Today’s topic: Is food sensitivity worth your money and time, what you need to know about these tests before you go, how to choose a lab, what to do with the results, and all the good details + special offer for December 2021.
Listen to the Podcast:
Read the transcript notes:
Why I Love it:
Important to understand how your body responds to food. AND that you don’t always feel the symptoms of inflammation until there is a build up.
Why I Hate it:
Expensive, it is even more limiting for people who already limit their diets, and can trigger eating disorders in some and cause severe restriction.
Very conflicting because each lab thinks they are the best
Need a separate phlebotomist because Labcorp and Quest will not draw for these labs.
Real food vs chemicals vs. real, raw, cooked but then pricing is more expensive
Cheap labs use chemical foods and not real food
Good labs use real food
Best labs use raw and cooked food for full story
First need to check immunoglobulins to see if your immune system is even functioning
This test measures whether your IgA, IgM, IgG, and IgE levels are normal. If so, your autoimmune or food sensitivity test should be accurate.
This can be useful for those taking immunosuppressants or for those who feel their immune system may be exhausted and depleted.
Then you need to understand the immunoglobulins you are testing
– IgE: true allergy, immediate + delayed response, can be life threatening
– IgG: blood based immunoglobulin, sensitivity to foods but not true allergy. What we typically think of with symptoms of eczema, headaches, joint pain, digestive upset
– IgA: mucous based immunoglobulin, sensitivity in sinuses, lungs, lining of gut. Autoimmune, lupus, RA
– IgG4: blocking antibody, best test for the complex patient. IBS, Crohns, autism, EOE, autoimmune, kidney issues, heart and aortic inflammation
Foods like GI Map: 100 gluten proteins to 1 immunoglobulin, so it is not accurate and does not give you enough information.
Drug interference is important to understand as well.
Immunosuppressants need to be stopped for 1 month, must work with your prescribing doctor
Antihistamines have no to minimal effect.
Foods:
You need to be eating a variety of foods before the test to have the reaction show. So if you have been gluten free for a long time, then you will probably not show that you have a reaction. But that does not mean that you don’t have the sensitivity, it means that your immune system is calm.
Candida:
Candida, yeast, and mold can mimic food sensitivity. Some labs will add this screen on for FREE!
Results:
What do you do with the food results?
If there is no reaction then you can eat the food.
Minimal reaction, usually first level on most labs, rotate the food and only eat once per week
Moderate to max reaction you will need to avoid the food for 8-12 weeks.
BUT this only works if you are healing the gut and supporting the immune system.
Offer: Discounted food sensitivity testing for new and current patients for December 2021!
