Could Peanut Toothpaste Stop Allergic Reactions? Alderley, Newmarket, Brisbane

It’s Nuts!

But could Peanut Toothpaste stop allergic reactions?

Seems that not so long ago, the only ways food would really kill you were pretty much limited to choking un-Heimliched, unfortunate mushroom foraging, lethal bacterial food poisoning, and parasites from raw or undercooked meats.

Even a bucket-worthy incident that takes only a wafer-thin mint to end in repugnant explosion, isn’t enough to bring you down in ‘80s Python food fiction that’s still brought up forty years later.

Gluttony, rather than not-gluten-free, was the downfall of the aforementioned Mr Creosote; a character created when people with food sensitivities and peanut allergies certainly existed, but severe allergic reactions were rare.

So rare in fact, that no pronounced medical research agenda had even begun prior to the 1980s.

For much of the 20th century, adverse reactions to milk or eggs were extremely uncommon; peanut allergies almost unheard of. The only consideration ever given to peanut butter sandwiches in any 1970s schoolyard was the ongoing debate on the superior qualities of either crunchy, or smooth.

Any suggestion that it would one day be banned from the playground or quadrangle would have indeed been met with howls of laughter, and a quiet-in-the-peanut-gallery quip.

Paediatricians and other members of the medical fraternity noticed the significant rise in peanut reactions in the 1990s.

How extreme food allergies eventuated is one of the great mysteries of our time. Not even pets are immune. In descending order, dogs are most commonly allergic to beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit and fish.

Typically, a cat can have a beef, chicken, fish or dairy intolerance.

Who’da thunk it?

For a dog-eat-dog world, it’s getting pretty tofu-nky.

Having a peanut allergy is one of the most dangerous of food intolerances. Anaphylaxis can kill within thirty minutes. In the Western world up to 3% of the population is affected by it, which equates to around 27 million people.

For children, it’s the least likely of any of the adverse food responses to be outgrown.

Even with all the science we have, technology that allows us to see into other galaxies and other dimensions, where food is concerned there is no single explanation for what is making the world such an intolerant place.

In the UK between 1995 and 2016, there was a five-fold increase in peanut allergies. A 2019 study pegged almost 3% of three-year-olds as having it.

It’s a statistic mirrored in the land Down Under. 9% of that same age group were also allergic to eggs, giving Australia the highest rate of food allergies overall. With a nod to Men At Work, it’s no wonder that when “.. I met a strange lady, she made me nervous; she took me in and gave me breakfast”. Terrifying if it was peanut butter on toast, or scrambled eggs.

Much better off buying bread from a man in Brussels, and being given a vegemite sandwich.

As far as the cause of all of these food reactions, there are theories.

Lower rates of allergies in developing countries, and prevalence in urban rather than rural areas, suggests that this increased sensitivity is probably environmental, and lifestyle related.

Compared to living in their country of origin, migrants experience more asthma and food allergies in their adopted place. Pollution, and less exposure to microbes due to the disinfectant, antibacterial obsession that existed way before the pandemic, changes immune system response.

We’re almost pathologically spending less time in the sun; pale is the new hearty and healthy. It’s lead to a vitamin D deficiency that has doubled in the last decade, and it’s a vitamin imperative for resilient immunity.

The ‘dual allergen exposure’ theory is the newest kid on the block-those-histamines.

It proposes that the balance of timing, dose, and the type of exposure is everything. A King’s College London study proved a 77% reduction in peanut allergies for five-year-olds who were regularly given peanut foods from between four to six months of age.

It’s a strategy that certainly seemed to work for boomers and Gen Xers.

Given that most people use toothpaste at least twice a day, one that contains a single milligram of peanut protein per pea-sized amount has the potential to prevent allergic reaction.

It was a medical need that had no options other than avoidance, until the toothpaste was developed by William Berger and his University of California colleagues.

Their research consisted of 32 adult peanut allergy sufferers – 8 of whom were given a placebo. All were instructed to brush their teeth for two minutes every morning with the requisite amount of the test substance, using their regular toothpaste at night.

Over the 48-week trial, the initial one-milligram of peanut protein was gradually increased 80-fold: the equivalent of one-third of a typical peanut.

Other than a temporary oral itching for half the non-placebo group, there were no moderate or severe reactions to the toothpaste experience by any of the participants.

At the end of 48 weeks, three of the peanut-paste study subjects were given 300 milligrams of peanut protein – essentially a peanut.

They showed absolutely no allergic response.

So successful was this trial, it’s now being considered for use by children. That this simple idea could prove the remedy for the most prolific and fatal of the food allergies is nutty.

And not even thought of by a professor.

Imagine having a peanut allergy and being able to simply brush it off.

DISCLAIMER:

The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. My Dentist does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the content.

The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional personal diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.