Eating peanuts that have been boiled in water could cut the risk of life-threatening reactions in those who are allergic, according to researchers at Imperial College London, who are now testing the approach in a trial.
Boiling peanuts for 20 to 30 minutes washes out some of the proteins that can trigger often fatal responses — and which remain for example after roasting.
Once the nuts have been boiled and cooled, they are fed under medical supervision to those with a peanut allergy. This is in minute quantities at first — a few crumbs every few weeks — but is increased to six to eight whole peanuts at a time over the course of a year.