Food sensitivities are a symptom
A food allergy and a food sensitivity are two very different things. Food Allergy A food allergy is an IgE mediated immune response. There are three types: 1. IgE-mediated (Example peanuts, shellfish) IgE-mediated food allergy symptoms normally occur immediately in connection to certain foods. The symptoms can be hives, difficulty breathing, skin rash, itching, coughing, and others. An example is an allergy to peanuts or shellfish. 2. non-IgE-mediated (Example Celiac Disease) Non-IgE mediated conditions can have delayed symptoms.A food sensitivity, on the other hand, does not involve IgE antibodies. 3. mixed IgE/non-IgE-mediated (Example: Atopic dermatitis/EOE) IGE Skin Prick testing IgE skin prick testing is a reliable, trusted, and proven method of testing for true food allergies. So what causes food sensitivity? A food sensitivity is the symptom of an underlying problem. Just like when you get a headache and you take a pain killer. The pill works to stop the pain, but the cause of the headache is still there. Food sensitivities indicate a deeper problem, such as: • Low stomach acid • Lack of certain digestive enzymes • Poor diversity of good gut bacteria or an overgrowth of bad gut bacteria • Intestinal permeability • Certain medications/antibiotics • The poor functionality of certain genetic variations • Mold exposure • Histamine intolerance • A combination of any of the above IgG testing IgG tests are not endorsed or recommended by any of the well-known and trusted main allergy organizations. They are also not scientifically proven. The production of IgG antibodies to foods is a normal immunologic reaction. IgG food sensitivity tests are dangerous since they require the person to eliminate many different foods or food groups in order to “fix” the problem. However, doing so can cause further problems such as nutritional deficiencies and an unbalanced gut microbiome. Sources: Gocki J, Bartuzi Z. Role of immunoglobulin G antibodies in diagnosis of food allergy. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2016 Aug;33(4):253-6. doi: 10.5114/ada.2016.61600. Epub 2016 Aug 16. PMID: 27605894; PMCID: PMC5004213. Beyer K, Teuber SS. Food allergy diagnostics: scientific and unproven procedures. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Jun;5(3):261-6. doi: 10.1097/01.all.0000168792.27948.f9. PMID: 15864086. Hammond C, Lieberman JA. Unproven Diagnostic Tests for Food Allergy. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2018 Feb;38(1):153-163. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2017.09.011. PMID: 29132671. Stapel SO, Asero R, Ballmer-Weber BK, Knol EF, Strobel S, Vieths S, Kleine-Tebbe J; EAACI Task Force. Testing for IgG4 against foods is not recommended as a diagnostic tool: EAACI Task Force Report. Allergy. 2008 Jul;63(7):793-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01705.x. Epub 2008 May 16. PMID: 18489614. Carr S, Chan E, Lavine E, Moote W. CSACI Position statement on the testing of food-specific IgG. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2012 Jul 26;8(1):12. doi: 10.1186/1710-1492-8-12. PMID: 22835332; PMCID: PMC3443017. https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198%2817%2930704-3/fulltext#sec2 https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/igg-food-test https://www.aacc.org/science-and-research/scientific-shorts/2022/what-is-the-clinical-utility-of-food Gargano D, Appanna R, Santonicola A, De Bartolomeis F, Stellato C, Cianferoni A, Casolaro V, Iovino P. Food Allergy and Intolerance: A Narrative Review on Nutritional Concerns. Nutrients. 2021 May 13;13(5):1638. doi: 10.3390/nu13051638. PMID: 34068047; PMCID: PMC8152468.
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