Delving into the growing industry of food intolerance
'IF THERE is a God, please don't let it be chocolate or red wine" was the mantra going around in my head. With the envelope in my hand, I was about to join the growing ranks of people who claim food intolerances.
All over the country it seems, dinner party hostesses are tearing out their carefully coiffed hair, trying to cater for friends who all claim different dietary requirements because of food intolerances.
Mushrooming, too, are the number of companies who are willing to provide evidence to prove those suspected intolerances. However, while allergy testing is medically recognised, there is some disagreement over whether food intolerances actually can be confirmed medically.
Jack Bell is senior clinical dietitian at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and lectures in adverse food reactions at QUT.
"True allergies are easy to identify by clinical history but so far the use of IgG (immunoglobulins) antibodies as well as hair analysis and provocation neutralisations for intolerances have been disproved or unproven. The only valid way to find out is an elimination diet followed by double-blind placebo testing," Bell says.
Immunoglobulins IgGs are commonly found in human body fluid and are antibodies created to fight viral and bacterial infections. Debate rages as to whether their measurement against specific foods can provide an accurate diagnosis of food intolerances.
The difference between intolerance and allergy tends to be both in the symptoms and the speed at which they manifest. Allergies, which are fairly rare, can result in difficulties in breathing, swollen lips or throat, rashes or sneezing attacks. Food intolerances usually are caused by sensitivity to chemical agents, such as sulphites, or stem from enzyme deficiencies, such as lactose intolerance. They may not be immediately life-threatening or have the same health impact as allergies but they certainly can affect quality of life, particularly when undiagnosed.
While it's estimated that between 1 and 2 per cent of adults and 5-8 per cent of children are affected by a food allergy, ascertaining exactly how many people have intolerances is harder, due to the difficulty of making firm diagnoses.
However, Imupro, one company which refutes the claims that intolerance can't be tested through lgG antibodies, claims studies have shown that approximately 45 per cent of people have an intolerance to a food or additive and that the majority of those people are unaware they even have it. Symptoms, they say, might include gastro-intestinal problems, eczema, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes and more.
Imupro tests for "Type 3 food allergy" which they say causes an inflammatory response that settles in many different parts of the body, causing the symptoms.
While some companies such as Imupro do give comprehensive dietary advice to patients – on rotation diets and how to substitute foods you're forced to give up – Bell says he has some concerns about people who are being given results from intolerance testing and no follow-up, or those who are self-diagnosing.
"A lot of people are self-restricting food they could be eating. I strongly suggest seeing a dietitian. Generally, cutting out entire food groups is not a good idea and people need to get advice on what to do so as to not impact on their health and well-being," he says.
THE TEST
DESPITE robust health, I had decided to put myself to the test and now the results were in my hand.
The process had not been quick. First off was a blood screen ($195) which would establish whether I tested positive to any of the food groups. This simply involved having blood taken at a local pathology lab which then was sent off to Imupro for analysis. To my surprise, I was positive for two categories, at which point I could choose to send my blood off for further tests ($995 or $885 after the initial test) which would examine my reaction to 272 different foods (some of them quite out there, including mare's milk).
Imupro, a German company, claims to provide the most comprehensive testing available in Australia which means that rather than being told you are intolerant to seafood, for example, it can pinpoint certain fish species, making it easier to organise your diet.
Ripping open the envelope, I was intrigued to discover that I had intolerances to 22 different foods, including agar agar, almond, gluten, milk, chicken and quail eggs, and soy among others. (Wheat, cow's milk, egg, soy and peanuts are the most common food allergens.)
I admit I was surprised, particularly by the inclusion of "iridescent shark" which I don't think I have ever eaten. I registered a level 2 to most of the foods, which is a low level intolerance, however, I decided in the interests of research to cut these foods from my diet to see how I would feel. It wasn't easy. I now have a huge respect and sympathy for coeliacs. I've been forced to eat a gluten-free friand in the work cafe for lunch because that was the only item on offer that was gluten free.
Dining out, I feel like a neurotic Woody Allen character, and have been subjected to the same barely suppressed sighs, sneers and sniggers that people with serious intolerances and allergies have to deal with every day. So far, it's been more than a month and results are inconclusive.
I've lost some weight, and in the beginning had more energy, but also ended up getting a severe cold followed by a bout of flu, something I haven't had for more than 20 years.
However, I have begun actually to like rice porridge, and I've been forced to broaden my eating habits. Wheat, it seems, is not the only grain.
Personally, I haven't decided whether intolerance testing is a fad or simply something that the notoriously cautious medical profession has yet to ratify. Either way, I'm going to continue with my new regime. I can't cut out the splash of real milk in my morning coffee – mare's milk just doesn't cut it, but the others are no hardship. Now I'll just have to ask at the fish and chip shop: "Can you please make sure it's not iridescent shark? I'm intolerant."
Imupro: www.imupro.com.au
Source: Couriermail.com.au