Hold onto those nuts, they are good for you

Two questions that mums often ask me is whether they should give their children nuts, and at what age they should have them. PHOTO| FILE

What you need to know:

  • In some cases, even the tiniest amount of nut can trigger what is known as anaphylactic shock: severe swelling of airways, which obstructs breathing, as well as a sudden drop in blood pressure, followed by collapse and unconsciousness.

Two questions that mums often ask me is whether they should give their children nuts, and at what age they should have them.

Their main concern is that their child might develop a nut allergy – a situation where the body releases inflammatory chemicals (including histamine) which triggers reactions that range from tingling of the mouth and lips to facial swelling, nausea and tightness of the throat.

In some cases, even the tiniest amount of nut can trigger what is known as anaphylactic shock: severe swelling of airways, which obstructs breathing, as well as a sudden drop in blood pressure, followed by collapse and unconsciousness.

Nuts allergies are common. While they can strike at any age, they are more common infants and children below three years. Once your child develops a nut allergy, it is unlikely that he will grow out of it.

How then can you avoid such a situation? First, you need to look at the family history.

AVOID NUTS UNTIL CHILD TURNS THREE

Generally, you can start giving your child nuts when he is around 15 month, though you should ground them to prevent choking. However, if a close relative has any allergy or asthma, avoid giving your child foods that contain nuts until he is three. 

Once your child reaches three, you can introduce nuts, but a little at a time check how he reacts to them. Some foods like cakes and biscuits might contain traces of nuts, so avoid giving them these since they might trigger “sensitisation”. What you eat is transferred to your child through you breast milk, so avoid eating nuts while breastfeeding.

So, which nuts are the worst offenders? While peanuts aren’t technically nuts (they are legumes, and belong to the same family as beans and lentils), a number of people are allergic to them. Peanuts are different from “tree nuts”, which include hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, chestnuts, macadamias and pistachios.

Your child might react to peanuts but not to almonds, or he could be allergic to all of them.

Whatever the case, it is the hidden nuts that you have to watch out for.

Foods like cakes, biscuits, pastries, ice-cream, satay sauce, curries, salad dressings, breakfast cereals, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Indonesian and vegetarian dishes are likely to contain traces of nuts. Also note that while food manufacturers are expected to declare the presence of any kind of nut in their products, some do not do it.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding you should also be cautious. If you or the father of your baby have a history of allergy or asthma in your families, it is advisable to avoid these foods.

But this does not mean you should strike nuts off your list completely though, because in spite of the likelihood of them triggering allergies, they are good for you. Nuts are packed with protein, as well as nutrients such as B-vitamins (needed for energy release), iron (for energy), zinc (for immunity) and “good” fats (which may help to lower the risk of heart disease).

Studies have also shown that due to their high satiety value (they make you feel ‘full’ for a relatively low calorie intake), nuts are great for weight loss too – as long as you have a handful, not a bowlful that it.