Of all the foods on the planet, why are peanuts the one that most people seem to be allergic to? It seems quite random. What about them causes such a prevalence of allergic reactions?
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Dietary allergies are almost always to proteins, because proteins are complicated structures the body can recognize as foreign. The immune system just doesn’t care about carbs or lipids as much (with some exceptions.) So, protein-rich foods are the main culprits. In the U.S., the list of common food allergies is typically “milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, fish.” [To clarify, milk allergy here is milk protein allergy, not lactose intolerance; wheat allergy here is distinct from celiac disease or gluten intolerance.]
Looking at it this way, it’s less odd, really just a list of common sources of protein. Peanuts stand out in the U.S. because they’re such a common food, and one frequently introduced to children around an age when allergies might develop (in Israel, where peanut snacks show up earlier in childhood, allergy rates are lower, though there are other potential differences at play.) Worldwide it’s not one of the leading allergies.
Perhaps the more interesting question would be “why are meat and poultry allergies rare?”
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