Peanut oil and peanut allergy, foes or folks?

Peanut allergy (PA) has become a major health concern, but the reasons for this increasing prevalence are not well understood. 1 Although the consumption levels of peanuts in the USA and China are similar, the rate of PA was believed to be much lower in China. 1 Hong Kong is one of the most Westernised city of China, and the prevalence in atopic disorders such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema were comparable with most developed countries; yet PA was rarely encountered in the past decades until recently. The odds ratio for peanut sensitisation was significantly higher in infants who had received vitamin D supplements in peanut oil than in control. 4 Sensitisation to peanut protein occurred in children through the application of peanut oil to inflamed skin. 5 However, peanut oil as a foe may not be the entire story.