FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTING

Food sensitivities involve an immune response in which the body produces antibody immunoglobulins, typically IgG, which occurs more slowly than IgE.

Food sensitivities are most likely to arise in the digestive system and are usually the result of an inability to absorb or digest particular foods or parts of those foods. Because it often takes much longer for symptoms to arise (sometimes days), it can be difficult to identify the offending food or the person is unaware of the link between the symptoms and what he or she has eaten.

[accordions style=’default’] [accordion style=’default’ title=’Symptoms’]There are a wide variety of symptoms that may be associated with food sensitivities, such as:

• Digestive complaints: abdominal pain, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea
• Nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, post nasal drip
• Joint and muscle pain for no apparent reason
• Headaches and migraines
• Skin problems: itching, rashes, hives, eczema
• Anxiety, depression, moodiness, irritability
• Sleep problems • Fatigue, brain fog
• Environmental allergies
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Water retention, puffiness under the eyes
• Severe cravings for the food to which you are sensitive [/accordion] [accordion style=’default’ title=’Food Sensitivity IgG 96′] It can be difficult to know exactly what foods your body is sensitive to because sensitivities are much more subtle than allergies – they can take up to 72 hours to present and include symptoms that range from fatigue, bloating, lathery, and much more. The IgG 96 is a blood test that determines if you have food sensitivities to 96 of the most commonly consumed foods. When you have a food sensitivity, you have an immune reaction when you eat that food; in other words your body sees it as an invader instead of a nutrient. An important component of The Thrive Program is removing stressors and many people find this test an easy way to identify and remove food ‘stressors’ from their diet to enhance their healing process. The IgG 96 includes the following foods:

The IgG 96 includes the following foods:
Almond Apple Asparagus Avocado Banana
Barley Basil Bay Leaf Bean, Green Bean, Lima
Cabbage Beef Blueberry Bran Broccoli
Celery Clam Cocoa Coconut Codfish
Coffee Cola Corn Crab Cucumber
Dill Egg White Egg Yolk Eggplant Garlic
Ginger Gluten Grape Grapefruit Haddock
Honey Lamb Lemon Lettuce Lobster
Malt Milk, Cow’s Mushroom Mustard Oats
Nutrasweet Olive, Green Onion Orange Oregano
Pea, Green Peach Peanut Pear Rye
Pepper, Black Pepper, Chili Pineapple Pork Salmon
Pepper, Green Potato, Sweet Safflower Scallop Sesame
Potato, White Rice, Brown Shrimp Sole Soy Bean
Spinach Squash Strawberry Tomato Tuna
Sugar Cane Sunflower Swordfish Turkey Wheat
Watermelon Walnut, Black Tea, Black Yogurt Yeast, Brewer’s
Yeast, Baker’s

[/accordion] [accordion style=’default’ title=’Food Sensitivity IgG 184′] Patients who have digestive complaints as one of their main health concerns are recommended for the 184 IgG Food Sensitivity Panel. Digestion related symptoms may include gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, stomach upset, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s, colitis, and many others. This test includes the foods tested in the 96 food panel in addition to 88 more. Others who may want to consider the 184 option are people who eat foods that are less common, such as amaranth and buckwheat, or someone who consumes a wide variety of spices. The IgG 184 includes the 96 foods above plus an additional 88 foods:

The IgG 184 includes the 96 foods above plus an additional 88 foods:
Amaranth Anchovy Apricot Arrowroot Artichoke
Black Bass Red Bean Red Beet Blackberry Brazil Nut
Brussels Sprouts Buckwheat Buffalo Canola Capsicum
Carob Casein Cheese, Blue Cherry Chestnut
Chickpea Cloves Cottonseed Cranberry Date
Deer Duck Fennel Flaxseed Flounder
Ginkgo Biloba Ginseng Halibut Hazelnut Herring
Hops Horseradish Kiwi Lentil Licorice
Lime Litchi Mackerel Mango Milk, Goat’s
Oyster Papaya Paprika Parsley Parsnip
Pea, Black-Eyed Pecan Pepper, Red Peppermint Perch, Sea
Pepper, Cayenne Pike, Walleye Pistachio Plum Poppyseed
Pumpkin Quinoa Rabbit Radish Raspberry
Red Snapper Rhubarb Rosemary Sage Sorghum
Sugar Beet Tangerine Tapioca Teff Thyme
Trout Turmeric Turnip Whey White Bean
Vanilla Bean White fish Zucchini

[/accordion] [/accordions]

MORE INFORMATION —> about Food Sensitivities

FOOD ALLERGY TESTING

This test determines food allergies (as opposed to food sensitivities) which create an immediate reaction in the body. These reactions are unpleasant and sometimes severe. Upon eating the offending food, anywhere from minutes to hours later, symptoms caused by an IgE-mediated reaction can cause digestive upset, hives, swelling, and respiratory problems. In the worst case scenario, anaphylactic shock can occur. [accordions style=’default’] [accordion style=’default’ title=’E95 Panel’] The basic food allergy test panel and consists of 95 commonly eaten foods:

Almond Apple Apricot Asparagus Avocado
Baker’s Yeast Banana Barley Beef Beet
Blueberry Brewers Yeast Broccoli Buckwheat Cabbage
Candida Cane Sugar Carrot Casein Cauliflower
Celery Cheddar Chicken Chocolate Clam
Cod Coffee Corn Cottage Cheese Cow’s Milk
Crab Cranberry Cucumber Egg white Egg yolk
Garlic Gliadin Gluten Goats Milk Grape
Grapefruit Green bean Green pepper Halibut Hemp
Honey Kidney Bean Lamb Lemon Lentil
Lettuce Lima Bean Lobster Malt Mozzarealla cheese
Mushroom Strawberry Sunflower seed Swiss Cheese Tomato
Nectarine Oat Olive Onion Orange
Oyster Papaya Pea Peach Peanut
Pear Pecan Pineapple Plum Pork
Potato, white Pumpkin Quinoa Raspberry Rice
Salmon Sardine Sesame Shrimp Sole
Soy Spinach Tilapia Trout Tuna
Turkey Walnut Watermelon Wheat Whey

[/accordion] [/accordions]

Medications To Avoid Prior To:

Food Sensitivity Testing IgG96 and IgG184 and Food Allergy Testing E95 

  • Acid Blockers X 3 Days
  • Inhaled Asthma Medications, Analgesics/Anti-Inflammatories X 5 Days
  • Oral Steroids X 2 Weeks
  • Immuno-suppressants – speak to your ND first
  • Chemotherapy – this test is not recommended

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGY PRICK TESTING

This test goes by the name of skin prick test, puncture test, or scratch test. By scratching the skin lightly and then applying a small amount of the suspected allergen (most commonly pollen, mold, pet dander, dust mites and foods) on to the area, we can assess to see if a small itchy raised bump presents itself. If one or more allergen tests positive, it is then treated by either injections or sublingual drops. This can reduce and even eliminate reactions long term.

[accordions style=’default’] [accordion style=’default’ title=’What We Test For’]

  • Standard Grass Mix: Timothy, Orchard, June, Red Top, Sweet Vernal
  • Tree 10 Mix: Alder, White Ash, American Beech, Black Birch, American Elm, Shagbark, Sugar Maple, White Oak, White Poplar, American Sycamore
  • Mould Mix: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosproium, Penicillium
  • Dust Mite: Mixed mites
  • Dog: Dog epithelium
  • Weed Mix: Cocklebur, Rough Marsh Elder, English Plantain, Lamb Quarters
  • Cat: Cat Pelt [/accordion] [/accordions]

What are the different forms of allergies we work with at our clinic?

 

Food Sensitivities:
(lgG 96 or 184)

Food Allergies:
(E 95)

Environmental Sensitivities:
(Scratch Test)

What is it?

Involves an immune response in which the body produces antibody immunoglobulins, typically IgG, which occurs more slowly than IgE (food allergy).

Create an immediate immune reaction in the body. Unpleasant and sometimes severe. Reaction time is minutes to hours after eating food.

The immune system’s overreaction to a substance in the environment such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander etc.  The immune system receives information from your outer environment and produces an adaptive response.

Symptoms

o   Chronic Headaches

o   Dizziness

o   Swelling or Pain

o   Nausea and/or Vomiting

o   Constipation

o   Eczema, Dry Skin, Acne

o   General Weakness (aches and pains of muscles and joints)

o   Fatigue, Mental Dullness and Memory Lapse

o   Bloating

 

o   Digestive Upset

o   Hives

o   Swelling

o   Respiratory Problems

o   Trouble Breathing

o   Anaphylactic Shock (worst case scenario)

 

o   Sneezing (often accompanied by a running nose)

o   Watering Eyes

o   Conjunctivitis

o   Skin Rashes or Hives

o   “Sinus” Symptoms (headache, pressure behind the eye, pain above the cheekbones and on the lower forehead, aching teeth)

o   Itching Eyes, Nose and Throat

o   Coughing and Postnasal Drip

 

Tests

Test of the 96 most commonly sensitive foods and another test of 186 (same 96 as first with 88 extra) foods for those with a larger variety diet

 

 Test panel of 95 of the most commonly eaten foods such as almond, chicken, cow’s milk, egg yolk, gluten, and many more

 

Test for: Standard Grass Mix, Tree 10 Mix, Mould Mix, Dust Mite, Dog, Cat and Weed Mix

 

If you feel like you are having an aggravation to something, then we would be happy at our clinic, in downtown Vancouver, to help find the right testing method for you. Getting to the bottom of your current irritations will bring a greater sense of ease to your daily