The Duke University Medical Center conducted a study on children and peanut allergies and found that doses of peanuts introduced in a controlled and increasing manner over time allowed the child's immune system to accept the once rejected food. Children who could not tolerate 1/6th of a peanut were eating 20 peanuts in a time period of six months. This is amazing considering that of the most common food allergies (shelled fish, fish, wheat, cows milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts), 60% cannot tolerate peanuts. Allergies are more common among children because often the reaction is due to the fact that their GI tracts are still developing and they don't have the enzymes to break down the proteins. When this happens, the body thinks that the food item is actually harmful to the body and responds in a matter to fight it off. Especially with peanuts, the response can even lead the victim into anaphylactic shock. This is ground breaking research because it means that we can use the very thing that hurts us to actually help us, if it is introduced in a manner that allows your body to build up a tolerance for it. As a friendly warning, I caution you to not repeat this study on your own! Just because you slowly introduce Reese's pieces to your diet doesn't mean that it will get rid of your allergy-- At Duke medical center they had doctors on hand to help respond to the subjects whom received PRECISE and calculated dosages. Plus I don't want to be liable or have to drive your puffy ass to the ER!
