“An estimated 2.4 billion pounds of peanuts are consumed in the United States every year, and about half are in the form of peanut butter” (Muñoz-Furlong xvii). With all of this consumption of peanuts, how do the three million Americans with a peanut allergy get through life without accidently consuming a peanut (Young 44)? A major problem facing American adolescents today is the peanut allergy. A peanut allergy is when the body has an adverse reaction to the proteins in a peanut. The part of the body designed to battle infections, the immune system, is the cause of the problem (Sicherer and Malloy 3). There is not a known amount of adolescents that are currently affected with peanut allergies, but there was a statistic recently published in an article by the Chicago Tribune stating that as many as one in every 13 children are affected by food allergies. That is approximately two in every classroom (Karp 7). The problem of adolescent peanut allergy can be better understood by examining its causes, consequences and solutions.
To begin, there are various factors that may cause an adolescent to become allergic to peanuts. The first cause comes from the well-known and accepted theory called the “hygiene hypothesis.” The primary concept of the “hygiene hypothesis” is that because of our clean, developed society the immune system of adolescents is not being challenged with enough germs, parasites, or diseases. Due to such a lack of harmful germs, the immune system will start to attack harmless objects, and in this instance it is the proteins in peanuts (Sicherer and Malloy 12). A large contributor to this theory is not only the too-clean environment that adolescents live in, but is their diet too. This diet is called the Western diet, ...
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...raction of a peanut can cause serious health issues or even death. For now all adolescents can do is live their life very diligently, but there is hope that in the future there will be developed cures that will make that small bit of peanut less harmful.
Works Cited
Gallagher, James. "Peanut Allergy Treatment 'a Success'" BBC News, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
Git, Aliah. "New Peanut Allergy Patch Could Be a Game-changer." CBS News, 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2014.
Karp, Gregory. "Allergies Fly Under Radar." Chicago Tribune 11 Feb. 2014: 1+. Print.
Landau, Elizabeth. "Why Are Food Allergies on the Rise?" CNN, 3 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Feb. 2014
Sicherer, Scott H., Terry Malloy, and Anne Muñoz-Furlong. The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook. New York City: Berkley, 2005. Print.
Young, Michael C. The Peanut Allergy Answer Book. Gloucester: Fair Winds, 2006. Print.
Children love candy. Known childhood favorites are Dum Dums and Jolly Ranchers, but who would expect a childhood favorite to harm a child? One calm day 6 year old Easton Newton was playing with toy cars when he opened a hard Jolly Rancher at his best friends desk. While his teacher was checking on another classroom, Easton began to choke and tried to cough his Jolly Rancher up, but couldn’t. Luckily, Shelby Labar, a classmate, immediately rushed to Easton’s side and used the heimlich maneuver they had practiced months before. Easton was now safe. Jolly Ranchers can easily get lodged in the throat of their consumers. Clearly, Dum Dums are the better candy because they are much safer to eat.
A recent study in 2015 reports that over 15 million people in America have food allergies that is 1 in every 13 people under the age of 18. Making it very likely that somebody in this room is part of these 15 million American’s who have food allergies. If you are somebody who has food allergies, or you know of someone who has food allergies, this speech will help you better understand more about food allergies, so you can deal with food allergies and more importantly be more careful around other people who do. So today, I am going to be informing you about Food allergies.
The act of manufactures labeling of our foods products in terms of the ingredients a particular product contains and the nutritious facts is sometimes taken for granted, we often see the labels on our food products, but ignore them because we’re so used to seeing them in our daily lives. Surprisingly, food product labeling, specifically that pertaining to allergen warnings, were not always available to consumers until a government mandate in 2004 (FALCPA). I think part of the reason for such a lateness in regulation was due to a social stigma regarding allergies, that having them was some sort of natural selection and not an issue that should be taken care of. Another surprising notion I came across was that although there was no government regulation, manufactures of food products took a good amount of initiative in letting their consumers know of potential allergens in their products.
From 1997 to 2008 the number of American children that have some form of nut allergy has tripled. Peanut allergies are considered one of “Big 8” food allergies that accounts for 90% of allergies which includes 3 million Americans out of the 21 million Americans that suffer from some form of allergy. Less than 21% of those individuals with peanut allergies will outgrow it. Peanut allergies account for the most common food related deaths. Four out of every 100 children have some form of food allergy. If an allergy is going to surface it will effect a child between 12 and 14 months of age this is why child care environments are the most vulnerable. Peanut allergies affect about 5% within this age group. I was surprised with the various names and different items that peanuts can be found in. Peanut
Following my first sip of milk at the age of one, with the resulting hives and coughing that ensued, I involuntarily joined the community of fifteen million Americans afflicted by food allergies. Living everyday with additional allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish has, out of necessity, sharpened my compulsiveness with ingredients and food preparation, but furthermore has spurred me to intervene on behalf of fellow members in this emerging epidemic. The Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) national organization has been a source of education and support in my own life, and subsequently has aided my efforts to raise awareness among peers, and to nurture my advocacy involvement. Selected as a member of FARE’s Teen Advisory
Murray, Michael T., Joseph E. Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno. "The Healing Power of Nuts and Seeds." The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York: Atria, 2005. N. pag. Print.
Food, a necessity for all and something very delicious, but also deadly for some people. Not everyone can live free of food allergies. Food allergies occur in 1 out of every 13 children. This indicates over fifteen million people in the world suffer from food allergies. The food epidemic poses a threat to many citizens that live with food allergies because of incorrect labeling, distribution and safety in the preparation of food. My research highlights two key items: (1) definition of food allergies and how they affect the daily lives of those living with them and (2) the importance of food allergy knowledge and how educating people about food allergies will hopefully jumpstart the progress to find a cure.
Jacqueline Pongracic, wrote “ I’ve been treating patients in the field of allergy immunology for fifteen years and in recent years I’ve really seen the rates of food allergy skyrocketed(Sheehann). Estimates show that twelve million Americans have serious food allergies as evidenced by abnormal blood immunoglobulin levels. In 1996, Brazilian nut genes were placed into soybeans in order to provide additional protein called methionine. However, some individuals are so allergic to the nut, they can actually go into anaphylactic shock. Following several incidences the product was removed from the market before any actual fatalities occurred(Lacey). A study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies among children increased approximately fifty percent between 1997 and 2011("Facts and Statistics - Food Allergy Research & Education"). However, FDA officials who are entrusted to protect the health of the general public have gone against the advice of their own scientist to test for allergies and have declared genetically modified foods are essentially equivalent to regular foods. Many research studies have positively confirmed this kind of overall risk for genetically modified foods. Two research studies showed that farm workers who were exposed to genetically modified Bt corn sprays exhibited extensive allergic reactions. Another study that lasted over a decade showed that genetically modified peas caused allergic lung damage in mice, the
Wilson, Jacque. "Who is Looking Out for Your Food Safety?." CNN. CNN, 08 Oct 2013. Web. 23 Jan 2014.
Ever wanted to try a marijuana cookie? Well, after reading this article you probably won’t want to anymore. In the article, Pot Death: Teen Leaps 4 Stories After Eating Marijuana Cookie the dangers of marijuana was revealed. A 19-year-old boy in Colorado recently died after he ate a whole marijuana cookie that contained 6 servings of marijuana's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The boy got the cookie from his 23-year-old friend who brought it from the store. The sales clerk at the store informed his friend to divide the cookie into 6 pieces, with each piece containing about 10 mg of THC. 10 mg of THC the recommended serving size, which was established by Colorado authorities. The boy followed the instructions and ate only 1 piece
Kaplan, Karen. "Nicotine patches don't work in the real world, study finds." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/09/news/la-heb-nicotine-patch-doesnt-work-20120109
The most common triggers to stimulate anaphylaxis in children are food products such as peanuts, dairy, seafood, etc. Exposure to any of these allergens can result in severe anaphylactic reactions within 20 minutes. Australian Resuscitation Council, 2012).However the doctors discuss the history of symptoms occurring in children suffering with peanut allergy before declaring them to be anaphylactic and prescribing medication. Unknown, 2014. Symptoms of anaphylaxis may occur in varied forms depending upon the severity of the reaction.
... If further research is to be done, I recommend that it should explore and compare other kinds of peanut butters. Organic peanut butter, creamy peanut butter, sugar-free peanut butter, sodium-free peanut butter and natural peanut butter could be investigated.
Nutrition. Peanut butter is well known because it contains many vitamins, proteins, and fiber. Nowadays, it is very important for everyone to start a day with a meal that it is rich in vitamins, nutrients, and provide energy throughout the day. Besides obesity and malnutrition is a worldwide problem.
that’s okay,” which implies to children that their parents will allow them to eat this snack.