New Study Suggests Earlier Introduction To Allergenic Foods May Reduce Allergies Later In Life

Looks like you might want to try feeding your baby peanuts sooner than you thought.

A "systematic review and meta-analysis" by the scientists from Imperial College London has yielded results that conflict with current recommendations to "delay introduction of allergenic foods to the infant diet," Food Navigator reported.

The scientists looked at 146 intervention trials and observational studies, and found evidence indicating with "moderate certainty" that not only is timing an important factor in introducing allergenic foods and decreasing risk of allergic disease, but delaying this introduction may be doing more harm than good.

"These data conflict with previous recommendations to delay introduction of allergenic foods to the infant diet and suggest that current guidelines that do not advise early introduction of allergenic foods may need to be revised," the study authors wrote.

A spokesperson for the UK's Food Standards Agency said, "The government is considering these findings as part of its review of infant feeding advice to ensure our advice reflects the best available evidence."

Be sure to check out our special report: Is Our Food Killing Us?