Hi Everyone!
I did extensive food allergy testing through immunolabs located in Florida. I received the results in April and was stunned to find out that I reacted to about 57 foods. My naturopath told me that a lot of these are most likely false positives because of the inflammation. I was only diagnosed about 9 months ago. I have elimintated 95% everything I reacted to with the other 5% only eating occassionally. I feel so much better!All of the items on the list had a number next to it of how reactive I was. Many things were just (+1) (1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest). Should I keep all of the (+1) foods eliminated? For example, if I don't notice a reaction to a food that is on the list should I still eliminate it? I am really struggling finding enough options as my doctor wants me to do a 4 day rotation diet. I have not been able to stick with it. I have definitely been rotating a lot more though. Any one else have a similar experience or have good information on this?
Thanks,
Leanne
False Positives on Food Allergy Testing
Moderators: Rosie, JFR, Dee, xet, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh, mbeezie
Leanne,
I think to get the best responses we may need a little more information. Was this serum IgG testing? Also, were gluten, soy, eggs and dairy among the foods you eliminated? IgG antibodies in the blood are controversial even though functional and integrative medicine types are known to use them. Some say that the presence of the antibodies can actually indicate a tolerance to the food has been acquired or perhaps it just indicates recent ingestion of the food. And the reason it is important to know if gluten, soy, eggs and dairy were eliminated is because those are the mostly likely foods you would be reacting to given your MC diagnosis. Just eliminating those could be the reason you feel better.
My personal experience is I had the IgG testing and had quite a few 3+ foods (highest on the Genova test I had). A short time later I had Enterolab testing which tests for IGA antibodies in the colon. The results for the most part contradicted each other. The Genova test did not show me reacting at all to gluten and eggs. It showed me a VL (meaning less than a 1+) for soy and casein. Enterolab on the other hand showed me reactive to gluten, eggs, soy and not significantly to casein. Enterolab tested for 11 foods and Genova tested for around 80 -90. The only place they seem to agree closely on was that Enterolab showed me a 3+ to walnut and Genova showed me a 2+ to walnut. But Genova showed me a 3+ to corn and Enterolab showed no significant reactivity. I could go on about the outright contradictions.
So the way this played out practically with me is that I never did a rotation diet based on the IgG testing. I have eliminated gluten, soy, and eggs based on Enterolab results. Ten months later my symptoms are improved but I am not symptom free,. I am most strictly avoidant of gluten. I have found that even very small amounts cause a reaction within 1 to 12 hours. Soy and dairy are not so clear. But remember that Genova did not even show me reacting to gluten. I've since started avoiding dairy because of a flare and the jury is still out, but if I do react to milk I'm not certain if it is the casein or not. It could be lactose or some other milk protein other than casein. Also, btw, i eat corn and don't see myself reacting. Genova showed me to be 3+ to corn, the very highest reaction.
I can understand your struggle with the rotation diet. It must be so tedious and almost impossible. I don't know if what I was able to share is helpful and I don't know if you were tested for IgG antibodies or something else, but I wanted to point out the contradictions between the two test results for me. Ultimately I decided to just focus on the Enterolab results because of the recommendations I found on this board and also because the rotation diet was just too overwhelming. But you don't need Enterolab to tell you that the possibility that gluten, soy, eggs and casein are major offenders is very high.
My final thought is that if you are significantly better, then you probably have removed your main triggers. If that is the case there may be no need to worry about removing other foods and yes start adding foods you don't notice a reaction to but be selective. Your emphasis now perhaps should be to add the least likely offenders back in, one at a time, and look for a reaction so you can determine what you really are reacting to. The least likely offenders would be meats, poultry and fish. Then most fruits and vegetables although peel them and cook the vegetables to keep the fiber low. Then perhaps try potato and rice if you have eliminated these. Obviously I don't know exactly what you have eliminated so I can't be specific.
Welcome to the board and I'm sure others can give you some good advice and perhaps some more info regarding food sensitivity testing.
Gigi
I think to get the best responses we may need a little more information. Was this serum IgG testing? Also, were gluten, soy, eggs and dairy among the foods you eliminated? IgG antibodies in the blood are controversial even though functional and integrative medicine types are known to use them. Some say that the presence of the antibodies can actually indicate a tolerance to the food has been acquired or perhaps it just indicates recent ingestion of the food. And the reason it is important to know if gluten, soy, eggs and dairy were eliminated is because those are the mostly likely foods you would be reacting to given your MC diagnosis. Just eliminating those could be the reason you feel better.
My personal experience is I had the IgG testing and had quite a few 3+ foods (highest on the Genova test I had). A short time later I had Enterolab testing which tests for IGA antibodies in the colon. The results for the most part contradicted each other. The Genova test did not show me reacting at all to gluten and eggs. It showed me a VL (meaning less than a 1+) for soy and casein. Enterolab on the other hand showed me reactive to gluten, eggs, soy and not significantly to casein. Enterolab tested for 11 foods and Genova tested for around 80 -90. The only place they seem to agree closely on was that Enterolab showed me a 3+ to walnut and Genova showed me a 2+ to walnut. But Genova showed me a 3+ to corn and Enterolab showed no significant reactivity. I could go on about the outright contradictions.
So the way this played out practically with me is that I never did a rotation diet based on the IgG testing. I have eliminated gluten, soy, and eggs based on Enterolab results. Ten months later my symptoms are improved but I am not symptom free,. I am most strictly avoidant of gluten. I have found that even very small amounts cause a reaction within 1 to 12 hours. Soy and dairy are not so clear. But remember that Genova did not even show me reacting to gluten. I've since started avoiding dairy because of a flare and the jury is still out, but if I do react to milk I'm not certain if it is the casein or not. It could be lactose or some other milk protein other than casein. Also, btw, i eat corn and don't see myself reacting. Genova showed me to be 3+ to corn, the very highest reaction.
I can understand your struggle with the rotation diet. It must be so tedious and almost impossible. I don't know if what I was able to share is helpful and I don't know if you were tested for IgG antibodies or something else, but I wanted to point out the contradictions between the two test results for me. Ultimately I decided to just focus on the Enterolab results because of the recommendations I found on this board and also because the rotation diet was just too overwhelming. But you don't need Enterolab to tell you that the possibility that gluten, soy, eggs and casein are major offenders is very high.
My final thought is that if you are significantly better, then you probably have removed your main triggers. If that is the case there may be no need to worry about removing other foods and yes start adding foods you don't notice a reaction to but be selective. Your emphasis now perhaps should be to add the least likely offenders back in, one at a time, and look for a reaction so you can determine what you really are reacting to. The least likely offenders would be meats, poultry and fish. Then most fruits and vegetables although peel them and cook the vegetables to keep the fiber low. Then perhaps try potato and rice if you have eliminated these. Obviously I don't know exactly what you have eliminated so I can't be specific.
Welcome to the board and I'm sure others can give you some good advice and perhaps some more info regarding food sensitivity testing.
Gigi
LC diagnosed July 2014
Gigi,
Thanks for your help. I believe it was igG antibodies but I am not totally sure. This is the lab I used... http://www.immunolabs.com/patients/prod ... lobulin-e/ Before doing the test I eliminated gluten, dairy, and eggs because I knew I was reacting to them. The test results showed those as well as over 50 foods I did not even know I was reacting to.
For example, I reacted to cane sugar with a (+1). I do not eat much sugar anyways but I was disappointed because I like a treat once a week. I have still been doing that and have not noticed a reaction to it except when my SIBO is back which often takes several months for me to relapse. However I worry that even doing that could cause inflammation. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Leanne
Thanks for your help. I believe it was igG antibodies but I am not totally sure. This is the lab I used... http://www.immunolabs.com/patients/prod ... lobulin-e/ Before doing the test I eliminated gluten, dairy, and eggs because I knew I was reacting to them. The test results showed those as well as over 50 foods I did not even know I was reacting to.
For example, I reacted to cane sugar with a (+1). I do not eat much sugar anyways but I was disappointed because I like a treat once a week. I have still been doing that and have not noticed a reaction to it except when my SIBO is back which often takes several months for me to relapse. However I worry that even doing that could cause inflammation. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Leanne
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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8330
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
I havent done that type of allergy testing so can not comment...
It is important to keep in mind that there are 'food allergies' and 'food sensitivities' and further some foods can be high histamine which cause inflammation if your nutrients are imbalanced.
Our reactions to foods can change, depending on weather, recent stress, other health issues, nutrient deficiencies (such as Magnesium), excess exposure to chemicals/pollution/pollen etc
there are so many variables that affect inflammation in our bodies, IMO you would almost need to live in a bubble for months to pinpoint accurate results from the type of testing you have done....
One thing i know from keeping a food journal is that are some foods that are my staples, I can eat them everyday, and there are other foods that are sometimes foods, and there are some ingredients that are treat foods once every couple of months...
If I have had a stressful week, or feeling poorly i do not have the sometimes foods or treat foods.
Dairy is a high inflammation food to the gut for everybody (you dont have to have an allergy, a sensitivity or MC)
For MC'ers our inflammation reactions are heightened, so even though you may not be having a major reaction to caesin and/or lactose, it would be causing inflammation, and might be making the reaction to other ingredients worse..
As tex just replied in the other thread about cane sugar, it may not be that you are senstitive to cane sugar, moreso, that your gut does not have the right chemical mix to digest it/process it...
you may wish to start having the foods you had a low reaction to, but go slowly! small amounts one at a time.
a bit like when you start feeding a baby solids, it will react. the first small serve may cause the BM to change, wait 24 hours have another small serve. If on the third day after a small serve there are not major symptoms then that ingredient may well be safe as a sometimes food.
If after the third day the BM is worse. I would treat that ingredient as a no or a treat food.
hope this makes sense
It is important to keep in mind that there are 'food allergies' and 'food sensitivities' and further some foods can be high histamine which cause inflammation if your nutrients are imbalanced.
Our reactions to foods can change, depending on weather, recent stress, other health issues, nutrient deficiencies (such as Magnesium), excess exposure to chemicals/pollution/pollen etc
there are so many variables that affect inflammation in our bodies, IMO you would almost need to live in a bubble for months to pinpoint accurate results from the type of testing you have done....
One thing i know from keeping a food journal is that are some foods that are my staples, I can eat them everyday, and there are other foods that are sometimes foods, and there are some ingredients that are treat foods once every couple of months...
If I have had a stressful week, or feeling poorly i do not have the sometimes foods or treat foods.
Dairy is a high inflammation food to the gut for everybody (you dont have to have an allergy, a sensitivity or MC)
For MC'ers our inflammation reactions are heightened, so even though you may not be having a major reaction to caesin and/or lactose, it would be causing inflammation, and might be making the reaction to other ingredients worse..
As tex just replied in the other thread about cane sugar, it may not be that you are senstitive to cane sugar, moreso, that your gut does not have the right chemical mix to digest it/process it...
you may wish to start having the foods you had a low reaction to, but go slowly! small amounts one at a time.
a bit like when you start feeding a baby solids, it will react. the first small serve may cause the BM to change, wait 24 hours have another small serve. If on the third day after a small serve there are not major symptoms then that ingredient may well be safe as a sometimes food.
If after the third day the BM is worse. I would treat that ingredient as a no or a treat food.
hope this makes sense
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Yep, many/most allergy testing methods currently in use tend to leave a lot to be desired.
Thanks for the link, Gabes.
Tex
Thanks for the link, Gabes.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.