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Ive done a lot of googling about this, reading so much conflicting information.
Is there an accurate and reliable Food allergy or intolerance test?
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ryan31337
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I think the answer would depend on how narrow your focus is.
If you have no idea what is causing vague GI/skin complaints then no, not really. There are 101 causes for these problems. Testing something like IgG levels (assuming they mean anything at all) is just one possible cause. Even very specific IgE level tests for certain foods aren't that accurate.
You could have motility issues, bacterial overgrowth issues, mast cell issues etc. etc. the list goes on... sorry
If you have no idea what is causing vague GI/skin complaints then no, not really. There are 101 causes for these problems. Testing something like IgG levels (assuming they mean anything at all) is just one possible cause. Even very specific IgE level tests for certain foods aren't that accurate.
You could have motility issues, bacterial overgrowth issues, mast cell issues etc. etc. the list goes on... sorry
charles shepherd
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If you are in the UK I suggest you have a look at this very basic information from the BDA:
https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/AllergyTesting.pdf
NB: This leaflet is due for an update and is clearly very critical of some of the tests available in the alternative and private sector - a view that I share
https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/AllergyTesting.pdf
NB: This leaflet is due for an update and is clearly very critical of some of the tests available in the alternative and private sector - a view that I share
caledonia
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I've done the Allatess test, but I'm not sure how accurate it was. On the bright side, I did discover some new foods that I liked, as I needed to eat something new to replace the old stuff I was avoiding.
A food elimination and challenge diet would take awhile and be tedious with tracking, but I think it would give the most accurate info. Starting with the most common allergens like wheat, corn, soy, eggs, dairy, peanuts. Eliminating them one at a time. See how if you feel better if you avoid the food, or worse when you add it back.
A food elimination and challenge diet would take awhile and be tedious with tracking, but I think it would give the most accurate info. Starting with the most common allergens like wheat, corn, soy, eggs, dairy, peanuts. Eliminating them one at a time. See how if you feel better if you avoid the food, or worse when you add it back.
arewenearlythereyet
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Most of the alternative "testing" for intolerance is phoney. It's also quite difficult to trial foods yourself since your gut will adapt to what you are eating and throw out false positives just because you changed something. The only way to really test yourself is to keep quite a routine balanced but consistent diet for a couple of months and then adjust one thing at a time slowly from there.
You can't really chop and change on a daily basis or interpret one result as indicative. I doubt most people have the patience to eat that monotonously over weeks and months and be that disciplined on themselves, especially when we have so many other things to contend with.The main problem is we all seem to have quite random inflammation symptoms regardless of what we eat, so how do you know what to attribute to the food?
True allergic response on the other hand is bloody obvious since an extremely small quantity will give you clear signs. Most severe allergies are due to nuts and specifically peanut which account for in the 90 percents of all nut allergies.
You can't really chop and change on a daily basis or interpret one result as indicative. I doubt most people have the patience to eat that monotonously over weeks and months and be that disciplined on themselves, especially when we have so many other things to contend with.The main problem is we all seem to have quite random inflammation symptoms regardless of what we eat, so how do you know what to attribute to the food?
True allergic response on the other hand is bloody obvious since an extremely small quantity will give you clear signs. Most severe allergies are due to nuts and specifically peanut which account for in the 90 percents of all nut allergies.
I think skin prick tests can be useful. They didn't help me identify any one particular problem food because I reacted to almost everything, but I do know someone who discovered they had a massive soy allergy through this method, and their health improved after eliminating soy from their diet. (This person didn't have ME though.)
TrixieStix
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As @arewenearlythereyet said there are no fool-proof testing methods. As for skin prick allergy testing, even that has it's flaws. Mayo Clinic has this to say about it....
"Keep in mind, skin tests aren't always accurate. They sometimes indicate an allergy when there isn't one (false positive), or skin testing may not trigger a reaction when you're exposed to something that you are allergic to (false negative). You may react differently to the same test performed on different occasions. Or you may react positively to a substance during a test but not react to it in everyday life."
"Keep in mind, skin tests aren't always accurate. They sometimes indicate an allergy when there isn't one (false positive), or skin testing may not trigger a reaction when you're exposed to something that you are allergic to (false negative). You may react differently to the same test performed on different occasions. Or you may react positively to a substance during a test but not react to it in everyday life."