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 In a recent study, peanut allergies improved in children who took low doses of peanut allergens that gradually increased over time.
Exposing a person to low doses of a known allergen, a technique called immunotherapy, is not a new concept. The goal of immunotherapy is to desensitize the patient so that the body builds up a tolerance to the allergen. For example, immunotherapy has been used to treat seasonal allergies and vaccine allergies.
Peanut allergy is the leading cause of severe allergic reactions in children and adults in the United States. Even trace amounts of peanut can cause serious reactions in sensitive people. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, about 20 percent of patients with peanut allergies naturally outgrow them.
The recent study included 23 children (aged 3-14) with peanut allergies. Over a seven-month period, the children were exposed to small doses of peanuts that gradually increased up to 500 milligrams.
Fourteen children were able to tolerate 500 milligrams daily without allergic symptoms. These children then stopped eating peanuts for two weeks before being exposed to peanuts again. At the final peanut challenge, 12 children were able to consume one gram of peanut without allergic symptoms, compared to 19 milligrams at the start of the study.
The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, support earlier studies, which suggested that immunotherapy may help treat peanut and milk allergies.
Because food allergies can be potentially life threatening, immunotherapy is not recommended for general use. Until the safety of this treatment is tested in a larger population, people with allergies should avoid foods that trigger their allergies.
For more information about immunotherapy, please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.
- American Academy of Allergy and Immunology (AAAAI). www.aaaai.org
- Blumchen K, Ulbricht H, Staden U, et al. Oral peanut immunotherapy in children with peanut anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Jun 11. View Abstract
- Clark AT, Islam S, King Y, et al. Successful oral tolerance induction in severe peanut allergy. Allergy. 2009 Aug;64(8):1218-20. View Abstract
- Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
- Skripak JM, Nash SD, Rowley H, Brereton NH, Oh S, Hamilton RG, Matsui EC, Burks AW, Wood RA. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of milk oral immunotherapy for cow's milk allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Oct 23. View Abstract
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