 

For the first year of his life he basically lived off of breast milk and organic foods. He ate his first bite of peanut butter early (before age 1), and we had to rush him to the ER. He also is my asthma kid as well.

 

For my DD, I really tried to limit the amount of nuts I ate during pregnancy. She also ate mostly organic food her first year, and she is also allergic.

 

I think the combination of my having asthma, my DH has asthma, my dad has asthma, and my mom has a nut allergy (born in the 50's), it just all collided.

 

I haven't looked into it, but my dad believes that the amount of peanuts I ate while I was young and before pregnancy was enough to change my DNA. He thinks that is what made my kids allergic. Who knows? Something to investigate I guess.

[butterflymommy]

People from 3rd world countries are much less likely to have allergy issues. They believe this is because things like parasitic infections at young ages have a protective effective--the hygiene theory of allergies isn't really about having a dusty home.

 

The problem with the "there is less of ____ in the 3rd world" is that most people in those areas don't have access to good medical care, so the ones with serious problems like severe allergies or asthma are probably dead before they are old enough to be counted in any study. A child with severe asthma probably isn't going to survive his first bout of penumonia or bronchitis without access to sophisticated medical care. So, especially when looking at 3rd wold adult populations, the ones with severe asthma and allergies will have been long gone thus giving the impression that "there are fewer..."

 

The same could be said for "long ago there were fewer..." we probably never met them, because they died young. Two of my children wouldn't be alive without modern medicine (they have VERY severe asthma-- and the oldest was unvaxed before being diagnosed). In a third world country, or a couple generations ago, they would have been doomed.

[Lara in Colo]

I also think that in the past people with allergies died before they could pass any genetic information onto the next generation.

 

Who knows what is lurking in our recessive genes?

[LMA]

I also think that in the past people with allergies died before they could pass any genetic information onto the next generation.

 

Who knows what is lurking in our recessive genes?

 

This is our allergist's thinking. And he extends the thinking to other diseases.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I also think that in the past people with allergies died before they could pass any genetic information onto the next generation.

 

Who knows what is lurking in our recessive genes?

 

This is what I think. This is also what I think about many of the diseases/conditions we deal with today- including mental/emotional ones. In the past, people with diseases, disorders and such were alienated from society or died early. Now we have all kinds of medications, surgeries, medical interventions, etc. that allow the majority of people to function in society- thus meeting someone and procreating.

 

We've messed up the evolutionary cycle. Darwin's survival of the fittest no longer applies to humans because of the gains in knowledge/technology.

[Trez]

I have heard the theory that perhaps we were just less aware of the allergy difficulties years ago. It may be that many of those with life threatening allergies died before hitting school age.

[Julie Smith]

I have heard the theory that perhaps we were just less aware of the allergy difficulties years ago. It may be that many of those with life threatening allergies died before hitting school age.

 

Extending this theory. It's becoming more and more likely that a person with allergies has lived, or will live long enough to have children. Those children will (if allergies are genetic) have a more likely chance to have allergies.

 

If this is theory is true, the problem of allergies is only going to get worse in future generations.

[stripe]

I have heard the theory that perhaps we were just less aware of the allergy difficulties years ago. It may be that many of those with life threatening allergies died before hitting school age.

 

I only knew one person who got hives from a food when I was a kid. It didn't take complex medical analysis to see it. It wasn't life threatening, but it was an allergy. I do know people in the third world with allergies. Not all allergies are life threatening. Some just lead to headaches or rashes or tummy upset.

 

There have been studies that compared the US with other populations, such as the one that compared American Jews with Israeli Jews for peanut allergies. Apparently they feed their kids some peanutty thing there, vs the American pediatric advice that encouraged ALL children avoid allergens, until recently, when that was changed, realizing that non-allergic kids don't need to avoid those items, and the avoidance may be causing the allergies.

 

It sure is weird.

[Tess in the Burbs]

but we had nothing like this in our family. No food allergies, no asthma. Now both my kids have asthma, and as an adult I have symptoms. Just seems like something has to be behind my sudden issues as well as my kids.

[Wheres Toto]

I also think that in the past people with allergies died before they could pass any genetic information onto the next generation.

 

Who knows what is lurking in our recessive genes?

 

:iagree: I think this probably has some impact on it, along with other factors that may be different in each case.

 

I have fairly bad allergies (and asthma which is well controlled with medication), all environmental (molds, mildew, grass, trees, dust, pollen, cats, dogs, birds, etc.) no food allergies at all. My oldest and my son have very mild allergies - they get a slightly stuffy nose in the Spring and the Fall, and my son had itchy eyes leading to pink eye from our Christmas tree last year (we got a fake one this year).

 

No food allergies in any of my kids and I lived on peanut butter and dairy while pregnant. My son had peanut butter around a year old and eats it daily. I did nurse my younger two for about 18 months each but all three are fully vaccinated on the recommended schedule (except flu shots which we don't get).

 

They were pretty exposed to allergens from a young age. We had multiple pets, frequent outdoor time camping in the woods and volunteered at a zoo. And I definitely didn't keep the house obsessively sterile by a long shot.

[Slartibartfast]

:iagree: I think it's the same with gluten issues. I never heard of people having gluten issues until recently. A naturopathic doctor I know told me she knows people with gluten issues that can go over to Europe and eat foods with gluten with no problem because their foods aren't GMO. I think when you start messing with foods you're going to end up with nothing but problems.

 

As far as vaccines go, most people I know whose children have allergies were never vaccinated.

 

There are a lot of Europeans with gluten issues.

[FairProspects]

I read somewhere (can't remember where of course) that the gluten content in wheat was doubled in the 1950s to make bread have a better texture. Since then, gluten has become a big problem, so I suspect GMO for gluten at least.

[kwg]

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtvr-chesterfield-student-death-20120103,0,1547715.story

 

 

 

I thought of thhis thread when I read this today. How sad.

[joannqn]

I sure wish we could find out! My 11 yo is in getting more allergy testing today. When I was pregnant with him, I was SOOOOO sick. The only things that sounded good to me were: peanut butter, nuts, soy (I couldn't eat meat!), chocolate, and a few other things. When he had his first allergy testing, those were the things he was allergic to. Maybe a coincidence. I don't know.

 

None of my other children has any food allergies.

 

I crave milk when pregnant. During my first pregnancy, I drank half a gallon of milk a day and drank whey protein shakes made with milk and whey every night to keep my blood sugar up until breakfast. She was allergic to whey, but not casein, for her first year and a half. I drank similar amounts of milk (but no protein shakes) with my other kids as well. DS0 was lactose intolerant but outgrew it after we took it out of his diet for a while. My youngest was also allergic to milk for her first year.

 

We think two of them might still have dairy issues so we're currently using up the dairy in our house to go dairy free again and find out.

 

 

I think our bodies have a tolerance level for toxins before it freaks out and reacts. I think our food, water, and environment is so polluted that many hit that tolerance level before they even put food in their mouths. Because of that, food that would normally be tolerated cause a problem. Lower the overall load and those problematic foods aren't problematic. I have a friend who has environmental allergies that go away if she reduces certain foods, dairy being one of them.

 

In an ideal world, I would feed my kids almost exclusively real food that is organic, live in a green home (no formaldehyde containing carpets, offgassing paint, cleaning chemicals), wear organic clothing, etc. But I can't afford it.

 

At the rate we're going in organic food will be contaminated as bad as our current non organic food is.