Peanuts, Folic Acid and Peanut Allergies

Peanuts and peanut butter are good sources of folate, especially fortified peanut butter. The March of Dimes and CDC recommend 400 micrograms (mcg) of supplemental folic acid daily and a folic acid-rich diet for all women capable of becoming pregnant.

• Peanuts contain 40 mcg of folate, or natural folic acid, per 1 oz. serving (approximately 30 peanuts.) 
• Two tablespoons of chunky peanut butter contain 30 mcg. of folate (smooth has 25 mcg).
• One peanut butter sandwich contains 76 mcg of folic acid (including the bread).
• Peanuts may also have other health benefits, as they are a good source of protein and may be beneficial for the cardiovascular system.

Peanut Allergies
The prevalence of allergy to peanut products is approximately 1% of the U.S. population, and one out of four allergic individuals has severe allergy, with severe respiratory or gastro-intestinal symptoms.

Although there is not yet an extensive amount of research on fetal sensitization, there have been suggestions that a fetus may be exposed to peanut allergens if a woman consumes peanut products while pregnant, so that an infant with predisposition to allergy may develop a peanut allergy.

Parents with severe food allergies in general and/or family histories of nut allergies should probably try to avoid early infant exposure to formulas or foods made with nut products, and these same mothers may want to avoid peanut consumption while breastfeeding.

Our Recommendations Regarding Peanut Consumption
For women without histories of nut allergies, peanuts and peanut butter can be a useful source of folate and protein intake as part of a healthy, diverse diet. Peanuts are also cholesterol-free. Any woman with nut allergies should avoid eating nut products at all times, not just while pregnant or breastfeeding.

There is little information on infant sensitization by women who consume peanuts while breastfeeding. However, we recommend that mothers who have a personal history or a close relative with nut allergies should not eat peanut products while breastfeeding, because their children have a greater-than-average risk of developing peanut allergies.

Women of childbearing age with a strong family history of other major allergies such as asthma, atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis, should check with a physician trained in food allergies, as should women who may have reason to believe their fetus or infant may be adversely affected by peanuts or peanut products.

July 2008