Food allergy now affects nearly one of every 13 children in the United States, which represents a 50 % increase in the spread of food allergies between 1997 and 2011.
Experts attribute the rise to several factors, including the shift to more diets, and a lack of vitamin D due to a lack of sun exposure and the “hypothesis” – which assumes that our contemporary environment is cleaner.
But a recent study published in the Journal Pediatric ALERIGY and IMMUNOLOGY magazine adds to an increasing collection of research indicating that one of the factors may be delayed by allergens.
The researchers analyzed the data of 2060 children and found that their introduction into a diverse diet – was classified as consisting of 13 or 14 different foods – at the age of 9 months linked to a 45 % decrease in the risk of food allergies by the time when the infant reached 18 months.
However, the study indicates that the same preventive effect does not seem to occur when implementing a diet at an early age, such as six months.
This association was strong even after controlling factors such as family history of allergies, breastfeeding duration, and mother education levels – although researchers indicated that “children with a history of eczema may benefit more than eating a varied diet early in life to prevent food allergies.”
The results were obtained by asking the parents to fill a questionnaire that measures the diversity of the infant diet in six and nine months based on the number of times they consumed 14 foods, including six common sensitivity: wheat, eggs, fish, dairy, nuts (peanuts) and soybeans.
In 18 months, 100 children were diagnosed with food allergies, the most common of which is cow's milk (69 cases) and eggs (35 cases).
Although mostly genetic allergies, this study indicates that a nine -month diet can have a significant impact on the possibility of developing food allergies.
The researchers wrote: “Repeated exposure to childhood foods is important to develop tolerance and maintenance,” the researchers wrote.
“One can assume that repeated consumption of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes rich in fiber and vitamins, is especially important to reduce the risk of food allergy, in line with the current guidelines.”
These results are in line with previous studies that emphasize the benefits of introducing early food.
For example, a 2019 study found that the introduction of foods containing peanuts for children between the ages of four to six months of age was associated with a decrease in the risk of peanut allergies.
Another study repeated these results last year, and found that children who consumed peanuts as paste or heresy until the age of five was 71 % less likely to develop peanut allergy than those who did not have peanuts.
Other recent research “supports that the method of food introduction can affect the possibility of developing an allergy or sensitivity to food.”
