Food Intolerance Testing

Food Intolerance Testing

Food sensitivities and the issues they cause affect at least 100 million people worldwide. The prevalence of food sensitivities has increased to more than 50% in adults and over 70% in children in the past few years. Food-related reactions cause a wide variety of illnesses ranging from skin rashes and headaches to more chronic gastrointestinal conditions. The symptoms of food sensitivities may differ, which can make it difficult to pinpoint the cause of many conditions. The exact reason why the body confuses common foods as potentially harmful isn’t well known. What is becoming clear though, is that the microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract and the overall health of these tissues and organs is related to the development and severity of food sensitivities.

Unbalanced diets, enzyme deficiencies, stress, genetic predisposition, infections and inflammation, certain chemicals and medications, environmental pollutants and toxins are all possible contributing factors in the development of food sensitivities. Research shows that these factors can cause issues with overall digestive health, as well as causing irritation to the lining of the intestinal tract, leading to a condition commonly known as leaky gut.

An IgG antibody reaction to a food is a delayed reaction which can occur anywhere from a couple of hours to several days after exposure. Research has indicated that IgG antibodies are produced by the body against particular foods, which can promote certain inflammatory reactions within the body.

When we combine testing for IgG antibodies with something called Complement (C3d) testing, we can also measure inflammation in the body. This allows us to grade the extent of the inflammation a particular food may cause. When there’s a high level of inflammatory markers alongside IgG antibodies, it becomes clear which foods the body is sensitive to.

Food inflammatory testing measures both IgG(1-4) and Complement (C3d). This is the key to assessing the presence of food intolerances and food sensitivities, and how significant they are.