Food Intolerance Panel (Blood Spot IgG)

Indications:

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) food sensitivity, also known as delayed food intolerance, describes an adverse reaction to food that is mediated by IgG antibodies. Unlike IgE mediated food allergies, which can cause immediate and severe reactions, IgG food sensitivities typically manifest with delayed symptoms that can take hours or days to appear. These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary from person to person, but some common ones include:

• Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal pain
• Skin problems such as eczema, hives, and rashes
• Headaches and migraines
• Fatigue and muscle aches
• Joint pain and inflammation
• Mood swings and irritability

The exact cause of IgG food sensitivities is not fully understood, but it is thought to be related to an increase in intestinal permeability (“Leaky Gut”), which allows food protein molecules incompletely digested to pass through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream. This triggers the production of IgG antibodies, which the body mistakenly identifies as allergens.

IgG food sensitivity testing can be a helpful tool for identifying potential triggers of chronic symptoms, and can save time in identifying potentially problematic foods before trialling food exclusion diets.

VHL’s food intolerance screen is a very comprehensive screen covering IgG reactions to 287 foods from the following groups:

• Vegetables
• Fish & seafood,
• Fruits,
• Spices,
• Nuts,
• Legumes,
• Meats,
• Egg & milk,
• Cereals & seeds
• Coffee, tea and novel foods .

Uniquely this report includes quantification of the IgG level to each food.

Patient Instructions:
Finger-prick blood-spot samples in to a micro tube (instructions provided with test kits). There are no special requirements of patients before providing samples for these tests.