According to recent Australian research, babies who are exposed to contaminated air have a higher chance of developing peanut allergies when they get older.
The researchers discovered that this association did not exist with other immune-based disorders like eczema or egg allergy.
The University of Melbourne’s Dr. Diego Lopez led the study, which emphasizes how environmental pollution may contribute to the increase in food allergies. “Air pollutants have an irritant and inflammatory effect that may boost the immune system’s pro-allergic response, potentially triggering the development of food allergies,” Dr. Lopez, a researcher at the University’s School of Population and Global Health, stated. It is still unknown, though, exactly how pollution raises the chance of peanut allergies while avoiding diseases like eczema or egg allergy.