Nut Allergy Sufferers Beware

Can You Name that Nut?

Only half of people with a nut allergy can visually identify all the nuts they’re allergic to, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.  About two-thirds of parents of a child with a nut allergy managed to pick out the nuts that threaten their child’s health, but barely 2% of those participating could identify all 19 kinds of nuts presented, reported study author Todd Hostetler, MD, Ohio State University in Columbus. Most adults could only identify 11 of 19 different forms of nuts whether or not they were allergic. while those under age 18 were able to name just 24% , or 4.6 out of 19 types of nuts, and children with known nut allergies could name only one-third of the nuts that are likely to produce an allergic response

This lack of familiarity with a wide array  nuts, especially among those who may experience a life threatening reaction if an offending nut is eaten, is alarming and suggests that both children and adults are unreliable at visually identifying most nuts. In effect, everyone would benefit from more education to more accurately identify nuts. Sadly, it is not easy to find much information beyond the most popular 5-7 nuts commonly consumed, which may explain why so many people fall short.

Nuts are a nutritional bonanza for those who do not suffer from an allergy to nuts. The Food and Drug Administration approved of the use of a heart health claim for seven nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts, as these nuts low in saturated fat . A reasonable serving of nuts is 1 to 2 oz  (about 10-12) –unsalted–per day.

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