Lean On Life Supports New Research Encouraging Early Introduction of Allergenic Foods

TORONTO, ON (PRWEB) April 17, 2013

Lean On Life, a leading healthy lifestyle website with the latest on weight loss, nutrition and fitness is putting its support behind recent advice encouraging parents to introduce potentially allergenic foods to children at an earlier age.

Contrary to previous medical advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) has recently recommended introducing allergenic foods to infants at an earlier age. The reasoning behind these recommendations is that introducing children to allergenic foods earlier on can help immunize them in the future.

The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently released guidelines which state that delayed introduction of certain foods may actually worsen food allergies. Previously, the AAP issued recommendations to introduce milk after age one, eggs at age two, and peanuts and shellfish at age three. Now, the AAAAI believes that this late introduction may actually be harming children.

Researchers at the NIAID are advising now pediatricians and specialists to begin introducing allergenic foods at an earlier age. Researchers have cited an example of Jewish children in Israel compared with Jewish children in the U.K. A study published in November, 2008 showed that the prevalence of peanut allergies in U.K. children was ten times higher than in Jewish Israeli children. Medical experts believe that this can be attributed to Israeli infants being introduced to peanuts during early weaning stages.

Michelle Schiffman, Nutritionist at Lean On Life, supports the recent theory that early introduction to foods can prevent future allergies. Based on recent findings, we believe that parents can begin introducing potentially allergenic foods at an earlier age, she says.

Schiffman cautions that parents should consult with their pediatricians before introducing certain foods into their childs diet, and be wary of food allergies in the family. While early introduction can prevent later food allergies, parents should still be mindful of existing allergies that run in the family, she says.

Lean On Life is a healthy lifestyle website that provides expert-driven knowledge from doctors, nutritionists, fitness trainers and life coaches. The site takes a hands-on approach to making weight-loss, healthy eating and fitness a simple achievable lifestyle change.

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