Nut a problem
New Zealand Listener|March 26 - April 1, 2022
Exposing children to allergenic food at a very early age may help them avoid developing dietary intolerances that can be a lifetime scourge.
Nicky Pellegrino
Nut a problem

Food allergies have been on the rise in developed countries over the past few decades and rates of hospitalisation for food-related anaphylaxis have risen steeply to match. The root cause is believed to be improved hygiene practices, which have restricted our exposure to microbes in our environment. Those exposures, particularly in gestation and early life, are key to establishing the intestinal microbiota – the trillions of tiny organisms in our gut – and consequently programming the immune response and influencing our risk of developing an allergy.

“Obviously we needed to improve sanitation to stop diseases such as cholera and typhoid, but doing so has come with a drawback,” says Professor Mimi Tang, an expert in allergic and immune responses from Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. “That drawback is the breadth of bacteria and other micro-organisms that we’re exposed to has shrunk.”

Changing diets probably play a part, too, with processed foods replacing microbiome-friendly fresh fruit, vegetables and fish oils. And there may be a relationship with UV exposure – the closer you live to the equator, the lower your likelihood of allergy problems.

In the 1990s, most guidelines recommended not feeding highly allergenic foods, such as peanuts, to children aged under three to protect them from developing an allergy. “The thinking was that the gut barrier is less mature in infants than adults,” explains Tang. “So, by not exposing young children to these allergenic foods we would avoid a negative response.”

Esta historia es de la edición March 26 - April 1, 2022 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 26 - April 1, 2022 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE NEW ZEALAND LISTENERVer todo
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024