If you've ever wondered whether that bloating, gas, or stomach pain after eating is due to a food sensitivity, you're not alone. Many individuals, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), suspect a connection between their diet and their symptoms. With the rise in popularity of at-home food sensitivity tests, it's essential to examine their accuracy, especially in the context of weight loss.
Food Sensitivity vs. Food Allergy: Understanding the Key Differences
It's crucial to distinguish between food allergies and food sensitivities, as they involve different mechanisms and potential complications. Food allergies trigger a severe immune response, often mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. "These reactions can be life-threatening - a person can go into anaphylactic shock if the allergy is severe," warns Dr. Quigley. Symptoms typically manifest rapidly, within two hours of consuming the allergenic food, and may include hives, tongue swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, and dizziness. Common food allergens include almonds, cashew nuts, codfish, cow’s milk, egg white, hazelnuts, peanuts, salmon, scallops, sesame seeds, shrimp, soybean, tuna, walnut, and wheat.
Food sensitivities or intolerances, on the other hand, are less dramatic but can still cause significant abdominal discomfort. "Food sensitivities or intolerances, on the other hand, are much less dramatic, though they can still lead to abdominal discomfort - which can be frequent if the person isn't sure what is causing the problem," explains Dr. Quigley. These reactions are often linked to immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and may involve digestive distress, joint pain, brain fog, and migraine. The most common underlying cause of food sensitivity is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (which are collectively called inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD) and celiac disease being less common culprits.
The Science Behind Food Sensitivity Tests: IgG Antibodies and Their Role
At-home food sensitivity tests typically measure IgG antibody levels in the blood after exposure to various food antigens. "IgG antibodies are associated with more prolonged immune reactions," says Dr. Quigley. The premise is that higher IgG levels indicate a greater sensitivity to that particular food. However, the medical community remains skeptical about the reliability of these tests. Many experts argue that IgG levels are not accurate or reliable markers of food sensitivity.
The Controversy Surrounding At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests
The popularity of commercial food sensitivity tests has exploded in recent years. Dieticians and allergists attribute this to a general increased interest and excitement around gut health, and the difficulty of getting a diagnosis for troublesome gut symptoms via the NHS. Many people buy them in the hope of diagnosing intolerances like lactose and histamine sensitivity, which are often caused by people not producing enough of certain enzymes that break down those substances.
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One major concern is the high rate of false positives, leading individuals to unnecessarily restrict their diets. As Linda Geddes discovered when trying out three different food allergy/sensitivity tests that can be ordered online, there was no single food item that all three tests agreed on. And in many cases, items given a red flag by one test were given a green flag by another.
Moreover, some tests claim to help you understand how your body may respond to certain foods based on factors such as your genetic background. However, research surrounding genetic testing and food allergies and sensitivities are still in the very early stages.
The Impact of Food Sensitivities on Weight Loss
Food-specific IgG antibodies are tightly associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, potentially contributing to weight gain. This suggests that identifying and eliminating reactive foods could aid in weight loss efforts. One study revealed that obese individuals had significantly higher levels of IgG antibodies against certain foods compared to those in a normal weight range. They also had three times the levels of CRP, indicating inflammation, which can hinder weight loss.
Yorkest customers have fed back that they have lost weight when removing their reactive foods and a study has been published showing that (120) people who eliminated their IgG reactive foods significantly improved their body composition and lost weight. Emily Catterall, “I am now on my way back down the weight ladder to a healthier, happier meâ€. Matt Perry “I have lost over an inch from my waist and 17lbs in weight. In my first triathlon of the season, I knocked 17 minutes off my time from last yearâ€.
Before recommending a specific diet to a patient, it is critical to order a Food Sensitivities Panel. Food intolerances caused by IgG antibodies can lead to a state of low-grade inflammation in obese people that interferes with weight loss.
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Alternative Approaches to Identifying Food Sensitivities
Given the limitations of at-home food sensitivity tests, what are the alternatives? Experts recommend a more personalized approach, involving a healthcare professional.
- Start a food and symptom journal: This can help you notice patterns to determine whether certain ingredients may be causing digestive issues or other symptoms. If you prefer not to keep a written record, several apps can make logging more convenient.
- Make an appointment with a doctor or dietitian: A healthcare professional can help you rule out other potential causes of symptoms and determine whether you may have a food allergy or intolerance. They may also recommend an elimination diet to help identify potential trigger foods.
- Elimination Diet: This involves removing suspected trigger foods from your diet for a period, then reintroducing them one at a time to monitor for symptoms. This process should be done under the guidance of a registered dietitian or healthcare professional.
Recent Research and Promising Developments
Food sensitivity testing has been around for decades, and its reliability has been in question for the majority of that time. Eventually, IgG antibodies were explored. While some early studies suggested that eliminating IgG-reactive foods could improve IBS symptoms, they faced criticism for being small and not well-designed. "Many lacked control diets, for instance," adds Dr. Quigley. A recent study, however, has reignited interest in food sensitivity testing, especially among experts in the field. More than 200 people with IBS were given either a diet based on food sensitivity test results or a placebo diet. The study's results showed improvement in symptoms for participants on the tailored diet, particularly in those with IBS-C (constipation type) and IBS-M (mixed type). The most commonly flagged foods? "Eggs, cow's milk and wheat were reported most often," adds Dr.
The Importance of Consulting a Healthcare Professional
If you're struggling with digestive symptoms and suspect that food might play a role, talk to your gastroenterologist about whether a food sensitivity test makes sense for you. It's important to rule out other potential conditions that may be causing your symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, gallstones, and peptic ulcers.
Other potential culprits include:
- Stress: Feeling stressed can cause symptoms such as digestive issues, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating.
- Dehydration: In addition to dizziness, lightheadedness, and fatigue, not drinking enough water can also lead to issues such as constipation.
- Sleep deprivation: Getting poor or inadequate sleep can cause brain fog, trouble focusing, and digestive symptoms.
- Medications: Certain medications can cause side effects that may be similar to symptoms of a food sensitivity, including nausea, diarrhea, headaches, runny nose, and fatigue.
- Dietary habits: What you eat and drink can greatly affect your digestive system and may contribute to issues such as bloating. Some nutritional deficiencies can also contribute to brain fog, fatigue, and depression.
- Food intolerance: Food intolerances may result in GI-related symptoms if your body cannot digest certain foods. Common sources of food intolerance include lactose, caffeine, sulfites, certain food additives, and fructose, which is a type of sugar found in fruits.
Optimizing Weight Loss Through a Holistic Approach
Prior to starting my patients on any weight loss regimen, there are three tests I always employ. These tests are extremely important to ensure the success of immediate weight loss as well as sustained weight loss over time.
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- Mitochondrial Health: Testing to gauge the health of patients’ mitochondria can lead to a greater degree of success in any weight loss regimen. One effective way to determine mitochondrial health is through an Organic Acids Profile. The success rate of low-calorie diets may depend upon genes regulating the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, the mitochondrial pathway that produces ATP.
- Food Sensitivities Panel: Research now indicates that putting overweight and obese patients on an elimination diet based on a Food Sensitivities Panel can lead to more significant gains in weight loss.
- Environmental Pollutants Profile: The second way in which environmental toxins affect weight loss is through the release of toxins from fat cells that occurs when a person loses weight. This mobilization of toxins during weight loss is one of the reasons yo-yo dieting doesn’t work.