The diagnosis of the intolerances in the era of food awareness

Published by Synlab on 12 December 2018

The eliminating of foods that cause hypersensitivity provides a noticeable improvement in a high percentage of patients.

Many people suffer from chronic food intolerance to certain components of the diet. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the population may present this type of reaction.

Food intolerance can appear at any stage of life, even if the person has consumed the causative food for many years. This condition is characterized by a late inflammatory reaction triggered by the digestive tract.

Eliminating from the diet the food to which the individual has specific antibodies provides a significant improvement in their symptoms, which can range from acne to joint pain. In these individuals, the exclusion of offending foods – to which they are hypersensitive (elevated IgG titers) from the diet, provides a visible improvement in approximately 75% of the cases. Food can be re-introduced into the diet gradually after 6 months.

This reaction is often mistaken for a food allergy. Food allergies are characterized by an immediate response of the immune system right after food consumption (protein particle) or other specific substances that trigger toxicity to the individual. The body, believing that food is an aggressive substance, creates antibodies against it. It commonly arises during childhood with little chance of disappearing along the growth and development of the person’s immune system.

Confusing these two conditions is normal, as the same types of food can cause them. However, the correct and assertive differential diagnosis, which can guarantee efficient clinical treatment, is already a reality.

With the advancement of science, innovative tests that enable the analysis of the main foods that can trigger this type of immune reaction are increasingly accessible in people’s lives. The identification of the intolerance profile through tests that evaluate the main foods related to this type of reaction from a simple serum sample has guaranteed a better orientation in the clinical conduct, thus providing greater benefits to the patient´s life.

The A200 test from SYNLAB Group assesses the immune system’s response to more than 200 foods in the Mediterranean diet. With a simple blood sample, you will be able to know which foods can potentially be harmful to your health.

About SYNLAB
SYNLAB offers a full range of medical laboratory services for practising doctors, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry. The SYNLAB Group is the uncontested leader on the European market for human medicine laboratory services.

References
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Jian L, Anqi H, Gang L, Litian W, Yanyan X, Mengdi W, Tong L. Food Exclusion Based on IgG Antibodies Alleviates Symptoms in Ulcerative Colitis: A Prospective Study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2018 May 16. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izy110. [Epub ahead of print]

Shakoor Z, AlFaifi A, AlAmro B, AlTawil LN, AlOhaly RY. Prevalence of IgG-mediated food intolerance among patients with allergic symptoms. Ann Saudi Med. 2016 Nov-Dec;36(6):386-390.