Nearly 2.5 percent of children in the United States may have a peanut allergy. A peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies, and could have some of the most severe reactions if aggravated.

Recently, researchers released a study revealing a possible breakthrough in curing this allergy.  The study included around 550 people with ages ranging from 4 to 17, each with a history of severe reactions to peanuts. Each participant was given a protein powder from peanuts everyday over the course of a year.

These doses were increased slightly every two weeks for six months, which is when they reached the “maintenance dose,” the equivalent of one peanut per day. Participants stayed on the maintenance dose the remaining six months of the study.

The results showed that two-thirds of the participants were able to tolerate the equivalent of two peanuts after nine to twelve months of treatment, half of which could tolerate four peanuts.

“This is not a quick fix, and it doesn’t mean people with peanut allergies will be able to eat peanuts whenever they want,” says Jay Lieberman, a study co-author and vice chair of the ACAAI (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Food Allergy Committee, “but it’s definitely a breakthrough.”

“Even though it doesn’t affect me personally, I still find it really cool they’re able to do that.” said Jacob Laux.

This treatment is supposed to help relieve families of the stress that comes with an allergy like this. It’s meant to reduce the reaction if a peanut is accidentally exposed to someone with the allergy.

Either way, it’s still a step in the right direction.