Exposure May Tame Peanut Allergy

Studies suggest we don't seek solace in the familiar

(NEWSER) - Conventional wisdom has it that when we face big changes, we look to the familiar to get us through—whether it’s comfort food or music we’ve loved for years. But new studies suggest the opposite is true, that “change begets change,” in the words of one researcher. For example, subjects offered familiar or exotic food were more likely to try the latter if their lives were changing, reports Time. More»

Inaccurate testing results in huge number of misdiagnoses, experts say

(NEWSER) - Food allergies are on the rise, but faulty tests are behind much of that increase, the Los Angeles Times reports. Eating controlled amounts of a certain food under medical supervision is the only way of knowing whether you’re allergic to it, but primary-care doctors are more likely to employ less-accurate blood testing, resulting in a proliferation of misdiagnoses. More»

(NEWSER) - If Marie Antoinette really said "Let them eat cake," she probably knew the French wouldn't bite. Along with the British and other Europeans, the French have developed genetic variants that make them more sensitive to sweetness in food, a new study says. Africans, on the other hand, need more sugar to wake up their taste buds. As DNA researchers often say, the difference may come down to survival. More»

Hint: hummus, sushi, and falafel often carry the same risk

(NEWSER) - If you often suffer a reaction soon after eating burgers or hummus, it might be time to get checked out for one of the fastest-growing allergies in the US: sesame seeds. Experts link the spike in allergies to the increasing popularity of sesame-rich foods like falafel and tahini—but the Food and Drug Administration isn’t especially concerned, reports WebMD. More»

Doctors prescribed nearly 2 million EpiPens in the US last year

(NEWSER) - Foods once thought of as wholesome—eggs, milk, wheat, peanut butter—now threaten the lives of some 3 million children with food allergies every year, MSNBC reports. As a result, US sales of EpiPens and their accessories are skyrocketing. These single-use shots of epinephrine can be self-administered and stop severe allergic reactions in an instant. Many kids now carry their own, and adults are stocking up. More»