Become informed with blood intolerance testing research!
Allergies and Intolerances. The Statistics and Research.
Allergy and Intolerance Prevalence within the UK
- In the US it is estimated the prevalence of clinical Food Allergies was 2.5% (peanut 1.3%, milk 0.4%, egg 0.2%, shrimp 1.0%, not mutually exclusive). (Liu, A.H. 2010)
- IgE-associated food allergy affects approximately 3% of the population and has severe effects on the daily life of many patients throughout the USA —manifestations occur not only in the gastrointestinal tract but also affect other organ systems. (Valenta, R. 2015)
- The prevalence and severity of food allergies seem to be increasing generally worldwide. In addition to genetic factors, a number of environmental, cultural, and behavioural factors affect the frequency, severity, and type of allergic manifestations in patients. (Lack, G. 2012)
- 78% of fatalities are people who have also been diagnosed with asthma (Turner et al., 2015)
Allergies and Food Labelling
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assuring that foods sold in the United States are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
There are 14 foods which must be labeled and identified as ingredients on all pre-packed food:
- Cereals containing gluten: wheat, spelt, Khorasan wheat, rye, barley, oats
- Crustaceans: prawns, crabs, lobster, crayfish
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk
- Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia
- Celery including celeriac
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Sulphur dioxide/sulphites – where added and at a level above 10mg/kg in the finished product. This can be used as a preservative in dried fruit
- Lupin: lupin seeds, flour, can be found in types of bread, pastries and pasta
- Molluscs: clams, mussels, whelks, oysters, snails
Below are some useful links to follow if you want to know more about food allergies and intolerances:
https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm079311.htm
https://www.foodallergy.org/life-with-food-allergies/food-allergy-101/facts-and-statistics
https://www.allergyuk.org/information-and-advice/statistics
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-allergy/
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-industry
Allergy (IgE) Research
A study and background of allergies Food Allergy – Molecular and Clinical Practice-CRC Press Layout
World Allergy Organisation study of Allergies wao_white_book-Executive Summary
Blood testing for allergies in food
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314037/
Intolerance (IgG) Research
Food elimination in relation to IBS based on IgG antibodies: https://gut.bmj.com/content/53/10/1459
Milk intolerance detection using IgG antibodies: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2222.1986.tb01980.x
Clinical relevance of IgG antibodies against food antigens in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind cross-over diet intervention study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20130407
Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial
http://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/53/10/1459.full.pdf
Time to reconsider the clinical value of immunoglobulin G4 to foods?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18839470
Allergy and Intolerance. Research papers.
Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial.
150 outpatients with IBS were randomised to receive, for three months, either a diet excluding all foods to which they had raised IgG antibodies (enzyme linked immunosorbant assay test) or a sham diet excluding the same number of foods but not those to which they had antibodies.
A clinically significant improvement in IBS symptoms was observed in patients eliminating foods to which they were found to exhibit sensitivity.
A prospective audit of food intolerance among migraine patients in primary care clinical practice.
This prospective audit was set up to investigate whether migraine sufferers have evidence of IgG-based food intolerances and whether their condition can be improved by the withdrawal from the diet of specific foods identified by intolerance testing. Migraine patients were recruited from primary care practices and a blood sample was taken. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted on the blood samples to detect food-specific IgG in the serum. Patients identified with food intolerances were encouraged to alter their diets to eliminate appropriate foods and were followed up for a 2-month period
This investigation demonstrated that food intolerances mediated via IgG may be associated with migraine and that altering the diet to eradicate specific foods could treat a migraine. Elimination of foods that responded with a high IgG response lead to 30% of subjects reporting benefit to migraine symptoms after 1 month and 40% after 2 months. 60% subjects who reintroduced their reactive foods suffered onset of migraine symptoms.
Rees et al. (2005)
A pilot study looked at two studies of individuals with Asthma. The two subjects were put on an elimination diet after taking an IgG food intolerance test using the ELISA system.
The studies showed the patients saw substantial relief in symptoms of Asthma after following a IgG antibody guided elimination diet.
Virdee, K., Musset, J., Baral, M., Cronin, C. and Langland, J., 2015.
Food-specific IgG Antibody—guided Elimination Diets Followed by Resolution of Asthma Symptoms and Reduction in Pharmacological Interventions in Two Patients: A Case Report. Global advances in health and medicine, 4(1), pp.62-66.
Treatment of delayed food reactions based on specific immunoglobulin G testing
This study focused on patients that had a history of suffering from varied symptoms, including Fatigue, Diarrhoea, Migraines and Itchy Skin.
114 patients in total were tested for food sensitivities using a food-specific IgG antibody test. Of the 114 initial subjects, 80 completed the study by following an elimination diet based on their IgG reactive foods. Upon elimination of reactive foods, subjects showed significant improvements in their previously reported symptoms. In subjects who reported having symptoms, 71% of subjects realised a 75% or greater improvement in their condition/s, half of the study group realised 90% or more relief from their symptoms in the 15 patients that did not eliminate their reactive foods, experienced no relief in their symptoms.
HAMILTON S. DIXON, MD, Rome, Georgia
Dixon HS. (2000)