On Tue, 29 Sep 1998, Mary wrote:

> I don't feel any reaction to peanuts. I do feel a reaction to wheat of
> course, corn,  and dairy gives me a headache. I feel an immediate reaction
> to wheat and corn, and dairy makes me tired as well.
>
> How stressful on our immune system, are peanuts?

Many people are allergic to peanuts.  This may be due to the fact
that peanuts are a New World food, probably originating in Peru.
But if you have no symptoms, you're probably not allergic.  If
you want to be certain, you could have an allergy test.

The carcinogen that Kaiden referred to is aflatoxin, which is
produced by the aspergillus flavus mold.  This mold grows on
peanuts in damp conditions.  U.S. peanut farmers are at great
pains to keep their produce free of aflatoxin.  Recent testing
shows that 86% of all U.S. produced peanuts have no detectable
aflatoxin, and the rest have very low levels.  Aflatoxin is also
a danger for other kinds of nuts and seeds; it is not limited to
peanuts and corn.

Todd Moody
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