The ugly behind food sensitivity tests
Any google search for food sensitivity tests will usually show results for IgG blood tests. See this website for an example.
What is an IgG blood test? Supposedly, these antibodies attach to the foods in our bloodstream we can’t tolerate, claiming to be a marker of sensitivity.
Given the lack of reliable scientific evidence to support this claim, and the fact that foods are unrecognizable after being digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, IgG blood tests smell like BS.
IgG food sensitivity tests have no scientific evidence to support their use 🚫
The Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) put out a statement warning consumers against IgG food sensitivity tests, stating that “ [IgG tests] only increase the likelihood of false diagnoses being made, resulting in unnecessary dietary restriction and decreased quality of life.”
The CSACI also states that the presence of an IgG marker to a specific food in the blood is an indicator of tolerance to a food, the opposite of an intolerance or sensitivity. Other reports suggest that IgG blood tests will simply pick-up on the foods you have recently eaten before the blood test, and have no indication of a real sensitivity [4].
IgG food sensitivity tests can also cost as much as $700 per test, often with zero health care professional guidance.
IgG food sensitivity tests can cause real health harms 😯
Besides their astronomical prices, sketchy-science and even warning from professional associations, IgG food sensitivity tests could cause real harms to human health.
IgG food sensitivity tests may confuse those with real allergies
The CSACI warns that for those with real food allergies with IgE antibodies, their allergen likely won’t to appear on their IgG food sensitivity test, risking reintroduction into the diet.
This is because the levels of IgG antibodies are lower for those with a true allergen. If you have a food allergy, risking the reintroduction of this food can be potentially deadly.
IgG food sensitivity tests can cause restrictive dieting
IgG is a memory antibody that develops after regular exposure to the foods we commonly eat [5]. This means that your IgG food sensitivity results are likely to indicate that you are sensitive to all the foods you enjoy regularly.
With these results, you can end up with an extremely restrictive diet that could risk the development of nutrient deficiencies and decrease your overall quality of life.
The bottom line 👀
Food sensitivities and your symptoms are real, but IgG food sensitivity tests are not. Do yourself a favour and work with a dietitian or an allergist to determine the root cause of your symptoms to save your time, money, well-being and maybe even your life.