In this episode I explain peanut allergies to my friend, comedian Zach Jobe. Peanut allergy rates tripled over the first decade of this century, so we cover the evidence showing why, and how they were successfully brought back down to historical levels using the process of science and evidence based healthcare policy.

Open data fuels open science.

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Created by: Ryan Pevey at evolio.org and Zach Jobe @zhjobe

Support my work and keep it sustainable: ko-fi.com/evolio

Concept: A funny science and comedy story about how a well meaning peanut avoidance recommendation helped spike peanut allergies, and how evidence-based medicine helped bring them back down.

Tools: DaVinci Resolve, GIMP

Music by Maksym Malko from Pixabay (pixabay.com/music/upbeat-podcast-interview-music-254186/)

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Citations:

Du Toit G, et al. Early consumption of peanuts in infancy is associated with a low prevalence of peanut allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Nov;122(5):984-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2008.08.039. PMID: 19000582.

Du Toit G, et al. Early peanut introduction for allergy prevention: Follow-up to adolescence. NEJM Evidence DOI: doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2300311 (2024).

Du Toit G, et al; Immune Tolerance Network LEAP-Trio Trial Team. Follow-up to Adolescence after Early Peanut Introduction for Allergy Prevention. NEJM Evid. 2024 Jun;3(6):EVIDoa2300311. DOI: doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2300311. Epub 2024 May 28. PMID: 38804779.

Stanislaw J. Gabryszewski, Jesse Dudley, Jennifer A. Faerber, Robert W. Grundmeier, Alexander G. Fiks, Jonathan M. Spergel, David A. Hill, Guidelines for Early Food Introduction and Patterns of Food Allergy, Pediatrics, 156, 5, DOI doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-070516 (2025).

Sources:

preventallergies.org/blog/why-are-peanut-allergies-on-the-rise

chop.edu/news/childrens-hospital-philadelphia-researchers-observe-significant-reduction-diagnosis-food

thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5609536-rfk-jr-peanut-allergies-exposure-maha/

0:00 A disastrous recommendation

4:23 Historical allergy rates

5:58 “Rates have TRIPLED!!!”

8:48 Delayed exposure to peanuts drives allergies

10:43 An abundance of caution turns into assumptions made

14:54 Misinformation travels faster then good info

20:30 LEAP Trial shows early exposure reduces allergies

29:30 New guidelines show success

43:18 Wrap up and look ahead