A new toothpaste may help adults with peanut allergies, study suggests
2023-11-12 22:00:05
TiranaPost
Scientists have developed a new toothpaste that shows potential to prevent severe allergic reactions in adults who are allergic to peanuts.
An early-stage clinical trial tested whether 32 adults with peanut allergies could safely brush their teeth with toothpaste containing small amounts of peanut protein. The hope is that introducing small amounts of peanuts into the body over time will help the immune system get used to the allergen and reduce severe reactions.
Adults in the trial used the toothpaste once a day for about 11 months. At the end of the study, none of the participants experienced severe reactions or anaphylaxis - an allergic response often characterized by difficulty breathing, swelling in the throat, pale skin, blue lips, fainting or dizziness.
The findings are an early indication that toothpaste may help prevent life-threatening allergic reactions in people with severe peanut allergies.
Dr. William Berger, the study's lead author, said toothpaste should be easier to administer than injectable treatments, which are used for grass, tree and weed allergies.
The study was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
