In vitro food intolerance test. Food intolerance: how "diagnosis" deceives. When to get tested

The term "food intolerance" appeared in the medical industry relatively recently: it means individual hypersensitivity to certain types of foods. But if, for example, a food allergy finds real confirmation in the form of clearly established symptoms and markers, then intolerance cannot boast of such an evidence base.

In the price lists of private medical laboratories, you can find various options for hematological tests, which, as their developers assure, easily identify food products that are dangerous for a particular person. However, why is the vast majority of them not recognized as official medicine and even simply not registered? To clarify the question of which blood test for food intolerance is more reliable, this article will help.

Characteristics of popular types of blood diagnostics

The most common three types of studies are FED, hemocode and ELISA. Since their cost often exceeds 11,000–16,000 rubles, the choice of the most reliable method should be approached with the utmost responsibility. In the worst case, it will be a shame to lose a considerable amount of money paid for an uninformative blood test.

FED

It is believed that screening of this type of venous blood contributes to the normalization of almost all body processes and gradual weight loss, which does not provoke an imbalance. The biomaterial obtained as a result of laboratory blood sampling is studied for susceptibility to an extensive list of products. At the end of the diagnostic work, food products are distributed into 4 colored columns of the final form, depending on their safety for human health:

• Green color - a beneficial effect on the body. Unlimited consumption is allowed.
• Yellow color - influence, both positive and negative, is excluded. Food is not prohibited.
• Orange is a minor immune response. The number of products should be reduced.
• Red color is an extremely negative reaction, rejection. Food intake must be reduced to zero.

Along with the result, patients are given reminders and recommendations that can help overcome problems with being overweight.

Hemocode

This diagnosis is also based on the delivery of biomaterial from a vein. The concentrated components of each product (extracts) are lowered into a test tube with a liquid, and a result is formed based on the resulting reactions. Only he, in turn, consists of lists of only 2 shades - red and green.

A chemiluminometer is a laboratory device used in the analysis of blood for hemocode

ELISA

ELISA allows you to detect the concentration of immunoglobulin IgG in blood cells. These antibodies, according to one of the voiced versions, attack food lumps that are indigestible against the background of intolerance, which are unable to give their beneficial components to the body. In the normal state, IgG destroys disease-causing agents.

In order to determine the reaction of an immunoglobulin to selected products, it is not at all necessary to memorize its numerical designations. Useful, dubious and dangerous types of food will be placed in the tables in green, yellow and red, respectively.

Food intolerance has not yet been characterized by a clear symptomatology, by which it would be possible to determine its presence. Separate signs indicate thousands of diseases, therefore, a relative indication is considered to be the presence of a complex of physiological abnormalities in a person.

The most commonly reported pathological manifestations include:

• flatulence of the intestine;
• chronic heartburn;
• constipation;
• drowsiness;
• general weakness;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• anorexia;
• obesity;
• muscle and joint pain;
• dyspnea;
• unexplained increase in BMI;
• tachycardia;
• apathy;
• dizziness immediately after eating.
• puffiness;
• diarrhea;
• cellulite.

Special indications include various forms of inflammation - cholecystitis, gastritis, sinusitis, glomerulonephritis, colitis, pancreatitis, enteritis, otitis, etc. It is also recommended to donate blood for food intolerance to those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, mainly gastric ulcers, hypolactasia ( lactose intolerance), dysbacteriosis or erosion.

Skin rashes (acne, papules, pustules) are often the result of malnutrition

Screening

All 3 types of diagnosis require venous blood from the cubital vessel. The procedure is carried out in the following order:

1. The person sits down on a couch or chair.
2. The laboratory assistant chooses a hand more suitable for analysis and fixes the tourniquet on the lower part of the shoulder. If the vessel is not visible well enough, the patient will have to work a little with his fist.
3. The site of the future puncture is disinfected with medical alcohol.
4. The needle of a syringe or vacuum system is inserted into the vein at a slight angle. Through it, the required amount of blood is taken.
5. A sterile swab is pressed against the wound while the needle is withdrawn from the vein. The harness is removed.

It is necessary to hold the gauze disk over the puncture until the bleeding stops completely. Detailed results will have to wait from 7 to 10 days.

What does the preparation include?

Such a substance as blood requires a reverent attitude towards itself, since the wrong approach to the daily routine and diet can seriously affect its composition. To avoid a false result, you should introduce several rules into your life 3-7 days before the diagnosis. Stop drinking all drinks containing alcohol and caffeine. Replace fast food and semi-finished products with fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, as well as simple dishes prepared by one's own hands.

Monitor the psychological state, stopping bouts of nervous overstrain, panic and stress. Minimize the amount of sweets and flour products. Do not carry over high-calorie meals for the evening. Exclude such a method of heat treatment of dishes as frying in favor of baking and steaming. Avoid heavy physical exertion on the musculoskeletal system.

Venous blood is taken on an empty stomach, so the last meal should be taken 8-12 hours before the procedure.

Before a blood test, it is not allowed to smoke and actively move. If on the day of the planned trip to the clinic a person has symptoms of acute respiratory diseases (nasal congestion, tearing, weakness, fever), then the blood collection procedure should be postponed until complete recovery.

Reliability of analysis

Not a single hematological study associated with the detection of food intolerance has been accepted by official medicine. The extreme ambiguity of such procedures is regularly reminded by scientists from Russia, the USA, Australia, Japan and the UK. Even the very principle of identifying a ghostly pathology, which has not yet been assigned the status of a disease, is questioned.

As noted earlier, IgG antibodies are indeed produced in greater volumes when certain foods are ingested. But it turned out that this is a normal phenomenon caused by the regular consumption of the same food. And given the widespread chemicalization of the food industry, it is not surprising that the body rejects food, consisting of a complex of dyes, flavors and preservatives. In most cases, the cause of intolerance is not food at all, but dangerous additives in them.

A mandatory point of preparation is a discussion with a specialist on the further use of drugs (at least 8–10 days before screening)

That is, we are not talking about deviations, on which, in fact, the derivation of the results of ELISA (enzymatic immunoassay) is based. The technique of conducting the hemocode also raises a number of questions. For example, if a blood test involves extracting extracts from a variety of foods, why are they all formed in the same solvent? Such an omission reduces the information content of diagnostics to zero.

Neither hematologists nor immunologists can explain the algorithm for detecting food intolerance through the use of expensive blood tests. Moreover, even the developers themselves do not give a clear explanation on this matter. Some experts believe that such tests are a form of profitable fraud.

On the one hand, patients can think about their health, having received unsatisfactory test results, and subsequently lead a healthy lifestyle. But on the other hand, if the principle of conducting the procedures is still unknown, who will guarantee that the study indicators will not be falsified. After all, then a gullible person can throw all his strength into solving the identified "problem", while the real disease, which was indicated by vague symptoms, will continue to progress.

There were known cases when allergen products were highlighted in the red list of final forms. But an allergic reaction, as mentioned earlier, has nothing to do with the new term - its existence has been proven for a long time, and it is diagnosed using much more reliable research methods.

Classical blood tests, such as CBC, take into account many factors that affect the change in markers. And tests for food intolerance often do not take into account either the patient's history or age category. Another aspect is the set of symptoms. Any recognized disease is characterized by a set of ailments, thanks to which people distinguish one pathology from another. But how then to describe food intolerance?

If you look closely, you can see that the list of indications for a blood test includes physiological ailments that are observed in most people. For example, drowsiness and dizziness - many schoolchildren, students, workers, and also pensioners suffer from these symptoms alone. Very convenient signs for making profit from the maximum number of people.

Description

Method of determination Immunoassay.

Material under study Serum

Home visit available

Determination of subclasses of IgG to food allergens. Antibodies of the IgG class to food allergens are a potential factor in non-IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to food components. List of allergens: avocado, cow's milk, pineapple, carrot, orange, quantaloupe melon, peanut, soft cheese, eggplant, oats, banana, cucumber, lamb, olives, beta-lactoglobulin, cola nut, grapes, halibut, gluten, black pepper, beef, chili pepper, blueberry, peach, grapefruit, parsley, walnut, wheat, buckwheat, millet, champignon mushrooms, spotted beans, pear, baker's yeast, rye, brewer's yeast, sardines, green peas, beets, green bell peppers - p.Capcsicum, pork, strawberries, celery, turkey, sunflower seeds, yogurt, plums, casein, soybeans, squid, green beans, flounder, rice, feta cheese, broccoli, cheddar cheese, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, cod , coffee, cane sugar, crab, tuna, shrimp, zucchini, rabbit, oysters, corn, trout, sesame, hake, tobacco, cauliflower, chicken, whole grain barley, lemon, black tea, salmon, garlic, onion, swiss cheese , butter, chocolate, honey, apple, almond, egg white, goat milk uh, egg yolk. This type of research has appeared in the arsenal of laboratory clinical diagnostics relatively recently. Theoretically, it is based on scientific data demonstrating that certain subclasses of IgG may be associated with reactions of basophil degranulation and activation of the complement system (included in the mechanisms of allergy and anaphylaxis), and observations of cases of atopy combined with the presence of IgG antibodies to food allergens in the blood serum in high concentration. Hypersensitivity to food components in most cases is based on immune mechanisms associated with IgE (food allergy). The most common clinical manifestations of food allergy are associated with the classic symptoms of allergy (atopic dermatitis, urticaria, anaphylaxis, allergic rhinitis), symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, intestinal upset, abdominal pain), there is evidence of an association of increased food sensitivity with migraine, chronic fatigue syndrome. In some cases, food intolerance reactions are associated with the participation of IgG immunoglobulins, immune complexes, cellular immunity mechanisms, non-immune mechanisms (enzyme deficiency). Laboratory diagnosis of non-IgE-mediated food intolerance reactions may include testing for the presence of IgG antibodies to various food allergens in the blood. IgG-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to food are delayed-type reactions, they are observed with prolonged intake of a certain allergen with food. The results of testing for the presence of IgG to food allergens suggest an optimal change in diet with the exclusion or rotation of individual food components, which can significantly improve the patient's condition. It should be noted that the clinical significance of the fact of detecting a significant amount of IgG to food allergens in the patient's blood is ambiguous, the interpretation of the data obtained is difficult because a positive result can be a variant of the norm, the detected class G immunoglobulins can act as blocking antibodies that reduce the severity of allergic reactions occurring involving specific IgE. Testing for IgG antibodies to a panel of food allergens is advisable to carry out in a complex of other studies in difficult cases of diagnosing food intolerance, the results are subject to interpretation by an allergist.

Training

It is preferable to withstand 4 hours after the last meal, there are no mandatory requirements. It is undesirable to conduct a study against the background of the use of glucocorticoid hormone preparations (you should consult with your allergist regarding the advisability of canceling). Antihistamines do not affect the result.

The rapid change in the composition and quality of products and the very style of nutrition leads to the development of a large number of various digestive disorders in people. They are expressed both in simple dyspepsia and in severe lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Food allergies are fixed in children from a very early age. An allergy is a reaction of the immune system to a product that it considers hostile to the body. Another form of eating disorders is food intolerance.

What is a food intolerance?

Food intolerance (NF) is a condition in which the digestive system is unable to properly process certain foods. PN is caused by enzyme deficiency in the body, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, some psychological problems, or the products themselves and their components.

The influence of enzymatic disorders on the activity of the organism is very great. It is because of them that weight gain, skin diseases, and digestive problems are often observed. The most obvious sign of PN is dyspepsia after eating certain foods, which is sometimes mistaken for poisoning.

In most cases, the response of the body caused by PN is not observed immediately after a meal. Diagnosing it is much more difficult than an allergy. It often takes more than a day after consuming a food that is harmful to the body before the onset of symptoms.

The difference between intolerance and allergy

MO can be defined as the inability of the body to digest certain types of foods. With allergies, any amount of a dangerous product immediately causes an immune system response.

Food allergies are expressed by skin manifestations (the so-called diathesis in children), swelling of the mucous membranes, nasal congestion, later nausea and diarrhea. To accurately identify the disease, a complex is carried out.

The characteristic features of PN are:

1. Slow reaction to the consumed product. The main difficulty in understanding the causes and identifying products to which there is intolerance is that small doses of the reaction do not cause. The response may appear after a considerable time after ingestion and after repeated use.
2. The start of the reaction comes gradually and grows slowly.
3. The list of products can be constantly expanded.
4. To detect intolerance, you need to immediately consume a large dose of the product.
5. MON often happens on the simplest types of food that are present in the daily diet.

Doctors believe that intolerance is more dangerous than allergies, since its symptoms are less obvious and delayed, more difficult to correct. In particular, intolerance to dairy products causes. This enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of milk sugars.

Both states are united by the fact that the reaction does not occur to spoiled food containing toxins and harmful microorganisms, but to completely fresh food. Another common point is the chronic course of conditions, it is impossible to cure them. It is necessary to exclude substances that provoke conditions from the diet.

Video about food allergies from Dr. Komarovsky:

Signs of pathology

When you are allergic to food, getting even a small dose of a dangerous substance instantly mobilizes the immune system for a variety of reactions. They are obvious and are stopped by taking antihistamines. A blood test for food allergens helps to clarify the type of product hazardous to health.

The signs of a food intolerance are:

• nausea;
• flatulence;
• diarrhea alternating with constipation;
• fatigue;
• headache.

A less obvious symptom is constant weight gain and the inability to stop it. There is fatigue and drowsiness after eating specific foods, dark circles under the eyes, suspected allergies, and the inability to identify the allergen. With such symptoms, an intolerance test should be taken.

Enzymatic deficiency is the cause of the development of inflammatory bowel syndrome, eczema, migraine, arthritis may develop in the future. Undigested food disrupts the composition of urine, leads to kidney disease, impaired urine output, and contributes to weight gain. The metabolism is disturbed.

Most often, PN is observed on the following types of products:

• red meat;
• cereals;
• alcohol:
• citrus;
• eggs and chickens;
• chocolate, coffee.

However, in most cases, PN is observed on food, which includes numerous dyes, preservatives, and additives.

Main types

Digestion of food consists of two main processes - its breakdown by enzymes and absorption into the blood. With PN, a disorder of one or both processes is observed.

The main types are:

• psychogenic PI - inability to digest food due to the effect of stress on the digestive organs;
• fermentopathy - a lack of certain digestive enzymes necessary for digestion (these are celiac disease, phenylketonuria and other diseases);
• irritable bowel syndrome - the entry of toxins into the blood due to a diseased intestine;
• reaction to biological substances in products - salicylic acid esters, caffeine and others;
• intolerance to chemical additives in food.

A person may have different types of PN at the same time. Undigested food poisons the body - the intestines, liver, kidneys, and the bloodstream carries toxins to all cells.

Diagnostic methods

Some tests and tests help identify foods and substances that cause PN.

The most commonly used blood tests for food intolerance are:

1. Hemotest or hemocode. To determine the patient's attitude to different types of products (up to 130 samples), food extracts are introduced into the blood taken for analysis. According to the reaction of the cells, they form lists of useful and harmful types of meat, vegetables, and cereals. These lists serve to determine the diet in the future.
2. FED. Testing the reaction to 100 products and chemical additives. As a result, 4 lists are issued, in which all types of food are divided according to their usefulness and harmfulness to the body.
3. ELISA- linked immunosorbent assay. Proposed by English experts. It involves taking blood (a few drops) and identifying in the laboratory a recall (IgG) of a patient for a specific type of product. This method (Yorktest) is considered the most reliable and reproducible (95%). The recommendation is issued depending on the number of developed antibodies to this substance.
4. INVITRO. A blood test for allergic reactions, that is, IgG immunoglobulin, as well as other reactions that are not IgG-specific. A series of studies is recommended to identify the exact types of intolerance.

The urgency of the problem leads to the constant emergence of new methods for detecting PN and an increase in their reliability.

How and where can I get tested?

Analysis for food intolerance requires compliance with certain preparation rules.

These include:

• absence of infectious and other somatic diseases;
• refusal to take medicines in consultation with the doctor;
• performed on an empty stomach in the morning, without eating for 10-12 hours, only drinking plain water is allowed;
• before the analysis, a sparing diet is needed for 3 days;
• not carried out during menstruation in women;
• brushing teeth with toothpaste is prohibited.

For the test, venous blood is taken. The result is issued depending on the methods in a few hours or days (up to a week). Testing is carried out on a large group of vegetables, fruits, cereals, which are the most traditional for our country.

Usually, a dietitian gives a referral for testing. Testing can be done in specialized laboratories and clinics. How much does a food intolerance test cost in a particular institution can be found on its website. The cost increases depending on the number of extracts involved in testing. The price of a blood test for food intolerance varies in the range of 15-25 thousand rubles.

However, most clinics and laboratories warn about the possibility of additional tests to confirm and specify the result.

General rules of conduct after receiving the result of the analysis

The results of the research are lists that indicate recommended and prohibited cereals, vegetables, types of meat, dairy products. Useful you can eat without fear, forbidden - try to avoid.

During the cleansing period, the body is released from accumulated toxins. It is useful to drink clean water, eat fruits and vegetables from the recommended list. This usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. The doctor decides when the strict period should end. Usually at this time the condition improves, there are no signs of dyspepsia, the metabolism returns to normal.

During the recovery phase, banned species are administered one at a time and the reaction is monitored. The absence of disorders makes the product approved for use once every 1-2 weeks.

Video about intolerance and its difference from allergies:

Criticism of the method

It should be noted that the view of food intolerance as the cause of a large number of different conditions and diseases is not shared by all physicians. Moreover, both the idea itself and the methods of diagnosing PN are criticized.

In many sources, the number of people suffering from allergies is called 20%, and PN is almost 80%. Many doctors believe that there is an overdiagnosis of both conditions. In fact, clinical trials confirm a true allergy in only 2-3%. Meanwhile, many are sure that they have allergies, and regularly take antihistamines.

Gastroenterologists are alarmed at attempts to explain PN's digestive problems. This often leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. If there are reactions to food, an allergy test should be done. Increasing the level of immunoglobulin E will help to accurately diagnose the disease.

It is a completely different matter with tests for PN. These methods are highly doubtful among specialists.

Very often, food intolerance does not directly depend on the characteristics of the body, but on diseases of the stomach, intestines or pancreas. In this case, the cause is confused with the effect. While the patient is looking for where to take a test for PN, the disease progresses.

The main complaints about the hemotest and other methods are the unreliability of the results and their non-reproducibility. In other words, with a repeated test, the results are different.

However, tests for PN still give a positive result. It consists, according to the testees themselves, in the fact that they thought about their diet, reduced the amount of calories consumed to the recommended minimum.

In addition, the advice based on the results of tests for PN is really correct - do not eat fried, salty, fatty foods, eat fruits and vegetables, and monitor calorie content. These recommendations are useful and improve the condition of the body. No method of organizing nutrition will do harm if followed with care and concern for health.

Symptoms of food intolerance are similar to allergies, but these diseases differ in the mechanism of development. Accordingly, the methods of prevention and treatment differ.

An allergy develops when the immune system recognizes a certain food as an infection and produces antibodies to fight it. An allergic reaction manifests itself instantly, no matter how much of the forbidden food is eaten.

With intolerance, digestion is disturbed and there is no connection with immunity. If food enters the body that is difficult for them to digest, poorly digested, then existing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract become aggravated, indigestion and various inflammatory processes appear.

They can affect any organ, but the kidneys are the most affected. The negative effect is manifested in fluid retention, the excess of which, getting into the tissues, is absorbed into the adipose tissue. This causes overweight, obesity or chronic diseases. Moreover, any food can provoke such undesirable consequences.

The process of the procedure

Do not eat for four hours before the procedure. If you are being treated, then donate blood 12-24 hours after the completion of the course, since it is based on the study of its properties after contact with a food extract. It takes 7-10 days to receive the withdrawals.

As a result, products are divided into two lists - "red" and "green". The second includes food, the use of which is not limited, it should form the basis of the daily diet. What is on the "red" list, it is desirable to exclude from the menu for some time (up to six months).

Following the recommendations for several months will help normalize the processes occurring in the body, improve well-being. A blood test is reliable for up to a year, then there may be minor changes in the lists.

Indications

It is recommended to undergo diagnostics for athletes, women planning pregnancy, people with chronic diseases, including obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, acne or skin rash, heartburn, belching, eczema, dermatosis, migraine, asthma, cholelithiasis or urolithiasis, arthritis, diabetes mellitus . The results of the test can be successfully used by those who want to lose weight, strengthen the immune system, improve the condition of nails and hair.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications to conduct such a study. The exception is patients who are taking corticosteroids, antihistamines, anticoagulants, or antidepressants. During the period of use of these drugs, this analysis should be refrained from.

Prices and clinics

An analysis for food intolerance, information on prices for which is always available on the website portal, will allow you to get rid of many chronic diseases due to simple dietary adjustments.