Has Anyone Had Tests That Tell You What Foods You're Intolerant To?

[MsCurious]

I have heard about tests that tell you what foods you have a high intolerance to, and those that don't bother you. Ultimately, that is the information I really am interested in. I don't really care what label is stuck on it or me, just want to feel better.

This seems like an invaluable tool! Has anyone had experience with this? Know what the tests are called? Anything? Seems like if there is such a test, all doctors should test patients for this, and hand them a "road map" of do's and don'ts to feel better all the time!

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[ladymiss]

I had this done at the beginning of the year with my Naturopath. The test was ran by US BioTek. They have a website that you can check out. Google it. The test is called a FoodStats Antibody Assessment.

For me, it was the first indication that gluten was responsible for my health issues/symptoms. I tested high for antibodies everything wheat/gluten related, dairy, soy and eggs. I cut these things out and began to see an upswing in my health. This test has been a good tool in discovering some answers to feel better. But I must say, I have had a variety of other food sensitivities that didn't register at all on this test. Also, my immediate food allergies IgE antibodies (shellfish and nuts) didn't show up at all. I don't know the explanation of this. And there are some people who don't put a lot of stock in these tests. It seems, you must do your research....

I believe you can use the test information and also keep a good food dairy to track your responses to individual foods. I am still slowly adding back foods one at a time to see if I can handle them as my system heals. Eating mostly whole foods, with a little 'processed' gluten free foods.

Good luck. Hope you feel better soon.

[burdee]

I have heard about tests that tell you what foods you have a high intolerance to, and those that don't bother you. Ultimately, that is the information I really am interested in. I don't really care what label is stuck on it or me, just want to feel better.

This seems like an invaluable tool! Has anyone had experience with this? Know what the tests are called? Anything? Seems like if there is such a test, all doctors should test patients for this, and hand them a "road map" of do's and don'ts to feel better all the time!

Thanks in advance for your replies.

I did 3 different versions of the ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) blood test for IgE (immediate reaction) and IgG (delayed reaction) food allergies. My test results were also processed by US Biotek, which my doc used because they use good quality control standards in their lab. (So their results are reliable.) Those 3 panels showed that I react to cane sugar, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. I had previously taken Enterolab stool tests which indicated sensitivities to gluten, casein and soy. So I had stopped consuming those 3 foods long before I took the ELISA test. Therefore I showed no reaction on the ELISA test to the (reaction) foods I no longer ate.

I needed 3 different panels of ELISA, because after the first 100 food panel which indiated sugar and egg sensitivities, I was still reaction to something. Rather than just guess, I took the other 2 ELISA panels (vegan additional foods and herbs and spices), which finally showed that I reacted to vanilla and nutmeg.

All the foods, for which my test results indicated strong reactions, matched my experiences with symptoms. Also when I abstained from any of those foods for a while and later accidentally consumed one of those foods, I reacted very strongly. So I trust that my test results are accurate.

[MsCurious]

I did 3 different versions of the ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) blood test for IgE (immediate reaction) and IgG (delayed reaction) food allergies. My test results were also processed by US Biotek, which my doc used because they use good quality control standards in their lab. (So their results are reliable.) Those 3 panels showed that I react to cane sugar, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg. I had previously taken Enterolab stool tests which indicated sensitivities to gluten, casein and soy. So I had stopped consuming those 3 foods long before I took the ELISA test. Therefore I showed no reaction on the ELISA test to the (reaction) foods I no longer ate.

I needed 3 different panels of ELISA, because after the first 100 food panel which indiated sugar and egg sensitivities, I was still reaction to something. Rather than just guess, I took the other 2 ELISA panels (vegan additional foods and herbs and spices), which finally showed that I reacted to vanilla and nutmeg.

All the foods, for which my test results indicated strong reactions, matched my experiences with symptoms. Also when I abstained from any of those foods for a while and later accidentally consumed one of those foods, I reacted very strongly. So I trust that my test results are accurate.

Thanks so much for your response burdee! Did your doctor order all of the tests, or did you do them on your own? Thanks again!

[zebaldwin]

reading this kind of scares me...it seems like the list of possibilities are endless.

Just curious what your guys symptoms are/were. I have less digestive problems and more neurological (brain fog, migraines/headaches, weakness, fatigue) I started gluten free 2 days ago...but I mean, in your experience do different foods cause different symptoms? It feels like trial and error could be endless.

(My blood for celiac was negative)

[burdee]

Thanks so much for your response burdee! Did your doctor order all of the tests, or did you do them on your own? Thanks again!

My doctor ordered all the tests. Before I saw him, I never heard of ELISA tests. After I did those tests, I invited a USBiotek staff member to speak at my celiac support group meeting. She explained all the other tests they offer. However, I only took the ELISA food allergy tests.

[burdee]

reading this kind of scares me...it seems like the list of possibilities are endless.

Just curious what your guys symptoms are/were. I have less digestive problems and more neurological (brain fog, migraines/headaches, weakness, fatigue) I started gluten free 2 days ago...but I mean, in your experience do different foods cause different symptoms? It feels like trial and error could be endless.

(My blood for celiac was negative)

How long had you been eating gluten foods (and how much) before your blood test?

Most of my symptoms were gut symptoms (cramping pain, bloating, gas). However gluten reactions felt like bits of broken glass slowly moving through my intestines or really sharp constant pain for about 2 weeks after ingestion. My casein reaction felt more like really bad menstrual cramps or waves of cramping pain. My soy reaction was a combination of the gluten and soy reaction. My egg reaction was nausea and cramping pain. My vanilla and nutmeg reactions were similar to my soy reaction. Only my cane sugar reaction was really different. After eating cane sugar I got palpitations and sometimes mild tachycardia for about 48 hours, as well as slight nausea. However, I suspect my reactions may differ from others' reactions. I had many years of undiagnosed celiac disease. So I have lots of gut damage, which may have made me react with intestinal symptoms to other allergens.

I agree that 'trial and error' can be endless and so inaccurate. I preferred not to guess what caused my symptoms. I also didn't want to unnecessarily restrict what foods I could eat, by using an 'elimination diet' to guess my allergens. I'm really glad I used Enterolab and ELISA tests to determine my sensitivities. I would have never guessed my 2 spice allergies.

[October3]

My daughter, my oldest son, my mom, and I have all had the ELISA test through Genova Diagnostics. I have found the results to be only moderately helpful. In all cases we eliminated all the foods for a few months and then reintroduced. My daughters reaction to soy was a 3+ which is the most severe reaction possible and that is accurate, but we already knew that going in to the test. I think there were several things that were false positives - after eliminating and reintroducing we couldn't tell a difference. Also some things that I know to be a problem didn't show up. But it was helpful at figuring out where to start.

Many people in the medical community don't agree with these tests. My daughter's allergist's issue was that there are too many false positives - he said 50% of people will test positive to any given food and there is very little test-retest reliability.

The other option that I know people who have used and liked is the (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned) testing which looks for inflammatory responses (as opposed to IgG enzymes in the ELISA). But again, the test is not well accepted by the medical community. Our Naturapath/ Homeopath ordered it for us.