Nut Allergy

[barry1010]

Why are people with nut allergies allergic to peanuts?

[AuntPollyGrey]

Excellent question as peanuts are not nuts they are legumes.

[Mamyalynne]

Some people are allergic to tree nuts and some to peanuts etc and some to both.

[barry1010]

In that case, Mamya, is the warning on food packets that it 'contains nuts' enough information?
Why aren't people who are allergic to peanuts not allergic to peas and other legumes?

[LadyCG]

Some are allergic to tree nuts or sometimes just sesame and sesame products such as tahini.

Sometimes there is something called cross reactivity where someone will have a reaction when they each something like, say, cherries - not because they are allergic to cherries but because they are allergic to tree pollen, silver birch or timothy grass.

[barry1010]

I never had any allergies until two years ago when I developed hay fever and an allergy to dogs. I thought we developed immunity to these things as we got older.

[gness]

Barry. We are all different. I loved peanuts but one New Year's Eve when I was in my thirties I developed a severe allergy to them. The symptoms were strange and it took a while to find out what was causing the problems.
Obviously I stopped eating them but still had a much less severe and previously unnoticed reaction to anything that was related to peanuts. Even corn fed chicken caused a reaction.
I can eat all other nuts.
I think....but only think...that I may now be able to eat peanuts but haven't risked it....yet.... :-)

[bhg481]

barry - I thought the reverse was true in that you can acquire allergies as you grow older.

[diddlydo]

Errr - who had ever heard of nut or any other allergies 50 years ago?

[Mamyalynne]

Years ago you just heard a gurgling noise then folk keeled over.

[jno]

me, I'd heard of allergies 50 years ago.

[barry1010]

:D

[Mamyalynne]

Sorry Barry, I find that attitude so ludicrous :-)

[pastafreak]

Some theories here...

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-are-nut-allergies-so-common/

[Mamyalynne]

Allergies in one shape or form are likely as old as mankind, some may be linked to modern day living and newer materials but they've certainly been around in general a long time.

I've already been pulled up for posting links,but never mind - here's another.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/11/partner-content-brief-history-of-allergies/

[pastafreak]

So have I Mamya...but this is Answerbank, so I'll continue. ;)

[Sqad]

50 years ago, both food and inhalant allergies were well known but only taken seriously by the Americans who were streets ahead of the Brits in diagnosis and treatment.

[pastafreak]

It's those damn Americans again...!

[Sqad]

pasta...they were well ahead of the Brits in many things and in particular bypass heart surgery.... Mike de Bakey and Denton Cooley in particular and my heroes the Hous brothers from Los Angeles.

[pastafreak]

I know Sqad. My brother had experimental heart surgery about 18 months ago by a surgeon at, I think, NYU Medical Centre.

[diddlydo]

A couple of years ago I was on an Easyjet flight when a member of the cabin crew announced that there was someone on board with a cheese allergy and therefore please refrain from eating anything containing cheese. A few minutes later this was amended to anything containing goats cheese. B***** ridiculous.