The Coeliac Society of Ireland has issued a warning over the use of tests marketed as diagnosing food intolerance after it emerged that an increasing number of people are using them to try and find out whether they have coeliac disease.
The Coeliac Society believes thousands of people who are using tests marketed as food intolerance tests – either at home or in medical clinics – in an attempt to diagnose gastrointestinal issues could be doing themselves more harm than good because of misleading and inaccurate marketing that surrounds this multi-million industry.
“Food intolerance tests are causing quite a few issues for the Society just now. They are really popular because you can get them online or spend more to do the test in a clinic. Unfortunately, the science shows that these tests do not diagnose food intolerance. Most people who go for these tests don’t know that and so they’re spending lots of money and possibly doing long term harm to their health by putting faith in the so-called results that these tests are providing.
“One of these tests which is particularly problematic is a blood test called an IgG – or immunoglobulin G – test. This is where a person has a blood sample taken, either at a clinic or with a kit they use at home. This sample is then sent to a laboratory where the sample is tested for IgG levels to a range of foods.
“IgG is an immune protein in the body and according to the companies selling these tests, if you have a high IgG reaction for a food it can mean that you are intolerant to that food. However, there is no scientific evidence that IgG test results reflect any actual food intolerances or sensitivity, and they certainly don’t tell you if you are coeliac. In fact, the current science shows that these tests probably only tell a person what they have eaten recently.
“Coeliac Society of Ireland advice is that a positive or negative result in a test sold as a food intolerance test is unlikely to be specifically related to any symptom or clinical condition. The only reliable way to determine if you have coeliac disease is to get a blood test done with your GP. For these tests to be accurate, you must be eating gluten for at least six weeks up to the time of the test,” dietitian and nutritionist, Sarah Keogh RD, asserted.
