People around the globe eat peanuts. We eat them raw, fried, boiled, roasted, dry roasted, and even mushed into that delicious concoction called peanut butter. However, many people, particularly in the Western world, have serious peanut allergies. Why is that? Oxford University researchers recently discovered a possible response to this question.
Oxford researchers found strong evidence the act of roasting and dry roasting peanuts could be the culprit responsible for most of the peanut allergies in the world. The research discovered that roasting and dry roasting changes caffeine composition from the peanuts, that the immune system recognizes after which becomes primed for an allergic immune response in the next exposure to peanuts.
To further support this, the research team looked to the East, where people eat plenty of peanuts. In the East, fewer individuals have peanut allergies even though they ate as much or even more peanuts. The major difference? Within the East, people eat their peanuts raw, boiled, or fried, but rarely will they eat them roasted, whereas in the West people eat far more roasted and dry roasted peanuts than raw, boiled, or fried.
In an effort to higher comprehend the peanut allergy and the way it begins, the research, that was funded through the National Institute for Health insurance and Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, the US National Institutes of Health, and also the Swiss National Science Foundation, had researchers exposing mice to purified proteins from dry roasted peanuts and from raw peanuts. They either injected the peanut proteins underneath the skin of mice, or applied them to broken skin, or introduced the proteins towards the stomach directly. Then the researchers measured the immune responses from the mice at a later date.
As the Oxford researchers point out, “The mice that had been initially subjected to dry roasted peanuts generated greatly increased immune responses to peanuts, when compared with mice that were subjected to raw peanut proteins. The types of immune responses seen are characteristic of allergic reactions.” This directed the research team towards the conclusion that dry roasted peanuts really are a potential and certain trigger for peanut allergies.
According to first author Dr. Amin Moghaddam of Oxford University, “Our leads to mice suggest that dry roasted peanuts might be more likely to result in peanut allergy than raw peanuts: the dry roasting leads to a chemical modification of peanut proteins seems to activate the immune system against future contact with peanuts.”
A peanut allergy, like many other food allergies, isn’t something to trifle with because for those with extreme allergies a whiff of peanut particles in mid-air can result in a closed throat and also the requirement for an EpiPen
to be able to fight off anaphylaxis. The fact is, traditionally peanut allergies are the most common of food allergies, so understanding triggers is important.
According to MedlinePlus if someone comes with an allergic reaction to peanuts, they are prone to experience some or all of these symptoms:
? Itching or swelling in the mouth
? Stomach issues for example vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps and pain
? Hives or eczema
? Tightening from the throat and trouble breathing (otherwise known as anaphylaxis)
? Stop by blood pressure
Other symptoms can vary from food hypersensitivity to food allergy and individual to individual, but overall a minumum of one of these will present itself. You should note that anaphylaxis, a serious drop in blood pressure level, and stomach issues can all result in death if extreme enough.
Understanding what triggers food allergies will better help to prevent more later on. Moreover, understanding symptoms will let us to react and seek proper medical attention. Ideally, though, the Oxford University findings will better help all to avoid peanut allergies to ensure that we are able to enjoy the tastiness of this nut, specially in the type of peanut butter, only raw rather than roasted.
The study is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
