Food Intolerances
not to be mistaken with food allergies
What are food intolerances?
A food intolerance (or sensitivity) is a reaction by the immune system to a particular food. White blood cells release immunoglobulins known as antibodies, much like they would to a virus or bacteria. Foods that have developed this response in our immune systems are known as "antigens". Two types of antibodies commonly produced in response to foods are IgE (an immediate anaphylactic reaction, such as your classic peanut-style allergy), and IgG (delayed response allergy), which cause less recognizable food sensitivities.
Both types of antibodies can be tested, each with different indications and concerns.
While I still feel the approach of an elimination diet is a more effective means of drawing direct cause and effect between food and symptom, trial and error becomes frustrating, and determining the cause of the reaction can be difficult since reactions are often delayed and vary in severity.​​
Digestive discomfort, low energy, brain fog, headaches, asthma, & inflammatory skin conditions may be signs that you are experiencing an intolerance to the foods you're eating, making you a good candidate for food intolerance testing.
How do food intolerances happen?
The most documented hypothesis suspects intestinal permeability, commonly nicknamed 'Leaky gut syndrome'. Food intolerances are understood to be a result of inflammation in the gut lining allowing improper passage of food from our digestive system into our bloodstream. Inflammation can be caused by preservatives, the stress of all types, certain drugs (like NSAIDs), and alcohol. An inflamed gut lining may result in food particles passing between the enterocytes of our gut wall, and ending up in our bloodstream. The improper presentation of food particles in the bloodstream causes the body to produce immunoglobulins to that food, as our system thinks the food particles are invaders.
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Research linked conditions to food allergies:
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Digestive disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's Disease
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Migraines
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Mood/Attention Deficit Disorders
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Weight Gain
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Inflammatory Skin Conditions (Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, etc)
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Rheumatoid Arthritis
IgG Food Intolerance Testing
Food Intolerance Testing provides an individualized report of foods creating inflammation in the body and is a great place to start when assessing which foods are best for your body. The report provides valuable insight into the level of immune reaction to each individual food, the number of reactive foods, as well as a comparison of your results against the general population. Knowing what your reactive foods are may be an important variable in determining the underlying cause of a number of health concerns.
The food intolerance test requires a simple blood collection, and results are reported roughly 2 weeks from the time of sample collection. Requisitions are provided by Dr. Holmberg, ND, and sample collection is done at any LifeLabs location.
