::scr The Geek Syndrome

[simon wistow]

On Sun, Dec 09, 2001 at 01:58:57PM +0000, David Cantrell said:
> On Sun, Dec 09, 2001 at 01:02:18PM +0000, I wrote:
> > It always amazes me how many people have all these new diseases.  You woulda
> > thunk that if such things actually existed people would have noticed them
> > a long time ago.  Like nut allergies, for example...
> 
> to clarify, I'm quite aware that as the boundaries of knowledge extend, we
> will find new, exciting, and real ways to get ill.  However, I question
> whether something as allegedly-common and allegedly-dangerous can suddenly
> appear in our midst without warning.

Actually, with nut allergies, they suspect that what has happened is
that more and more foods are being made in all purpose factories. Also
peanut (and other types of nut) are being used as filler and flavourer
(espec. peanut oil as it's cheap and is less easy to burn I think)

Anyway, as a result, baby food gets contaminated with peanuts and this
tends to cause babies to develop allergies (this, of course, being wild
speculation since nobody really knows what causes allergies but they
suspect it may eb to do with exposure to certain types of food as a
baby). 

So the rise in nut allergies is a fairly recent event.

But this is wildly off topic for a technically orientated 
mailing list. So I'm going to shut up now.

Simon