For years, parents have been cautious about introducing peanuts into their children’s diets, fearing the risk of allergies. However, groundbreaking new research suggests that feeding young children peanut products early on may significantly reduce their chances of developing a peanut allergy later in life.
A study published in NEJM Evidence on Tuesday found that introducing peanut butter, peanut-based soups, and other peanut products into a child’s diet from infancy to the age of five reduced the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy in adolescence by an astonishing 71%. The research, sponsored and co-funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides compelling evidence that early exposure to peanuts can have long-term protective benefits.
A Simple Strategy With Lasting Effects
“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. “If widely implemented, this safe, simple strategy could prevent tens of thousands of cases of peanut allergy among the 3.6 million children born in the United States each year.”
The study, known as the LEAP-Trio study, builds upon previous research conducted by the same team. In an earlier trial, researchers found that children who regularly consumed peanut products from infancy to the age of five had an 81% lower risk of developing a peanut allergy by the age of five, compared to those who avoided peanuts altogether. At the time, then-NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci described the findings as having the potential to “transform how we approach food allergy prevention.”
Does Early Protection Last Into Adolescence?
The goal of the recent LEAP-Trio study was to determine whether the protective effect of early peanut consumption would persist into adolescence, even if children ate peanuts sporadically or not at all in the years that followed.
Of the 640 original participants in the earlier study, 508 were enrolled in this follow-up, with an average age of 13. The researchers divided them into two groups—255 children who had consumed peanut products early on and 253 who had avoided them. To assess their allergy status, participants were gradually exposed to increasing amounts of peanuts, testing whether they could safely consume at least 5 grams (equivalent to about 20 peanuts).
The results were striking: More than 15% of children from the peanut-avoidance group had developed a peanut allergy by the age of 12 or older. In contrast, only 4.4% of those in the early peanut-consumption group had an allergy.
No Need for Continuous Consumption
While children in the peanut-consumption group generally ate more peanuts during their early years, their intake varied over time—some even went through periods without eating peanuts at all. Yet, the protective effects remained.
“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 its press release.
What This Means for Parents
These findings reinforce growing recommendations from allergy experts that early exposure to potential allergens—including peanuts—can help reduce the likelihood of food allergies developing later in life. With peanut allergies affecting millions of children worldwide, this simple dietary strategy could be a game-changer for families looking to safeguard their children’s health.
As research continues to uncover new ways to prevent food allergies, the message for parents is clear: introducing peanuts early and regularly—within established medical guidelines—could provide lasting benefits for their child’s future.
