IgG Food Intolerance TestsWhat does the science say.docx

1、IgG Food Intolerance Tests What does the science sayhttps:/www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/igg-food-intolerance-tests-what-does-the-science-say/IgG Food Intolerance Tests: What does the science say?Posted byScott Gavuraon February 2, 201243 CommentsI spend a lot of time as a pharmacist discussing side

2、effects and allergies to drugs. For your own safety, I wont recommend or dispense a drug until I know your allergy status. I dont limit the history to drugsI want to know anything youre allergic to, be it environmental, food, insects, or anything else. Allergies can create true therapeutic challenge

3、s: We cant dismiss any allergy claim, but as Ive blogged before, theres a big gap betweenwhat many perceive as an allergyand what is clinically considered a true allergy. My concern is not only avoiding the harm of an allergic reaction, but also avoiding the potential consequences from selecting a s

4、uboptimal therapy that may in fact be appropriate. You may need a specific drug someday, so I encourage patients to discuss vague drug allergies with their physician, and request allergist testing as required.Food allergies can be as real as drug allergies, and are arguably much harder to prevent. W

5、e can usually control when we get penicillin. But what about peanuts, eggs, or milk, all of which can also cause life-threatening anaphylaxis? Food allergies seems to be growing: not only anaphylaxis, butmore people believe they have some sort of allergy to food. Allergy is sometimes confused with t

6、he term “intolerance”, which seems more common, possibly as the availability of “food intolerance testing” grows. Food intolerance testing and screening is particularly popular among alternative practitioners. Testing can take different forms, but generally the consumer is screened against hundreds

7、of food products and food additives. They are then provided with a list of foods they are “intolerant” to. Ive spoken with consumers who are struggling to overhaul their diet, having been advised that they are actually intolerant to many of their favourite foods. These reports are taken seriously by

8、 patients who believe that theyll feel better if they eliminate these products. In the pharmacy, Ive been asked to verify the absence of trace amounts of different fillersin medications because of a perceived intolerance. Children may be tested, too, and parents may be given a long list of foods the

9、y are told their child is intolerant of. Ive seen the effects in the community, too. Think going “peanut free” is tough? A public school in my area sent home a list of forbidden food products: dairy, eggs, bananas, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, sesame, flax seed, kiwi, chicken, and bacon. Were these all

10、true allergies? Its not disclosed. Anaphylactic or not, the parents had informed the school, and the school had banned the food product.But can a simple blood test actually identify and eliminate food intolerance? Thats the question I wanted to answer.When it comes to food intolerance testing, blood

11、 tests are just the start. Other methods used includevega testing,theK-Test,hair testing,andapplied kinesiology. But the blood tests are enjoying new popularityand even pharmacies are now activelypromoting these tests:You might love food, but some food might not love youThe HEMOCODE Food Intolerance

12、 System can unlock your hidden food sensitivitiesSpeak with your Rexall Pharmacist today to learn about a painless blood test that can identify over 250 common foods that may be causing you unpleasant symptoms such as chronic fatigue, migraines, back pain, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, acne, diarrhea and

13、 constipation.Theres ashort video (above)that is very illustrative. Narrated by a pharmacist, it describes that a simple fingertip blood test is used to screen blood against 250 items. Test results are then reviewed by “naturopathic medical professionals” who will describe the foods and other produc

14、ts that you are intolerant to, and your degree of intolerance. Youre also advised:Your personalized results also include recommended vitamins and supplements that are uniquely suited to the customer, based on the foods that are suggested to be eliminated from your diet, which are themselves, uniquel

15、y personal.So the$450 blood test, includes dietary change recommendations as well as vitamin and supplement recommendation. The vendorexplains it as follows:By adding personalized vitamin and supplement recommendations, the Hemocode System will help consumers move towards optimal nutrition as they w

16、ork to eliminate offending foods from their diets. No other food intolerance program offers this type of seamlessly delivered, highly customized solution. In addition to delivering a meaningful wellness benefit to their customers, the inclusion of dietary supplement recommendations as part of Hemoco

17、de creates an opportunity for retailers to recognize: accretive revenue from Hemocode System sales; incremental growth in their core vitamin program and an enhancement of their market differentiation.This testing is alsopositioned as a weight loss plan:Would I be able to lose weight with HEMOCODE?Yo

18、ur chances of permanent success are excellent: HEMOCODE(TM) works differently than other conventional diets and rules out the yoyo-effect.Is HEMOCODE a miracle diet?It is not a miracle diet, but a scientifically based diet modification. Unlocking your HEMOCODE(TM) gets to the root of your problem. F

19、ood intolerances can be the cause of a weight problem and inhibit the success of losing weight with conventional diets. The HEMOCODE(TM) test looks at foods on a one-by-one basis for individual intolerances.Hemocode is just one of several blood tests thats marketed. Theres also theYorkTestin the Uni

20、ted Kingdom andalso Canada:Food intolerance is all about how your bodys immune system the bodys natural defence against foreign substances, such as poisons and harmful bacteria reacts to specific foods.sicFood intolerances are believed to arise when certain, incompletely digested food particles ente

21、r your bloodstream and are treated as foreign substances. This results in your immune system producing tailor-made antibodies (IgG), which attack the food in question. Some researchers believe this inflammatory response in the body can increase certain symptoms. Food intolerance has been associated

22、with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), bloating, tiredness, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, eczema, headaches and migraines.So just what is the evidence supporting the use of food intolerance tests?Testing PrinciplesDiagnostic tests can be as pseudoscientific as treatments. To evaluate, we ask the f

23、ollowing: Analytic validity:How reliable is the testing? This includes within-laboratory and between-laboratory precision. Clinical validity:How consistently and accurately does the test detect an objectively-measured clinical status? The test should be both sensitive (few false negatives) and speci

24、fic (few false positives). Patients in the same circumstances should consistently have the same test results. Clinical utility:What is the natural history of the disorder? Will the use of the test make any difference in the outcome? Interventions taken should be evaluated and compared against no tes

25、ting. Ethical, legal, or social implications: What are the potential patient consequences of the use of the test, and its results? What if the results are erroneous?It all boils down to a single question that must be satisfactorily answered before we proceed with testing:How has this test been valid

26、ated?Whats a Food Intolerance Blood Test Actually Testing?Hemocodeis an IgG blood test, according to the manufacturer (text now removed; cached versionhere):The Hemocode System is a finger prick test that identifies specific immune system-based food intolerances.Everything we eat can elicit a positi

27、ve or negative reaction in the body. If you are intolerant to a certain food and you continue to eat it, your body will mount an inflammatory reaction which may manifest in a variety of lifestyle-affecting conditions such as headaches, chronic pain, digestive disorders and many other issuesThe Hemoc

28、ode food intolerance test is a statistically proven, doctor and pharmacist recommended IgG-related test that determines which foods are causing negative reactions.The YorkTest is also an IgG test. There is no published information in the literature that describes either the Hemocode or the Yorktest,

29、 or their analytic validity for any of the products tested for.Understanding IgE, allergies, and what IgG meansFood allergies are reaction to food proteins. They may be categorized as immunoglobulin E (IgE)mediated (immediate) reactions, nonIgE-mediated (delayed) hypersensitivity reactions, and mixe

30、d reactions. IgE-mediated reactions are the ones we worry about when we hear about a “food allergy”: flushing, itchy skin, wheezing, vomiting, throat swelling, and even anaphylaxis. These reactions can occur immediately following exposure, and are the consequence of the interaction of allergens with

31、 IgE located on mast cells. The interaction causes the release of inflammatory chemicals like histamine and leucotriene, triggering the the allergic response which is typically skin related (itchiness, swelling and rash) but may be anaphylactic as well.Not all reactions follow this cascade. Non-IgE-

32、mediated allergic reactions can cause localized (e.g., contact dermatitis) or generalized reactions, which are usually gastrointestinal or dermatological in nature. Celiac disease is a non-IgE related allergic reaction. Finally, some allergic disorders are both IgE and non-IgE mediated, such as atopic dermatitis (eczema).Beyond the IgE mediated reactions, there are a number of possible reactions to food, which may be termed “food intolerances”. Not immune-system based, theyre more common than allergies. They include conditions like lactose intoleran