Why Are Americans More Prone to Deadly Peanut Allergies Compared to Other Countries?
Introduction:
Food allergies are a growing concern worldwide, with peanut allergies being among the most common and potentially life-threatening. Interestingly, the prevalence and severity of peanut allergies appear to vary across different countries. While peanut butter is widely consumed in the United States and some individuals suffer from severe peanut allergies, other countries, such as the Netherlands, have a more relaxed approach to these allergies. Understanding the potential reasons for these differences is of great interest to both medical researchers and curious individuals like yourself. This article aims to explore possible explanations for the prevalence and severity of peanut allergies in the United States compared to other countries.
1. Prevalence of Peanut Allergies:
To begin, let’s examine the prevalence of peanut allergies in different countries. Studies have shown that peanut allergies are more common in Western countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, compared to countries in Asia and Africa. In the United States, approximately 1-2% of the population, or over 6 million individuals, are affected by peanut allergies. In contrast, the prevalence in the Netherlands is estimated to be around 0.5%. While this difference may seem small, it is still significant enough to warrant exploration.
2. Early Introduction vs. Delayed Introduction of Peanuts:
One potential explanation for the difference in peanut allergies between countries could be related to the timing of peanut introduction to infants’ diets. Historically, introducing peanuts later in life was thought to reduce the risk of developing allergies. In the United States, this practice was widely followed until recently, when research indicated that early introduction might actually reduce the risk. In contrast, some countries, including the United Kingdom, have advocated for early peanut introduction for several years. This difference in timing could contribute to the higher prevalence of peanut allergies in the U.S.
3. Cultural Factors and Early Exposure:
Cultural factors and dietary habits may also play a role in the prevalence of peanut allergies. In the United States, peanut butter is a staple in many households, and peanut-based products are commonly included in various foods, snacks, and desserts. This early and frequent exposure to peanuts could potentially increase the risk of developing an allergic reaction. In comparison, countries like the Netherlands may not have the same cultural emphasis on peanut consumption, leading to less exposure and possibly lower rates of peanut allergies.
4. Hygiene Hypothesis and Environmental Factors:
The hygiene hypothesis is a theory that suggests that decreased exposure to certain bacteria and parasites during childhood may increase the likelihood of developing allergies. In the Western world, including the United States, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases over the past few decades. This increase is thought to be partly due to a cleaner and more sanitized environment, which reduces exposure to germs and microbes. This theory is supported by the observation that children growing up in rural or less hygienic environments are generally less prone to allergies, including peanut allergies.
5. Genetic Predisposition:
Genetics is another significant factor that contributes to the development of peanut allergies. It has been shown that allergic conditions, including peanut allergies, tend to run in families. Certain genetic mutations and variations can affect individuals’ immune responses, making them more susceptible to developing allergic reactions. Hence, it is possible that certain genetic factors are more prevalent among Americans, leading to the higher incidence and severity of peanut allergies in the country.
6. Healthcare System and Awareness:
The healthcare system and cultural perception of allergies can also influence the management and perception of peanut allergies. In the United States, where healthcare is not universally accessible, the fear of severe allergic reactions may be heightened due to the potential financial burden associated with emergency medical care. This could lead to a more cautious approach towards peanut allergies, with institutions like schools, hospitals, and airlines implementing strict measures to minimize the risk of exposure. On the other hand, countries with more accessible healthcare systems, like the Netherlands, may adopt a more relaxed approach due to the reduced financial burden and ease of access to emergency care.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the prevalence and severity of peanut allergies vary across countries, with the United States experiencing a higher rate of severe peanut allergies compared to the Netherlands and other nations. Several factors may contribute to this disparity, including the timing of peanut introduction, cultural differences in dietary habits, the hygiene hypothesis, genetic predisposition, and the healthcare system. It is important to note that while this article provides potential explanations, further research is necessary to fully understand the intricate mechanisms underlying the variation in peanut allergies.
In culinary school, I ended up in the hospital while trying a dish made by another class. Turns out it had almonds in it. Never been allergic to them before, just didn’t like them. Got tested and found out I has an allergy to soy, Tree nuts, Peanut butter (which I also didn’t like as a kid as it made my throat itchy-which I later found our was a mild allergy) and scallops-which I have always loved.
These allergies developed after I turned 55, so why now? I don’t know. I can still work with each item, just cannot eat them.
Some theorize the prevalence of allergies has something to do with being in an over sanitized and allergen free environment whilst developing immunity as an infant. There was a heavy push to keep kids from being exposed to germs and allergens around the turn of the millennium. When I was a kid (born in ’84) peers with food allergies were relatively rare and almost everyone and their dog ate PB&J sandwiches but my sister (born in ’95) had a lot of peers that had food allergies and thats when they started implementing allergy tables and policing lunches for nut products.
My son is allergic to peanuts. We found out when we gave him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 3yo. He had a near fatal reaction after one bite. It turned out he was allergic to numerous things. That was 15 years ago.
Prior to that he had contracted MRSA from the hospital when he was 1. He and I fought it for years. We finally found a doctor that knew what he was doing and put an end to it. The solution was bleaching damn near every surface in the house for months and everyone in the house taking bleach baths. (This is important later)
My wife turned herself into an “expert” on allergies and found a great specialist to help understand and study it. He is studying it and trying to find a cure. This is paraphrasing my understanding of what he has stated.
His hypothesis is that there are beneficial bacteria living in our digestive system that humans have developed over a millenia that protect us from the proteins that cause the allergic reactions. He took an interest in my son because of the solution to mrsa. He believes the oversanitization of everything is the root cause. We were an extreme case of this. We are killing the bacteria and leaving ourselves defenseless against the proteins. He also believes that the appendix is not useless as most medical doctors do. He thinks it may actually be producing the very bacteria we need.
15 years later, he is still allergic to peanuts but his reactions are not as severe. He has also “outgrown” numerous other allergens. We believe some of the treatments combined with him spending half his childhood in the woods were major factors.
Let your kids get dirty folks. Not only will it not kill them, they need it. We are not separate from nature. We are a part of it.
I’ve actually gone on a scouting camp in the Netherlands where a kid has such a severe peanut allergy that the whole subcamp (12 groups) was asked not to bring peanut butter or peanuts.
So it happens here too.
Peanuts are popular in the US. That’s why the rate is higher. Fish allergies are higher in Asian countries.
I’m surprised this is not better known. Peanut allergies in America (and some other countries) increased for decades when doctors gave the advice for parents not to feed peanuts to their babies out of an abundance of caution. After the rates went up, people tested and proved that low peanut exposure causes higher rates of peanut allergy. The advice has now been reversed….
When peanut allergies started becoming more common, doctors started recommending to avoid giving peanuts to young children in case they may be allergic. It turns out, avoiding peanuts actually *causes* peanut allergies. So this caused a big spike in the number of peanut allergies. Now they are recommending to introduce kids to peanuts and other nuts at a young age to prevent developing allergies.
Few are, actually
>so lack of exposure seems not the root cause?
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Turns out that may well be exactly the root cause.
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>Today, we know that this approach to delay peanut introduction actually increases food allergy risk, and that delayed introduction was a major factor that led to the sharp increase in peanut allergies.
[https://www.preventallergies.org/blog/why-are-peanut-allergies-on-the-rise](https://www.preventallergies.org/blog/why-are-peanut-allergies-on-the-rise)
TIL there’s a country named ‘peanuts’
Re: specifically hospitals, schools, and planes.
I have a friend who is in her 40s and deathly allergic to peanuts. She is, of course, not representative of all people with allergies. This info is from her mostly
Re: hospitals. They just want to be super careful with it in medical environments. Imagine going to the ER after an allergic reaction to peanuts, grabbing a doorknob to leave, and getting a whole reaction all over again.
Planes: how my friend has experienced it has actually had to do with confidentiality. She’s fine if someone several rows away has peanuts, but if it’s the person right next to her she could have a reaction. She was recently on a plane where the guy next to her was bitching about not being allowed peanuts because who dare think their health is more important than their right to peanuts? She admitted it was her and the flight attendant had to move her because the guy was so outraged (she got an upgrade out of it which is why she moved instead of him). Any flight where peanuts are not allowed will have old white guys grumbling about it. I’ve never been on a flight, even international ones, where some old white guy wasn’t mortally offended by it. So it’s way better to say “no one eat peanuts” then tell the strangers around them to not eat any.
Schools: kids are dumb. It’s generally not banned in high schools or even middle schools, but kids end up covered in their food and will share food not totally knowing what’s in it. As careful as a first grader may be (but how careful can we expect them to be?), the kids around them won’t be. And then now a 7 year old has to communicate that their throat is closing up? And quickly? It’s easier and safer to just not allow it. The friend I have was in and our of the ER CONSTANTLY as a child because parents were told “no peanuts” and she would ask if there was peanuts and would be told “no”… and then actual it did have peanuts.
None of these issues are specific to the US, but it vibes with how robust the ADA is compared to accommodations in some other countries.
There are stricter laws/policies in the US for the purposes of avoiding lawsuits, but also if you’re in a place where people with health issues would congregate, it makes sense to keep common allergens out.
Food allergies are classed as a disability and thus protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). So you’ll get more strict enforcement of accommodation for allergies than you might get in other countries, just like you’d see more wheelchair ramps. It doesn’t mean America has more people in wheelchairs than other countries, it just means it’s more accessible.
I live in Israel, which has the lowest % of peanut allergy in the world because we normalized feeding babies bamba (popular snack with peanuts), I did see several signs on different school gates to not bring in any peanuts in the conservative city I grew up in (so not just a big liberal city thing) around 2018?
Airborne peanut allergy isn’t scientifically proven to occur, from a scientific standpoint it is most likely psychosomatic, kind of like people claiming to be allergic to electricity. https://ki.se/en/research/airborne-exposure-to-peanuts-did-not-produce-severe-reactions
>I notice a much more “chill” approach to nut allergies here.
Love the idea that being “chill” about allergies can save someone from dying.
I (American) only knew one person with a deathly peanut allergy and he was from Belgium. So I’m not sure your observation is based on facts. But maybe Americans have more restrictions and awareness raising?
I became allergic to all nuts and shellfish in my mid 20s out of nowhere. Used to eat peanuts everyday, shit happens 🤷🏻♂️. I would literally commit serious crimes to be able to eat peanut butter again.
Of course children with peanut allergies should be protected. Of course!
But *maybe*….
“Chill” approach? Respectfully, I don’t think how deadly peanut allergies can be.
If I opened up a candy bar across the room my nieces skin will start getting red and itchy.
A lot of people don’t have to consume it for it to be irritating.
I’m in my 40s, and I’ve met a total of 1 person with a peanut allergy, and it was so severe that even being at a baseball game near peanut shells on the floor was giving her a hard time breathing.
I think you’re confusing being overly cautious about the allergy with how many people are actually allergic.
I mean I don’t live in the states, and have never been diagnosed with a peanut allergy, but it is likely I have a mild one. My parents used to regularly eat them and keep them in the house, and peanut butter is around for our dog, but breathing in peanuts always made me feel nauseous and given me a stuffed nose. On the other hand, despite what people are saying about exposure the one allergy I definetly have is something I was exposed to my whole life. I used to take ibuprofen for headaches my whole life until I had a reaction suddenly that sent me to the hospital for 2 days. Peanut allergies are common enough though, and I personally don’t think it’s a big deal. Peanuts kinda suck compared to most snacks anyway.
Not to the original question but this reminds me of my wife’s grandmother who, after learning of her great grand daughter’s nut allergy (my daughter), said “Oh no one had nut allergies back in my day.”
Her literal next sentence, “People used to die of stomach pains though.”
THOSE WERE THE ALLERGIES, GRANDMA!
Are we? I’ve never actually met anyone allergic to peanuts.
I love how everyones coming up with these bs answers when Netherlands actually has a higher per capita rate of peanut allergy than the US. Yall really do just make stuff up.
My son has full anaphylaxis to peanuts and will react to the smell. He was hospitalized overnight for a tactile exposure that caused a prolonged reaction. He’s been worked up multiple times.
There are many theories regarding why so many allergies are cropping up now. For obvious reasons, I did a lot of research on this. An old theory is the hygiene theory which states because kids aren’t exposed to large numbers of proteins in early childhood, their immune system tends to over react when finally faced with a complex protein like peanuts.
Another theory observes that peanuts are an African plant with a close genetic tie to soybeans which is an Asian plant. Many patients with peanut allergies are European which were not exposed to either in centuries and decades past. Therefore their intolerance was predetermined by their ancestors.
I believe the answer is somewhere in between, incorporating both theories to varying degree
Because kids who were deathly allergic to peanuts before, died. Now they are protected, and are creating more kids with peanut allergies.
I visited an underdeveloped country with high infant mortality rates. Babies and young children dying is way more common, and I suspect that some children who “choked” to death as toddlers may have had allergic reactions.
But no one lives near enough to a hospital to get them help in time, or could afford the medical care if they could.
So it’s kind of a developed world problem.