Peanuts and peanut allergies

Peanuts

Peanuts are used for many purposes. Originating in South and Central America it is a part of the legume family and is also known as earthnuts, goobers, jack nuts, and monkey nuts. Edible peanuts account for two thirds of total peanut use in the U.S. Peanuts are one of the only nuts that are used for many different things.
Firstly, peanuts can be salted, providing for a quick snack or have grinded peanuts be used as an elegant part of a dish in a restaurant. The most common use is naturally, peanut butter; which is really the oily peanuts that are turned into a pasty substance. Peanut butter than is used for a countless number of things. To make a sandwich, candie, bakery products, and more. Some peanuts are bought unshelled, others shelled and salted. Most recently, peanuts can be fried, where they are eaten both shell and nut. As said before, peanuts (including other nuts) are commonly used for cooking, as well as the peanut oil.
This oil derived from peanuts has a mild flavor and burns at a high temperature. Boiled peanuts are a popular southern U.S. snack, as well as being popular in China. Peanuts are also used for bird feeder, and peanut shells can be put to use in the process of manufacturing plastic, fuel, and abrasives, as well as cellulose (used in paper) and mucilage (glue). Lastly, peanuts can be and are used for making hay and animal feeder. As you can see, peanuts seem to have a never-ending use. Next time you pop a peanut in your mouth, you’ll think of all of its other uses.
Peanut allergies
Peanut allergy is a very common and even potentially fatal food allergies. It is an immune system response to the peanut protein, causing the release of histamine chemicals. Recent studies show that over the last five to ten years there has been an increase in peanut allergies, mainly in children.
No definite answers are readily available, but one theory is that children are exposed to peanuts too early. Another well based reason is that our immune systems are not as functional as before, seeing that we live in a much cleaner environment and we aren’t exposed to as bacteria (which can help make your immune system more tough).
Peanut allergy symptoms have various effects on the body. These include hives, itchy red skin, congested runny nose, pain in stomach, nausea, swelling of airways, and shock (blood pressure drops). In serious cases, there will be large blockage of airways, resulting in possible death. Some allergies have been known to be outgrown, but this rarely happens with peanuts. No matter how minor an allergic reaction, you always want to be on the lookout, larger and more serious reactions are quite possible.
The only thing that can be done is prevention. Avoid use of peanut based substances and products. This means no peanut butter, roasted peanuts, salted peanuts, peanuts in candy, or any other peanut based product.
With people who known they may have severe allergic reactions, they should always carry a self-injectable form of adrenaline that could become their lifeline during an allergic attack. Like with all allergic reactions, they must be carefully dealt with care and be foreseen in the future.

Peanut allergy has affected about 3 million people in America. Although peanut allergy is maximum amongst all kinds of food allergy , other food items are also there to contribute to the statistics of 8% children and 2% adult who are afflicted with food allergy.
When immune system reacts to a normally safe food, it is termed as allergic reaction.
The most severe reaction is sudden drop of blood pressure called Anaphylaxis. But, most common symptoms are hives, eczema, asthma and gastrointestinal system.
Two earlier studies have revealed that reason for food allergy is hereditary to a great extent. A British study had concluded that among 58 set of twins, of whom 11 were identical and 44 fraternal, at least one of the twins had peanut allergy and out of 115, at least 70 had history of peanut allergy.
Among identical twins about 64% had a history of peanut allergy. And, only 7% between the fraternal twins had the same. The conclusion vis-à-vis environmental and genetic factors, researchers concluded heritability factor of 82% to 87% for peanut allergy. Possibly, environmental factor might have biased the genetic component in peanut allergies. When the genetic factor was not taken into account, the rate dropped to a under 19%.
Scott Sicherer, M.D., a lead researcher and some of his colleagues performed a twin study. They were studying whether genetics play an important role in peanut allergy. They checked the incidence of peanut allergy between identical and fraternal twins. Their twin studies provide information how environmental and genetic factors should be compared.
In the absence of any solid evidence of any direct link between hereditary and allergies, many felt that more research studies are required to examine the link between genetics and allergies, to arrive at a conclusion.