NIAID is the lead institute at the National Institutes of Health conducting research on food allergy, a condition that affects approximately 8 percent of children and nearly 11 percent of adults in the United States. In a person with food allergy, the immune system reacts abnormally to a component of a food, sometimes producing a severe and life-threatening response.
NIAID support for food allergy research encompasses basic research in allergy and immunology, epidemiological and observational studies to identify risk factors, and clinical trials of new strategies for prevention and treatment. Read more about why the study of food allergy is a priority for NIAID and the steps NIAID is taking to address this growing problem.
Highlights
Therapy Helps Peanut-Allergic Kids Tolerate Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
Eating gradually increasing doses of store-bought, home-measured peanut butter for about 18 months enabled 100% of children with peanut allergy who initially could tolerate the equivalent of at least half a peanut to consume three tablespoons of peanut butter without an allergic reaction.
Antibody Reduces Allergic Reactions to Multiple Foods in NIH Trial
A 16-week course of a monoclonal antibody, omalizumab, increased the amount of peanut, tree nuts, egg, milk and wheat that multi-food allergic children as young as 1 year could consume without an allergic reaction in a late-stage clinical trial.
Introducing Peanut in Infancy Prevents Peanut Allergy into Adolescence
Feeding children peanut products regularly from infancy to age 5 years reduced the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%, even when the children ate or avoided peanut products as desired for many years.
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Related Public Health and Government Information
If you have a food allergy and need practical ways to avoid packaged products that contain food allergens, the Food and Drug Administration provides advice and information.