During pregnancy, eating nuts reduces the chances of children being allergic
An American study stated that eating nuts during pregnancy reduces the chances of children developing allergies.
The study indicated that eating nuts for pregnant women provides immunity against allergies that children may suffer from some types of food.
The study, whose results were published in the Journal of Pediatrics of the American Medical Association, was conducted on 8,000 children and their mothers, and focused on the health and diet of the sample.
However, experts believe that it is difficult to advise pregnant women to eat nuts during pregnancy, in light of the results of other studies. They say the only medical advice they can be given is not to eat nuts if they are allergic to them.
Dr. Lindsay Frazier of the Dana-Farber Children’s Cancer Center in Boston, who led the research team, said children were about a third less likely to develop a nut allergy if their mothers ate nuts during pregnancy.
These nuts include walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts and other natural nuts.
The study authors say that eating such nuts may protect children from several types of allergies.
Dr Adam Fox, an expert in pediatrics at the NHS Trust, said that while the study’s findings were important, it was inconclusive.
“To make things clearer, there is also strong evidence that nut allergies do not appear until after birth, and that exposure of the infant’s skin to nut proteins is the most important cause of allergy,” he added.
