Suspect Food Allergies?

One of the most common questions I get every day is “How did you find out your son was allergic to food?”

Our family chiropractor suggested that we have our son tested for food allergies, due to his eczema and developmental delays. I had no idea that food could cause such problems and agreed to have the blood testing done. It seemed like a long shot to me, but I wanted to do anything I could to help my child.

In our case, we had the blood sent to a lab in Kansas where they tested for 93 foods. The type of test we had done was called an IgG blood test. You may have heard of IgE allergy testing, but not IgG. These are the types of antibodies in our blood.

IgE antibodies are the ones that cause an immediate reaction. They are associated with anaphylactic reactions, hives and swelling. Most of us are familiar with this type of allergy. However, the IgG antibodies are not commonly known, but are becoming a common problem in many people. IgG antibodies are delayed. Reactions do not occur until hours or days after a food is consumed. Over the last few years, I have read articles about how IgG antibodies play a role in diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, ADHD, autism, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and epilepsy. If you or someone you know has any of these conditions, consider food as a culprit!

I have heard some amazing stories of people who reversed these diseases, just by changing their diet. My oldest son is one who was autistic, but he is now normal after eliminating the gluten, wheat, dairy and eggs from his diet. My other son also had sleep and behavior problems. We eliminated corn from his diet and his issues subsided. In his case, none of the allergy testing helped us to discover the problem. For him, it was a matter of trial and error with the foods he ate. This is a complicated problem and the allergy tests are not perfect.

Hindsight is 20/20 and I didn’t realize (nor our pediatrician) that the early signs of eczema, loose bowels, and developmental delays were related to food in my son. I hope that after reading this, you reconsider the food you eat. It can play a huge role in your health!

These allergy tests can be ordered through your doctor and I encourage you to talk to them if you suspect food allergies.

~Stacy