by IMAGE
28th Jan 2015
28th Jan 2015
peanuts
This is big news. Scientists in Australia believe they may have found a possible cure for those suffering with a peanut allergy. Approximately three in every 100 kids in Australia are born with this peanut allergy.
According to The Guardian, the study has already drastically improved the lives of the children who have taken part in the first clinical trials. The Murdoch Children Research Institute gave 30 or so allergic children a dose of peanut protein per day, along with a probiotic, and increased the amount over 18 month. Amazingly, by the end of the trial period, those who had taken the probiotic (named Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and akin to eating roughly 20kg of yoghurt per day) were able to eat peanuts without reacting.
Lead researcher Mimi Tang say: ?Many of the children and families believe it has changed their lives, they’re very happy, they feel relieved… These findings provide the first vital step towards developing a cure for peanut allergy and possibly other food allergies… We focused on peanut allergy because it is usually lifelong and it is the most common cause of death from food anaphylaxis.”
If this research is to work beyond this clinical testing, it will quite literally transform the lives of hundreds and thousands of individuals. Next up for the Melbourne-based researchers will be a ‘follow-up study where we ask children to take peanut back out of their diet for eight weeks and test them if they’re tolerant after that,”as they will need to ensure they are covered into adulthood.