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
As someone with a mint allergy, I really wish mint wasn’t so prolific. I got a mentholated lipstick recently. Nowhere on the packaging did it even hint that it might contain mint.
We have absolutely no idea. My job involves identifying and managing antibodies and we know very well which antigens are most likely to cause a reaction, but we have no idea why this one person skipped the ten most common and landed on an uncommon one.
The prevalence of peanut allergies are caused a positive feedback loop.
Kid dies from peanut allergy, doctors start telling people not the give their young children peanuts. This in turn causes more peanut allergies, which kills more children. More doctors tell people to stop giving their kids peanuts, which causes even more peanut allergies, leading to more deaths, etc.
[Source](https://www.sciencealert.com/feeding-young-kids-peanuts-really-could-head-off-allergies-later-in-life/amp)
“Then there are the statistics to take into account: the number of children with peanut allergies in the US has more than tripled since 1997. Researchers aren’t yet sure about the reasons behind the rise, but outdated guidelines telling toddlers to keep away from peanuts could be contributing.
Why is this the case? Scientists think being exposed to peanut proteins through the air can cause allergies, whereas actually eating peanuts can help prevent allergies.
That would help explain why peanut allergies are more common in countries such as the US and the UK, where peanuts are a staple food but not often given to babies. In other parts of the world, where either peanuts are rare, or peanuts are eaten by both babies and adults, it’s not such a problem.
The idea is known as the dual-allergen exposure hypothesis, which suggests having contact with an allergen through the skin can lead to an allergy, while eating small doses of the allergen at a young age might help them develop a tolerance.”
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