More on Bloodprinting and Food Sensitivities

I'm really intrigued by the Bloodprinting test that I discovered after doing some research several weeks ago. I have made several inquiries and am thinking about having this test done.  Unfortunately, after a call to my insurance company this morning, it looks like I'm going to have to wait a while.

If you didn't catch an earlier post, you're probably wondering just what is this Bloodprint test. In simple terms, it's a test to determine which foods you are sensitive to. Traditionally, the way to figure out what foods are bothersome to your digestive system is to do a dreaded elimination diet. However, according to the literature that Immuno Laboratories of Florida sent me, your Bloodprint is as individual as your fingerprint.  Their testing can determine your food sensitivities (with a 95% rate of accuracy and reproducibility), and they provide an individualized computer printout of all foods that you should start eliminating from your diet.  The lab just needs a small sample of blood, and within a week, the report is back in the hands of your doctor.  I even called Immuno Laboratories to find a doctor in my area, and was excited to hear that there is a local MD that has been in practice for 23 years, went to school at Duke and University of CT and specializes in Integrative and Family Medicine.  However, the laboratory in Florida is out-of-network which means a $500 deductible, and I'm responsible for 35% of the bill which isn't cheap.  For the complete panel, 154 foods, it's approximately $1,500.

Again, if you haven't been following my interest in Bloodprinting, you're probably also wondering why.  That takes me into the topic of food sensitivities. If you're reading my blog, you're probably very familiar with food allergies. If you eat something that you are allergic to, there is an immediate, and in many cases, quite a strong even life-threatening reaction.  With food sensitivities, there is a delayed reaction that can occur hours to days after eating a reactive food.  Symptoms of food sensitivities include, but not limited to, weight gain, headaches, sinus problems, skin rashes, joint pain, depression, fatigue, indigestion and bloating.

I can eat scrambled eggs and feel nauseous an hour later.  I can drink a milk shake and feel like I gained 10 lbs. from bloating, but I tested negative to everything on the basic IgE food allergy panel.  Those are obvious, but there are other foods that I can't narrow down.  So, now I'm researching food sensitivities which brings me back to the Immuno Bloodprint IgG ELISA Food Sensitivity Assay.

The Immuno Laboratories literature gives a good explanation of what causes food sensitivities.  From their brochure... "Medical literature suggests that food sensitivities result when foods and their protein components are not completely digested.  When these components are absorbed by your body, your immune system does not recognize them as nutritional.  It responds protectively by producing antibodies, starting a series of reactions which can affect many tissues and organs."

The positive side of food sensitivities, according to the Immuno Lab literature, is that they are usually just temporary and typically disappear when you eliminate the specific food for 60 to 90 days.  They state that you can reintroduce the food back into your diet and prevent reoccurring food sensitivities by rotating, combining and cooking foods properly.  The individual report that comes back from the lab provides all of those preventive measures.

I'd really like to have this test done.  Or, I can start an elimination diet.  It's free, but definitely not as easy.  I've also discovered an elimination diet program that guarantees results in 21 days.  It's cheaper at around $100.  Can anybody offer up any suggestions?  I'd love to hear your comments.

Immunoglobulins

I've thrown around the term "IgE" quite often in my posts and felt it time to take a closer look.  If a person's Immunoglobulin E (IgE) level, derived from a simple blood test, is elevated, it usually indicates a food allergy and increases with the number of allergies a person has.  I don't know Abigail's total IgE number. I just know her peanut specific IgE number.  It's the number that tells us the percent chance of her having a reaction if exposed to peanuts and is the number that will tell us if her tolerance to peanuts is improving on the study.

There are actually several Immunoglobulins, or antibodies, in our blood.  According to WebMD, antibodies are substances made by the body's immune system in response to bacteria, viruses, fungus, animal dander, or cancer cells. Antibodies attach to the foreign substances so the immune system can destroy them.  There are 5 different types:

• IgA antibodies are found in the nose, breathing passages, digestive tract, ears, eyes, etc., and protect the body surfaces that are exposed to the outside.  Celiac disease is diagnosed using IgA antibodies as a starting point.

• IgM antibodies are found in blood and lymph fluid and are made in response to infections.

• IgE antibodies are found in the lungs, skin and mucous membranes.  They cause the body to react against foreign substances like pollen, dander or food.

• IgD antibodies are found in the tissues that line the belly or chest. WebMD states that it's unclear how they work.

• IgG antibodies are found in bodily fluids and are the most common making up 75 to 80% of all antibodies in our bodies. IgG antibodies help fight bacterial and viral infections.

According to the literature that Immuno Laboratories provided me, the majority of negative reactions to foods, or food sensitivities, with delayed symptoms are caused by IgG antibodies.  The literature states that 90% of immune reactions to foods are non-IgE.

I've been so fixated on IgE numbers that I never really paid attention to anything else.  It wasn't until I started looking closer at the difference between food allergies and food intolerances, that I realized that IgG numbers were quite important.  In my quest to now understand my own food sensitivities and those of several family members, I've been doing more research into the difference between allergies and intolerances.  In the next couple of posts I'll look closer at the symptoms of food sensitivities and the Immuno 1 Bloodprint test that identifies which foods a person is sensitive to.

On a more personal note, I went to my physician last week to discuss my symptoms which I believe are directly related to an intolerance to one or more foods.  I mentioned IgG antibodies, and she said it was something she wasn't familiar with.  She ordered an IgE food allergy test and Celiac test and then indicated that the most she could do to help was to refer me to an Allergist.  While not surprised, I'm frustrated that I have to go through the process of finding a doctor that is more knowledgeable on the subject of food sensitivities.  I haven't received the results of either test yet, but am expecting both to come back negative.