in a live twitter video , stukus shared his experience with the igg test, which identifies immunoglobulin g, the most common antibody found in blood and other bodily fluids. it plays an important role in the body’s immune system, but igg tests claim to be able to identify food sensitivities associated with headaches, lethargy, brain fog, memory problems, depression, insomnia, adhd, bloating, puffiness and an astonishing array of other symptoms. once the “reactive” food is eliminated from someone’s diet, unpleasant symptoms are supposed to disappear.
advertisement
advertisement
critics say the costly tests not only lack biological plausibility, they risk increasing warped and disordered ideas around eating and “nutrichondria” — a hyper preoccupation with food.
advertisement
“many patients suffer from physical, psychological, and psychosomatic conditions for which conventional medicine cannot provide diagnosis or treatment,” dr. john kelso writes in the journal of allergy and clinical immunology: in practice.
advertisement
advertisement
for example, one 2004 study involving 150 people with irritable bowel syndrome found those who excluded foods to which they had raised igg antibodies showed an improvement in symptoms after 12 weeks. other studies have suggested igg-based “elimination diets” can help with migraines and symptoms of crohn’s disease.
advertisement
skirkey@postmedia.com| twitter: sharon_kirkey