Introducing peanut products such as peanut butter and peanut-based soups into a child’s diet early on can significantly reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy later in adolescence, according to a new study published in NEJM Evidence. The study, sponsored and co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that regular consumption of peanut products from infancy to age five reduces the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%.
Groundbreaking Findings on Peanut Allergy Prevention
The NIH emphasized that the study’s results provide definitive evidence supporting the early introduction of peanut products as a long-term preventive measure against peanut allergy. “Today’s findings should reinforce parents’ and caregivers’ confidence that feeding their young children peanut products beginning in infancy according to established guidelines can provide lasting protection from peanut allergy,” said NIAID Director Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo in a press release. She added that this strategy could potentially prevent tens of thousands of peanut allergy cases among the approximately 3.6 million children born annually in the United States.
The LEAP-Trio Study: Building on Previous Research
The new research, known as the LEAP-Trio study, builds on earlier findings from the same team. In the initial study, children who regularly consumed peanut products from infancy until the age of five had an 81% reduced risk of developing a peanut allergy by age five compared to those who avoided peanuts. This earlier study had already suggested a paradigm shift in food allergy prevention, as noted by then-NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The LEAP-Trio study aimed to determine if the early protective effect of peanut consumption would persist into adolescence, regardless of whether the children continued to consume peanuts consistently.
Long-Term Effects of Early Peanut Consumption
The follow-up study involved 508 of the original 640 participants, with an average age of 13 years. Among them, 255 had been part of the peanut-consumption group, and 253 were in the peanut-avoidance group. To assess peanut allergy prevalence, researchers gradually exposed participants to increasing amounts of peanuts, observing whether they could safely consume at least 5 grams of peanuts (approximately 20 peanuts).
The results were striking: over 15% of the peanut-avoidance group had developed a peanut allergy by age 12 or older, compared to only 4.4% in the peanut-consumption group. This significant difference underscores the long-lasting protective effect of early peanut consumption.
Variability in Peanut Consumption
Interestingly, the study found that while children in the peanut-consumption group generally ate more peanuts during their childhood than those in the peanut-avoidance group, there were variations in consumption levels within both groups. Some participants had periods where they did not eat peanuts at all. Despite these variations, the protective effect remained consistent.
“This demonstrated that the protective effect of early peanut consumption lasted without the need to eat peanut products consistently throughout childhood and early adolescence,” the NIH stated in the press release.
Implications for Allergy Prevention Guidelines
The findings of the LEAP-Trio study have important implications for public health guidelines and parental practices regarding food allergy prevention. Early and regular introduction of peanut products could become a standard recommendation to safeguard against peanut allergies, which can have severe and lifelong consequences. By adopting this safe and simple strategy, many children could be spared the challenges associated with peanut allergies, significantly improving their quality of life.
As research continues to evolve, the focus will likely remain on optimizing dietary recommendations and interventions to prevent food allergies in various populations. For now, the evidence strongly supports the benefits of early peanut introduction as a powerful preventive measure.
