When you think of dangerous foods, what do you think of? I think of snakes, alligators, sharks, poisonous frogs. Now I'm also thinking about peanuts! Yes, good old peanuts are becoming one of the most common allergies; also, one of the most dangerous. Who thinks bears are dangerous to almost everyone, but the real danger is peanuts. Just look at the case of peanuts: between 1997 and 2002, in the United States, the number of children allergic to peanuts doubled: 30 to 40% of these children will not develop this allergy. Peanuts are not really a nut, but a kind of legume related to the bean, pea, and soy family (“Jeff Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinal School of Medicine 1”). Peanuts look cool, taste good, but can also kill you and there's no fancy pill or vaccine. The only cure is to avoid peanuts altogether. The cause of the problem is unknown, but the biological process is well understood. When an allergic person ingests a peanut, their body considers it harmful. The body produces antibodies (chemicals designed to fight infections), so basically the body goes into a fight-or-flight mood, and there's only one thing to do, fight ("Allergy to Antibodies"). nuts and peanuts1"). When a person has an allergic reaction, symptoms may be mild such as stomach upset, runny nose, itchy skin, and hives. In people with life-threatening reactions called anaphylaxis, symptoms are much worse and may include difficulty breathing and swallowing, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, low blood pressure, and swelling of the lips, tongue, throat and other parts of the body, as well as loss of consciousness and even death (Davis). The solution to the problem of peanut allergy is still unknown. There are no pills or injections that one can take to get rid of peanut allergies. The...... middle of article...... further research can be done to find a final solution to peanut allergies. Works Cited Broome, Gerry. Gale of wind. Gale, March 27, 2009. Web. May 17, 2010. Dasmalchi, Arian. “Peanut Allergies in Children.” Allergies to panuts in children. Palo Alto Medical Foundation, November 2003. Web. May 14, 2010. Davis, Bet. “How can I avoid an allergic reaction.” Village health. Healthwise, Incorporated, March 9, 2009. Web. May 14, 2010.Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “Peanut allergy”. Food Allergy Initiative. Jaffe Food Allergy Inst at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, nd Web. May 17, 2010.KidsHealth de Nemours. “Allergy to tree nuts and peanuts. » Children's health. KidsHealth de Nemours, August 2008. Web. May 14, 2010. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER. “Peanut Allergy Risk Factors.” CNN. CNN Health, April 23, 2010. Web. May 14 2010.