Food intolerance testing (IgG testing), is it a waste of money? | Mirna Sabbagh nutritionist and IBCLC in Dubai

 The below video and article are written by Mirna Sabbagh.

 

Mirna Sabbagh, an adult and child dietitian, nutritionist, and lactation consultant. She also has several digital courses: Pregnancy Nutrition Course, breastfeeding course,  starting solids 6-12 months course, and also child nutrition for all children including picky eaters, that you can sign up for from the comfort of your home.

The courses are pre-recorded. As soon as you make the course purchase, you will receive a link to watch the course from your phone or laptop.

You can also e-mail Mirna for questions on info@mirnaelsabbagh.com

Mirna is no longer doing consultations. Her online courses and webinars cover 95% of parents common concerns. 

 

Food intolerance testing (IgG testing), is it a waste of money? 

Food intolerance is very common yet is different than food allergy. Food allergy is an exaggerated immune response to certain foods and the body triggers an allergic reaction. Food intolerance, however, does not involve and immune response and are generally digestive problems. 

Recently, food intolerance testing (or IgG testing) is becoming a trend and is used to help people lose weight (or so they say).

But is this really accurate? Do you need to do IgG testing if you want to lose weight, or is it just a waste of money?

Simply, it is a waste of money.

According to the American, Canadian, and European academies of Allergy, IgG testing has never been scientifically proven to detect food intolerance, neither help in weight loss. It is not accurate, not reliable, and gives false information.

What the test does is that it screens for high levels of IgG (a type of antibodies) against certain food particles, and if the levels are found high, they will tell you that you have food intolerance. 

BUT it is normal that the IgG levels would be high, and it is more likely a normal response of the immune system to exposure to food. It has nothing to do with intolerance.

If it is not accurate, then why does following diets that utilize this test help people lose weight?

It is because these kinds of diet are generally very restrictive! 

When you do the test, you would find out that you are intolerant to like 30-40 kinds of food! And when you remove all of them from your diet, you would be cutting down on a lot of carbs, fat, calories... etc. It is normal to lose weight then!

IgG and IgE testing are not the same

It is important that you know the difference between IgG and IgE testing. IgG and IgE are two different types of antibodies. IgE is involved in mediating allergic immune responses, while IgG is involved in various kinds of immunity and not necessarily food intolerance.

IgE testing is legit and accurate and can tell if you have a allergy (and not intolerance) to certain food or food proteins. 

Food intolerance is there. But IgG testing is not the right test.

Watch the rest of the video for an easy way to know if you have food intolerance or not.

  

Testimonial about Mirna Sabbagh:

"I went to Mirna for a consultation for my daughter for being obese, and she helped through the whole process all while making each member of the family feel comfortable. I told everyone about our success and how she is the best nutritionist in Dubai. I even recommended her for my family members in Jordan and they have done online consultations with her for adult weight loss with great success." - Nour Bouhari