Health
Early peanut exposure in babies tied to sharp drop in food allergy diagnoses
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Historically, parents were advised to avoid feeding peanuts to babies for the first few years of life, but emerging research has confirmed that introducing them sooner — as early as infancy — could help stave off food allergies.
A 2025 study led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed medical records from dozens of pediatric practices across the U.S., finding that early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in overall food allergies.
The latest research also found that eggs had surpassed peanuts as the most common food allergen in the children studied. Beyond peanuts, other common food allergens include milk, egg and wheat.
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The new research — published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in October 2025 — focused on a two-year period after new guidance was issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which first advised parents to introduce peanuts earlier.
Emerging research has confirmed that introducing peanuts as early as infancy could help stave off food allergies. (iStock)
That updated guidance was based on a landmark 2015 study — the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial — which found that for infants who had severe eczema or an egg allergy, exposing them to peanuts when they were between 4 and 11 months old could reduce peanut allergy risk by 81%.
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The guidelines were updated again in 2021, encouraging the introduction of peanut, egg and other major food allergens as early as 4 to 6 months for all children — including those without a history of prior reaction, according to health experts.
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“Everyone has been wondering whether these landmark public health interventions have had an impact on reducing rates of IgE-mediated food allergies in the United States,” said first author Stanislaw Gabryszewski, M.D., Ph.D., an attending physician in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in a statement.
A 2025 study led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in overall food allergies. (iStock)
“We now have data that suggest the effect of this landmark public health intervention is occurring.”
The latest findings “are supportive of efforts to increase education and advocacy related to early food introduction practices,” the study authors wrote.
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“If confirmed, these findings would represent a meaningful public health advance — affirming that clinical research, when coupled with clear guidelines and committed dissemination, can indeed shift the trajectory of childhood food allergy.”
Study limitations
The study only included data through early 2019 and did not consider the guidance released in 2021, which recommended early introduction of multiple allergens regardless of risk, the researchers acknowledged.
It also relied on allergy diagnoses from electronic health records, which may miss some cases. Also, the researchers did not capture individual feeding patterns.
Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens. (iStock)
Because the study was observational, it cannot prove cause and effect, but only association, the researchers noted. Other factors may influence the outcome.
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In some children, peanut allergy can trigger severe, life-threatening reactions, including difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and a dangerous drop in blood pressure, according to Mayo Clinic. These reactions require immediate treatment with epinephrine, a life-saving allergy medication.
Not all parents may be comfortable with these revised guidelines, health experts say.
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“Not everyone has followed those guidelines, but this is further evidence that this early introduction is effective at preventing food allergies,” Dr. Susan Schuval, chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York, previously told Fox News Digital.
Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens.
Amy McGorry contributed reporting.
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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