--- title: Peanut Allergy Skin Patch: A New Way To Protect Discovered description: A skin patch applied to patients with peanut allergies appears to safely and effectively protect against the condition. canonical: https://time.com/3718529/peanut-patch-allergy/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-23T14:13:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:24.107Z article:section: Health og:title: This 'Peanut Patch' Could Protect Against Peanut Allergies og:description: Half of those who used the largest patch saw their peanut tolerance increase 10-fold og:url: https://time.com/3718529/peanut-patch-allergy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta6bd7ac0b330c04b/698780813c163959cb451e76/peanuts1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Peanuts og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This 'Peanut Patch' Could Protect Against Peanut Allergies twitter:description: Half of those who used the largest patch saw their peanut tolerance increase 10-fold twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta6bd7ac0b330c04b/698780813c163959cb451e76/peanuts1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This 'Peanut Patch' Could Protect Against Peanut Allergies > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Should I Eat Tofu? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Tofu?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/f6ht1pjJ.m3u8) (1:33)  _Published 2015-02-18. Should you eat tofu? 4 out of 5 experts told us yes. Here's why_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 23, 2015 2:13 PM UTC  Heap of peanuts, close-up Heap of peanuts, close-up Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 23, 2015 2:13 PM UTC A small skin patch applied to patients with peanut allergies appears to safely and effectively protect against the sometimes life-threatening condition, researchers [said](http://www.aaaai.org/about-the-aaaai/newsroom/news-releases/peanut-patch.aspx) Sunday “This is exciting news for families who suffer with peanut allergies because Viaskin represents a new treatment option for patients and physicians,” study author Hugh A. Sampson, a doctor at Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai, said in a statement. The patch exposed patients to a small dose of peanut protein, ranging from 50 to 250 micrograms, for the course of the study. The study, which evaluated more than 200 patients with peanut allergies for a year, found that the treatment worked, particularly for patients who used the 250-microgram patch. Half of those who used the largest patch saw their peanut tolerance increase 10-fold. Tolerance increased 19-fold for some children treated with the 250-microgram patch. The researchers, who presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, reported no serious side effects to the treatment. “EPIT appears safe, well tolerated and effective,” Sampson said. “That’s good news for families who suffer from food allergies.” _Read next:_ [_5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Gluten_](http://time.com/3701734/gluten-definition-celiac/?xid=time%5Freadnext) ## Transcript Should you eat tofu four our of five of our experts say yes. Tofu is a meat less master of disguise a serving pecks nine grams of protein and. And even more iron, gram for gram, than a lean cut of steak. Plus it has far more calcium, no cholesterol, and a fraction of the fat. It's been a staple in Asian pop. Populations for thousands of years. " The traditional Okinowan diet is one of the most tofu rich in the world" says Bradley Willcox. " The Okinowans have some of the world's longest lifespans, and lowest rates of cancer, heart disease, and dementia. And though it's controversial, there's no evidence that soy is harmful" says Martin Bosland. There is however, evidence that it may be beneficial. Several studies have shown that soy is linked to a lower risk of breast cancer, a better survival rate among people with lung cancer, lower levels of inflammation, and a smaller risk of hip fractures in women says dietician Cameron Wells. Keep in mind though, that 93 % of soy in America is genetically modified, says Elena Giordano. There's no solid evidence of real harms caused by GMOs but if you're worried you can buy organic. Just be sure you're eating tofu the way it's meant to be eaten says Kristin Kirkpatrick. 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