Allergy to peanuts is particularly common in the West more than anywhere else in the world. Statistics show that Easterners consume the same amount of peanuts as Westerners, yet they have strikingly lower rates of peanut allergy. Experts and scientists believe that the explanation lies in the process of preparation of the peanuts.
In the East, peanuts are eaten raw, boiled, or fried, while dry-roasted is more popular in the West.
A research team from the United Kingdom recently conducted a study involving mice. They discovered that roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergy compared to raw or boiled peanuts. The study, which was published in the journal Allergy and Clinical Immunology, also found that dry-roasting produces chemicals that sensitize the immune system to both raw and dry roasted nuts.
The study found that roasting peanuts in high temperature dramatically changes their protein content.
Allergy UK states that peanut and tree nut allergy is the most common type of food allergy, affecting an estimate of 1 in 50 young children. Allergic reactions to peanuts and tree nuts are mostly mild in nature, though some can be severe and can possibly lead to anaphylaxis, a condition that brings asthma-like symptoms or throat swelling, making breathing difficult. Anaphylaxis also makes blood pressure drop.
Children are more susceptible to allergy development if they already have an identified allergy such as eczema or an intolerance to another food, or immediate family history of allergies such as asthma, eczema, or hay fever.
According to the study's lead author Dr. Amin Moghaddam, senior postdoctoral research scientist at Oxford University, allergies are driven by multiple factors such as exposure to environmental triggers and family genetics.
"We think we may have discovered an environmental trigger in the way that peanuts are processed by high-temperature roasting," Dr. Moghaddam added.
