Food Allergy Testing

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I recently had food allergy testing performed. Here are my results!

food allergy 1

FA2

FA4

FA5

FA6

If you’re interested, please have a look at my book!

8 thoughts on “Food Allergy Testing”

      1. Dan Wich

        I flinched at the price, but I guess it’s not bad for what you get. Do you feel like it identified allergies you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise?

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  2. Michael Lustgarten Post author

    Definitely. I recently started eating black kidney beans, and noticed some GI issues. This test ID’d my allergy to them. Also, I noticed that my ginger and kiwi containing smoothies often made me feel GI discomfort, and they ID’d that, too. The Brazil nuts were a surprise, but I eat small amounts of them every day (4-6g), so they don’t bother me. Yes, the cost is significant, but for me, I’m trying to optimize every variable possible. My diet shouldn’t trigger an immune response, and now I know which foods I need to avoid to minimize that.

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    1. Dan Wich

      I’m thinking of biting the bullet and ordering it, it seems like it’s a part of the LEF sale that I figure is going to end any day now. I spent a good several hours comparing all the companies I could find, determined to find a better bargain (I really know how to party on a Friday night). Unfortunately it seems you’ve already found the best panel/price combo.

      Have you seen Cell Science System’s Vegetarian 200 panel? It has several I think you’d be interested in, but it’s a whopping ~$540. If I did my “diffing” right, here’s the additional results you’d get:
      acorn squash, adzuki beans, ancho chili pepper, arugula, bay leaf, bell pepper, black currant, black tea, black-eyed pea, boston bibb lettuce, button mushroom, cannellini beans, capers, caraway, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chamomile, chickpea, chicory, chives, collard greens, curry, dandelion leaf, date, escarole, fava bean, fennel seed, fructose, guava, honeydew melon, leaf lettuce (red/green), leek, licorice, lime, lychee, molasses, mulberry, mustard greens, mustard seed, nectarine, paprika, parsnip, persimmon, portobello mushroom, rye, saffron, scallion, shallot, shiitake mushroom, spaghetti squash, spelt, star fruit, string bean, swiss chard, tangerine, taro root, turnip, wakame seaweed.

      I compiled my notes on all the ones I found, although it’s not really as useful as I expected it to be: https://www.selftestable.com/allergies

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      1. Michael Lustgarten Post author

        I haven’t seen that panel, and I didn’t shop around (although in hindsight I probably should have). I use lef for my blood testing, so I kept it simple by also using them for this.

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  3. ampdoc

    IgG does not signify that you have a food allergy. It only signifies exposure. A true food allergy test should include IgE.

    Just have a look at the position statements below…

    • The Australiasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) states “There is no credible evidence that measuring IgG antibodies is useful for diagnosing food allergy or intolerance, nor that IgG antibodies cause symptoms.” (https://www.allergy.org.au/images/pcc/ASCIA_PCC_Unorthodox_testing_and_treatment_2014.pdf)

    • The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) consider these types of test irrelevant and state “food-specific IgG4 does not indicate (imminent) food allergy or intolerance, but rather a physiological response of the immune system after exposition to food components. Therefore, testing of IgG4 to foods is considered as irrelevant for the laboratory work-up of food allergy or intolerance and should not be performed in case of food-related complaints.” (http://www.ake-nutrition.at/uploads/media/IgG_4_toFoods_EAACIreport_ALLERGY6_2008.pdf)

    • The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAI) take the position that “Measurement of specific IgG antibodies to foods is also unproven as a diagnostic tool.” (https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Practice%20and%20Parameters/Adverse-reactions-to-foods-DM-2003.pdf)

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    1. Michael Lustgarten Post author

      Thanks ampdoc. I get that the science is unsettled on the IgG test. Will getting it done dramatically improve health? Maybe not. But even if eliminating foods that trigger an immune response improves my health by 0.1%, I’m in.

      Also, from your links, “food-specific IgG4 does not indicate (imminent) food allergy or intolerance, but rather a physiological response of the immune system after exposition to food components”. I don’t want my immune system to mount an immunoglobulin response against food. That’s biological noise that can be reduced…

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