The number of people in our country who are allergic to peanuts is increasing.  There are 1 1/2 million people in the U.S. who are highly allergic to peanuts.  Often when people are allergic to peanuts they are allergic to other legumes as well, including soy.

One thing that may be adding to the rise in numbers of allergic people is the fact that roasting peanuts changes the protein structure and causes them to be harder to digest.  Food allergies can result in hives or breathing problems, can cause a person to be sick at their stomach or have stomach pain, or can cause severe problems.

I’m not allergic to peanuts, but I have had an allergic reaction to soy nuts in the past which caused a terrible case of hives.  So if you even slightly suspect an allergy, stay away from whatever you think is causing the reaction and see if that helps.