Back when I was a kid, food allergies seemed rare. I can’t remember any of my friends carrying around an EpiPen – and we used to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter like they were candy.
But now, fifteen million people in the U.S. are allergic to some type of food.
These allergies tend to range from specific food groups like shellfish to the broader categories of gluten and dairy. I’ve even heard of someone who is allergic to the pesticides they spray on fresh fruits and vegetables – not a food allergy per se, but it prevents them from eating a ton of produce!
Of those 15 million people, there is one allergy that plagues the majority of them – peanuts.
Peanut allergies have become so common that schools across the country are beginning to ban peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ants on a log, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you name it. Basically, anything containing peanuts or peanut products, which includes a ton of staple lunchbox stuffers for parents.
For those diagnosed with the common allergy, eating peanut products can produce anything from a scratchy throat to a deadly reaction. Some parents avoid feeding their kids peanut butter altogether for fear of the potential outcome.
But a new drug on its way to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could change all of that. And it’s more than just a medical innovation – this peanut allergy treatment could be your wallet’s latest breakthrough as well.
Here’s how…
