Adverse Food Reaction Naming

Introduction

If you are a pediatrician, family doctor, naturopath, or chiropractor, please stop ordering broad food allergy panels and IgG tests. These tests mislabel patients, fuel misinformation, and create unnecessary burden.

I often see patients who believe they have 20, 30, or even 40+ “food allergies.” After careful evaluation, it becomes clear they don’t actually have that many allergies—they have a variety of adverse food reactions, mislabeled due to broad panels and unvalidated testing.

The reality is that different types of food reactions exist, each requiring distinct interpretation and management. Lumping them all into “food allergy” is misleading and harmful.

Why Accurate Naming Matters

Labeling every reaction as “food allergy” is like calling all cases of dyslexia or ADHD “autism.” The category is wrong, the risks are different, and the treatments don’t match.

When we don’t get it right:

• Patients unnecessarily avoid safe foods
• Families carry unnecessary stress
• Proper treatment and education are missed

If you don’t know the nuances of food reactions, the best approach is referral—not unnecessary testing.

Food Allergies

• Definition: Immune-mediated, usually rapid, reproducible, and triggered by any amount of food exposure
• Mechanism: IgE antibodies activate immune cells, releasing histamine, tryptase, and inflammatory mediators
• Systems affected: GI tract, respiratory tract, cardiovascular system, skin
• Severity: Can be life-threatening → strict avoidance is necessary

Testing:

• Food-specific IgE blood or skin tests provide supportive evidence but are not diagnostic on their own
• False positives/negatives are possible
• Interpretation requires an allergist
• Emerging: Basophil activation tests (BAT) in select U.S. centers

Lesson: If you can’t interpret the test, don’t order it. Refer.

Food Intolerances

• Cause: Often due to enzyme deficiencies, nervous system responses, or exogenous histamine
• Symptoms: GI-based (nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, diarrhea)
• Pattern: Dose-related, not life-threatening
• Impact: Quality of life issue, but not immune-mediated allergy

Food Sensitivities

• Definition: Vague, often non-IgE mediated gut inflammation with inconsistent symptoms
• Symptoms: Gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, brain fog, joint pain, fatigue
• Onset: Immediate or delayed (hours to days)
• Challenges: Inconsistent, difficult to link to specific foods

Where IgG Testing Went Wrong:

• Patients produce food-specific IgG antibodies under normal conditions
• IgG likely reflects exposure and tolerance—not sensitivity or intolerance
• During oral/sublingual immunotherapy for real allergies, IgG rises as tolerance improves
• No validated studies show IgG antibodies drive harmful inflammation

The Problem with Marketing:

Companies frame IgG responses as evidence of “hidden allergies.” They cite outdated, animal, or low-quality studies—or even their own unpublished work. References look impressive at a glance, but often fall apart on closer inspection.

Questions to Ask About Research Claims

• Was the study done in humans or animals?
• How many studies exist, and were they validated?
• Were there conflicts of interest or industry funding?
• Do results actually support the claim being made?
• Have findings been reproduced?
• Does the “expert” promoting the test profit from it?
• If it’s a “secret formula,” why is nobody else using it?
• What do true field experts think of the evidence?

The Bottom Line

Not all adverse food reactions are allergies. Getting the diagnosis right matters—for patient safety, quality of life, and appropriate treatment.

Broad IgE panels and IgG tests create confusion and unnecessary burden. Food allergy specialists are best equipped to evaluate, interpret, and guide patients toward safe, evidence-based answers.

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