You may have seen an advertisement for a food sensitivity test at home if you are experiencing digestive issues, fatigue or skin problems.
These tests promise to reveal which foods are the cause of your health problems, so you can eliminate those foods from your diet to feel better.
Are these tests reliable and worth their money?
Allergies to food, intolerances and sensitivities
It’s important to know the difference between food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities.
Food allergy is a reaction of the immune system to a particular food antigen. Food allergies can cause hives, swelling and difficulty breathing. They may even be fatal. Food allergies can include:
- wheat
- peanut
- tree nut
- fish
- shellfish
- milk
- egg
Food intolerance can be a non-immune response to a food. It can cause symptoms such as bloating and gas. It can be caused by a variety of factors. Some people do not have the enzymes necessary to digest lactose (the sugar found in milk).
It’s not medical terminology. There is no clear definition of food sensitivities. It’s sometimes used as a substitute for food intolerance. It can also be used to describe an adverse reaction to any food. Sometimes it is used to describe vague symptoms that may not be related to food.
What Does a food sensitivity test actually do?
You can choose from a variety of different brands and types of food sensitivity test, but the majority of them require you to prick your fingers and place a small amount of blood onto a test strip. You send the test strip to their lab and they will measure your immunoglobulin G antibody response to various foods. Then they’ll send you a list with the foods that you are allegedly sensitive to.
There’s one big problem: IgG antibodies do not actually indicate a health concern. Antibodies are not a sign of disease. IgG antibody production in response to food is normal and healthy. It can lead to false positive results, which indicate foods that you should avoid even though they may be completely harmless.
Worse, elevated IgG antibodies can show tolerance instead of intolerance . This means that these “food sensitivity test kits” may give you the opposite results to what their “test laboratories” claim.
Instead, What you should do
Speak to your primary physician if there is a suspicion that you have an allergic reaction to a food. You will likely get false diagnoses and be subjected to unnecessary restrictions and unhealthy diets if you rely on food sensitivity testing kits.
You can have your doctor perform a food allergy test. However, it is important to remember that the clinical tests are performed using different methodologies and must be interpreted by professionals. It is not possible to diagnose allergies and intolerances with a single test. A comprehensive evaluation is required that takes into account your medical history, family background, and symptoms.
This may include a thorough food diary, blood tests and skin prick tests. It could also involve an oral food challenge or elimination diet under medical supervision.
You should consult your doctor if you have any concerns about food allergies or sensitivities. Food sensitivity tests at home are unreliable and inaccurate. They will give you an incorrect picture of your condition.
