New Product May Reduce Peanut Allergies

Peanut allergy affects millions of children. That is why most schools do not permit any peanut-containing items in school and school events and gatherings.

However, there is a new powdered peanut product in the market which the manufacturers claim will actually reduce peanut allergies in infants. The product called Hello, Peanut! can be combined with pureed baby food to expose the infant to peanuts when they are only five months old.

Hello, Peanut has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and will carry a label that it may reduce the risk of peanut allergy. Hello, Peanut was developed by a physician.

For the past few years, the nation’s top allergy experts have reversed their long-standing ban on peanuts in favor of early and frequent exposure, which they believe could reduce peanut allergy. Initial reports indicate that when mixed as a powder with baby food, Hello, Peanut can reduce the future risk to peanuts.

It is important to note that while many manufacturers empirically state that their food products can reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer or heart disease, this is the first time a food product label comes with a qualified claim (approved by the FDA) that it can reduce the risk of allergy. A qualified claim means that there is some evidence to support this idea but it is not absolute.

This claim is very important as the science of understanding allergies is changing and parents need to know what is happening.

Hello, peanut is a combined formula of organic peanuts and sprouted oat blenders that can be mixed with baby food. By gradually increasing the content of Hello, peanut in the infant’s diet, it is possible to create tolerance for peanuts.

Studies show that regular consumption of peanuts at an early age is necessary to develop food tolerance and reduce the risk of allergies. Unfortunately, there are still many parents who are skeptical about this formula for treating peanut allergies.

The Hello, peanut formula is organic, kosher and dairy-free.  It is also free of genetically modified organisms. The initial introductory kit is $25 and the maintenance kit costs about $20 for a 3 weeks supply. Experts say that a less expensive option is to use creamy peanut butter and mix it with warm water to make a soup and feed the infant.

A similar approach is now being undertaken with other foods to help lower the risk of food allergies. Only time will tell if this remedy works.