So, why the rise in peanut allergies anyway?

[Tree-Hugger]

50. To be frank

I think we just plain old screwed ourselves. We're too clean, too full of chemicals and we eat like crap.

I think there are a large variety of factors when it cones to food allergies. Everything from poor breastfeeding rates to sterile environments to overuse of chemical cleaners to processed foods to delayed introduction to foods and everything in between.

There are a lot of theories regarding gut health and it's influence on immunity. Poor gut health = more issues with immunity and a higher incidence of inflammation. There are a billion factors in gut heath. Foods treated with antibiotics, pesticides, fungicides and waxes (too make them look pretty at the store) are certainly not making us healthy. We are ingesting a lot of chemicals in our foods. We overuse soy. We add artificial flavors and artificial colors (coal tar derivatives - YUM). We eat foods that are too far removed from anything resembling a natural state.

I think we screwed ourselves when we recommended the delay of certain foods until kids turn 2. I really think that has played a hand in the increase in food allergies. Conversely, there have been studies in recent years that suggest the introduction of solid foods before the age of 6 months increases the risk of allergies. We've gone decades with babies getting cereal and rice in their milk at just a few weeks of age (my own husband was started on rice cereal at 2 weeks) and now studies say, oops, that probably wasn't for the best. The wisdom has moved to waiting until 6 months before introducing solids in order to maintain gut health and reduce allergies.

We just plain have too many chemicals. Someone said in another post that it's the chemicals we use to keep clean that are damaging us. True. From Lysol to fabric softener to carpet cleaners to Febreeze and all of those other cleaners, our houses are just chemical bombs.

Hand sanitizer is a big one. That is way overused and has royally screwed us. It may have a time and a place, but it's way overused. I cannot tell you how many mothers I have watched change a poopy diaper, slather on some hand sanitizer and then handle food. Disgusting. First, your getting your sanitizer goo chemicals on the food. Second - hand sanitizer does not effectively clean your hands and dirt and Poo can still be on your skin. Wash your hands....but make sure your soap is not antibacterial. We have way overused antibiotics, antibacterial agents and other germ killers. We do need a good dose of german now and then.

Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and friends are everywhere. Spring is pushing through in my neck of the woods and so are the landscapers with their weed killing sprays, pesticides, fertilizers and lawn dyes just because everyone needs to have a greener lawn without a single dandelion than their neighbor. And then our kids roll around in these chemical lawns. It's an assault to the immune system.

And don't even get me started on the Standard American Diet.

I apologize for the novel. I really just wanted to say that it's a variety of factors.