Originally Posted by
ajGoes
Recent studies suggest the increase in peanut allergies may be the unintended result of shielding infants from exposure to peanuts. Beginning in the 1970s, well-meaning doctors advised their patients to withhold potential allergens from their infants. This certainly prevented some serious or even fatal reactions, but the cost was to prevent many more children from developing a tolerance to the allergens.
There's also speculation that the rise in allergies is due to our general cleanliness. We've done a good enough job of eliminating real targets for the immune system to go after that it sometimes messes up and goes after false ones.