Nut allergies are ‘cured’ by good bacteria

A PEANUT allergy treatment that lasts up to four years has been developed by researchers.

The combination of good bacteria and nut protein is believed to be the first remedy to show long-term success.

Some 250,000 children in the UK are allergic to peanuts. Scientists claim that many of those who tried their treatment ‘ could live like a child who didn’t have peanut allergy’.

The team from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne gave 48 children an oral remedy daily for 18 months. It combined a probiotic with a protein found in peanuts.

The treatment is designed to reprogramme the immune system’s response to peanuts. A month after the children finished taking the drug, researchers tested their tolerance.

Their study – published in The Lancet Child And Adolescent Health – found that 80 per cent could tolerate peanuts without any allergic reaction. Four years later, 70 per cent were still able to eat the nuts without any side effects.

Researcher Professor Mimi Tang said: ‘Many of these children benefited. This is a major step forward in identifying an effective treatment to address the food allergy problem in western societies.’