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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – March is National Peanut Month which grew out of National Peanut Week initiated in 1941. It is estimated that we eat over 7 pounds of peanuts per person per year. Yet, many would be surprised to find out that the peanut is not a nut after all. Peanuts are ground nuts and they belong to the legume (bean) family. The plant flowers above ground then borrows into the earth where the peanut grows and matures. Most other nuts – walnuts, pecans, cashews – grow on trees and are known as tree nuts.
Did you know that all peanuts are GMO-free? The peanut plant is modified through traditional plant breeding practices, genetic engineering or biotechnology is never used. Though peanuts are technically beans, nutritionally they parallel nuts. They have more protein than other nuts and are rich in the phytochemical resveratrol, found in red wine and red grapes and saponins, which have anti-cancer properties. One ounce, 30 peanuts, is a serving with 170 calories. A great dieting tip is to eat foods that slow down the act of eating to give the brain time to understand the body has been fed. Peanuts in the shell fit that bill perfectly.
The incidence of food allergies has risen in recent decades and it is estimated that 1% to 3% of children in the US are allergic to peanuts. When a peanut allergy develops early in life it is rarely out-grown, the symptoms can be life threatening, and there is no cure. When the results of the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) trail were published in February 2015 in the New England Journal of Medicine, for the first time there was hope to reverse the trend in peanut allergies. Infants in the study, who were introduced to peanuts early showed an 81% reduction in the development of an allergic response. For the first time there was a strategy to prevent peanut allergy through the introduction of peanut-containing foods beginning in infancy.
Even with this encouraging news, new parents are still hesitant to introduce peanuts to babies. In 2017, a study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, showed that over half of new parents were still hesitant to add peanut containing foods to their infant’s diet for fear of an allergic reaction. To help parents better understand the value to introducing peanuts early and to curb the trend toward more peanut allergies The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) established introduction guidelines separated into three categories.
For infants who would be considered at high risk for developing a peanut allergy, such as those with severe eczema and/or an egg allergy, the guidelines recommend peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months. For parents who are worried, they might consider these first feedings be done at the doctor’s office. When we consider that only 1% to 3% of all children will be allergic to peanuts, most will never develop this allergy and early introduction can drive the odds down even further.
For infants with mild to moderate eczema, peanut foods could be introduced at home, around 6 months after other solids have been started. For mothers concerned about exclusive breast feeding through 6 months, the LEAP babies showed that small amounts of solid foods did not affect how long or how often a baby nursed.
For babies without eczema or any other food allergy, peanut containing foods should be introduced along with other solid foods when age-appropriate.
Obviously whole peanuts and chunky peanut butter are not the best food choices for young babies because they can pose a choking hazard. For very young infants, a small about of creamy peanut butter or powered peanut butter can be mixed with breast milk, formula or warm water. Two teaspoons fed three times each week is all that is needed to introduce the recommended amount of peanut protein to reduce the incidence of allergy. As infants eat more solids, powdered peanut butter can be added to cereals or purees. Peanut flour can be used in baked goods. Peanut butter can be swirled into hot cereal, spread on bread or thinned out as a dipping sauce for self-feeders.
Bottom line: By implementing the guidelines for early introduction of peanuts, fewer children will have to deal with peanut allergy throughout life and that is good news.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com