What is a Food Intolerance/Sensitivity?
For centuries we have known that consumption of certain ‘reactive’ foods can have profound effects on physical and mental health, and this is even more evident in today’s world with the huge variety of foods we now consume.
Food Intolerance is a reaction to food that may cause unpleasant symptoms and is associated with a host of chronic conditions. Food intolerance is unlikely to be life threatening unlike allergies, which in some individuals can cause anaphylaxis.
Typical allergy symptoms tend to be immediate and can take the form of swelling of lips or throat, skin rash or hives, vomiting or breathing problems. If you suspect you have an allergy then your must consult your health professional.
While less than 2% of the population suffer from food allergies, it is estimated that more than 20% of the population suffer from food intolerance. It can affect anyone at any age, but since symptoms often occur some time after the food has been eaten it can be difficult to find the problem food without the use of advanced laboratory testing.
For example, the milk or bread eaten on one day could be the cause of joint pain three days later. Some food intolerances are caused by an enzyme deficiency or chemical sensitivity, while others are an immune response caused by food specific IgG antibodies.
The majority of food intolerances are a result of an immune response to foods and may have developed because of poor digestion, dysbiosis, Candidiasis, parasites, intestinal infections, a poorly balanced diet, alcohol consumption, or the effects of drugs and medications.
Each individual has their own unique reaction to food. Antibodies against the food may appear in the blood. Production of Antibodies is one of the ways in which the body’s immune system reacts to substances that adversely affect it. Antibodies are also known as “Immunoglobulins” or “Igs” for short.
Over time, the antibodies may form immune complexes, which can become deposited in joints and other organs and may be responsible for many of the symptoms that are seen in food intolerance.
Food intolerance is associated with a number of chronic conditions and symptoms including:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Auto immune disorders/disease
- Bed wetting
- Bloating
- Bronchitis
- Coeliac Disease
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Constipation
- Depression
- Diarrhoea
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastritis
- Headaches
- Hyperactivity Disorder
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Insomnia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Itchy skin problems
- Malabsorption
- Migraine
- Sleep disturbances
- Water retention
- Weight control problems
The P88 Dietary Antigen Test (serum) measures IgE, IgG4, IgG and complement (C3d) reactions to 88 commonly eaten foods
Most Tests Measure one way the immune system reacts to food via an IgG antibody. Many have noted that IgG alone seems to not tell the entire story, and that is true. This test measures 4 immune reactions.
The Precision Point profile is published in medical literature and is used in a number
of clinical trials. By looking at multiple types of immunoglobulins together as well as complement that amplifies its presence, it is easier to identify what is truly involved in your symptoms and health.
Combining complement (C3d) with IgG gives a more precise result, plus when IgG and complement are both present the reaction is amplified, making them up to 1000 times more reactive! When we remove foods based on both IgG and complement, clinical symptoms resolve more quickly.
When Complement is elevated, it increases cytokines in general and is a key player in increasing inflammation in many conditions.
IgE antibodies are one of five subclasses of antibodies in our immune system. Antibodies are proteins that attack antigens, such as bacteria, viruses and allergens to keep our body healthy.
Sometimes the antibodies become confused and will attack food proteins as well. The IgE antibody response is the most common known food allergy response. It usually occurs immediately and can
create severe symptoms, such as swelling, hives,itching, and in some cases, anaphylaxis.
IgG4, which is a subclass of IgG, is another antibody in the immune system. IgG4 blocks IgE antibodies from binding to receptor sites and releasing histamine. During treatment, when an allergist gives injections for desensitisation, it is to increase IgG4 to block IgE, not to lower IgE. When the qualitative amount of IgG4 is higher than IgE, it creates a blocking effect and keeps the IgE from causing anaphylaxis.
The presence of this blocking agent assists your practitioner in diagnosis and treatment by helping to determine the severity of your reaction to certain foods.
The P88 Dietary antigen test comes in a very easy to read format with clear guidelines on which foods to eliminate from your diet. A venous blood draw is required and the sample must be sent back to the lab by 24hr special delivery. Our lovely Nurse Rosemary can visit you at home for £35 to effortlessly take your blood sample.
The cost of the P88 Dietary Antigen Test is £375 and the results will usually be returned in 21 working days.
