Rotten: The Peanut Problem (Netflix Series): My Takeaway

If you have already read my last blog post, I wrote about a different Netflix documentary called The Next Pandemic. I wanted to make a separate blog post about the second documentary that I watched today. This documentary was called Rotten: The Peanut Problem. Like my last post, I am going to be sharing what I liked about the documentary and what I learned.

If you don’t know, I am severely allergic to peanuts. When going out to eat and sorting through my Halloween candy, I have to be extra cautious. I haven’t had an allergic reaction from peanuts in years (knock on wood). My mom picked this documentary because she knew that I could relate to it. You never realize how much peanuts (and other nuts) are used until you are allergic to them. The good thing is that I’m only mildly allergic to almonds and I can still eat tree-nuts, pistacios, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans!

Things I Liked:

1. I liked hearing other people’s stories about how they knew they were allergic to certain foods and what they do to avoid them. Its very relatable to me and my food allergy.
2. I like how the documentary captured the severity food allergies among children and the severity of their reactions to it.
3. I like how the documentary talks about what Chefs are doing around the world to take more precautions due to food allergies.

Things I Learned:

1. Peanuts are nitrogen fixing and legumes.
2. Peanuts form and develop underground.
3. 8% of children in the U.S. have a food allergy (aprox. 6 million children).
4. Epi-pens help to relieve area around the lungs (to make breathing easier) and it quickly eases symptoms during an allergic reaction.
5. Food allergies are more common in people today than it was back then.
6. Modern medicine from birth has changed the certain microbes in our body which tricks the immune system when a person who is allergic to a certain food, eats it. The immune system mistakes that food to be an invader and tries to attack it which is a reason why people have allergic reactions.
7. Peanut farmers continue to contribute to funding allergen research.

I had a lot of fun today staying in and watching documentaries with my mom. Not only was it educational, but also entertaining. Learning about things that I can relate too is a lot more interesting. So, I hope that while a lot of kids are staying home, they are still getting a (fun) educational experience. I hope that everyone is enjoying their coronacation and staying safe!