Why do some things (like peanuts) have so many people allergic to them while other things (like mint) aren’t causing issues to nearly as many?
Basically why are some things more allergenic than others
In: 168
Short answer: we don’t know. There may be evolutionary biology speculation or other, but ultimately we don’t have a 100% answer.
Anything we can do to help avoid our non existent future kids from having allergies?
I just remember growing up might have the odd peanut allergy but nowadays it’s like every second kid has an issue.
Some allergens have a higher propensity to activate the immune system (IgE, immune cells) because of the allergen‘s shape and composition. Our genetics play an important role in how we respond to these allergens… which is why some individuals may be more sensitive to particular allergens.
I turn that around sometimes. Into: Why are many people allergic to this thing, but few people allergic to that thing?
The net says peanut proteins bind to Immunoglobulin E (an antibody). That rather explains it, because pretty much any disease can cause you to have elevated IgE. Thus if you get exposed to peanuts and you have any condition raising your IgE count (Sorry, not a professional and probably not using all these terms correctly) you’re going to have a reaction.
There are people who are allergic to ultraviolet light. Is allergic the right word? Polymorphic Light Eruption. And another condition called Poryphyria.
Medical student here who has studied immunology.
It has to do with your genes.
Your immune system has a sensing system,one gene (HLA) codes for and thus programs your immune system to be able to detect any foreign particle entering your body. Certain variants of HLA (alleles) (copies which have the same function but with slight differences) have the setting where they detect peanuts to be microbial and thus raising the alarms on your body and prepping for a cellular war which you experience as wheezing,coughing,redness etc.
We see higher reactions to the shape of certain proteins and histamine(in fruits). Have you ever had a case of mistaken identity? Called out someone you thought you knew, but it only looked like them and you felt like a fool? Your immune system is capable of this. Instead of ‘called out’ though its swell the area with blood and potentially block airways.
There is a lot of attention given to peanut allergy because it can kill you – quickly. That may make it seem like it’s more prevalent than it is. Its severity has to be taken seriously, as there are people who can have a severe reaction to, for instance, everyone on a plane opening their tiny package of peanuts. It’s crazy.
Allergy severity to anything varies from person to person, and can change throughout an individual’s lifetime. For instance, I did not become allergic to NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen) until I was in my late 20s. We know that repeated exposure to allergens can trigger allergies in some people, so if you move to a home that has a walnut tree you may become allergic to the pollen of that tree.
Long time biotech dude here. No sources lol.
I suspect amino acid sequences that are highly diverged from what our bodies are made of. Probably the thymus has a lot to do with it too
Penicillin. I’m allergic to basically the entire cillin family, but I meet SO many other people also allergic to penicillin.
Peanut allergies are found in about 1-2 % of people which is actually lower than some other common allergies like strawberries. But peanuts are packed with protein. And the thing that most people react to in peanuts is a protein called glycinin that peanuts and many other seeds like soy use to basically store protein for the future plants (peanuts are seeds). One interesting thing about storage proteins is that they are pretty tough. they resist heat and enzymes, which makes sense if you are a seed hoping to survive perhaps years until you sprout into a new plant. But that means that if you are eating the peanut, that protein is more likely to resist your own digestive enzymes. Peanuts also have a lot of it compared to strawberries so the violent reactions some have may be worse in peanuts due simply to the amount you are exposed to. I don’t have any research to back this up, but maybe proteins that are less likely to be broken down are more likely to therefor trigger an immune reaction because they are still “whole”. I read years ago that in countries where peanuts are boiled instead of roasted, peanut allergies were less common. Would be interesting to follow up on this.
Latest Answers