Mar 17 2009
Cure Being Tested for Peanut Allergies
Dr. Wesley Burks from the Duke Medical Center told the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology that a medically supervised daily dose of peanuts could help children who have peanut allergies. Two studies show that small doses of peanuts may increase the children’s tolerance to the food.
The peanut doses are reported to start off at around one-thousandths of a peanut and increase to fifteen peanuts a day. Dr Burks urges parents not to try the study themselves, as the studies that he is conducting require a high level of medical supervision.
In one of the studies conducted, twelve out of eighteen children tested were able to eat fifteen peanuts per day. Burks says that they plan to test about eighty more children in the next few years, and is hopeful that there will finally be a treatment for peanut allergies.
It is estimated that almost 3.3 people suffer from nut allergies and that 150 deaths are directly related to peanut allergies.
