Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test | Product Review

I tried out the Everlywell food sensitivity test and my results were...interesting. The at-home test measures antibodies to diagnose food sensitivities, but what is the science? Subscribe to Nourishable at https://www.youtube.com/c/Nourishable

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References
https://www.everlywell.com/
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Everlywell sells an at-home blood test that claims to identify your personal food sensitivities. They do this measuring levels of a specific type of antibody in your blood called immunoglobulin G, or IgG. They claim that having IgG reactive to food proteins indicates you may have a sensitivity to that food. They measure IgG to 96 foods, including different kinds of seafood, dairy, eggs, meats, legumes, spices, grains, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells and they come in a bunch of different flavours. The test does not measure IgE, so it can’t diagnose food allergies. The IgG antibodies measured are totally normal to have in your blood. Research shows us that IgG to foods actually indicate that A - we’re exposed to that food protein and B - that we’re tolerant of that food. There were a bunch of studies that tested for IgG in healthy controls compared to people with migraine headaches, allergic symptoms, and inflammatory bowel disease. All these studies showed everyone had food-specific IgG in their blood, though subjects with conditions like headaches or IBD had higher levels. That’s interesting, but it doesn’t actually tie IgG to food sensitivity or symptoms of these conditions. There was a tiny number of super small double blind randomized controlled studies. Some showed that the IgG-directed elimination diet reduced but didn't eliminate symptoms, while others showed no improvement at all. It’s pretty wimpy evidence. Professional organizations like the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology state that testing IgG to foods is “irrelevant” for intolerances and shouldn’t be performed to diagnose food-related complaints. Having food specific IgG indicates that you tolerate that food well, the complete opposite of Everlywell’s interpretation. So we can conclude IgG tests are not a useful diagnostic tool for determining food sensitivity - but is there any harm to doing it anyways? I think so, and here’s my Nourishable opinion why. If you have a serious condition doing this test could delay you getting the diagnosis and treatment that you need. Your results could drive you to eat a restrictive diet. Your results could cause unnecessary fear of foods for the rest of your life. This leads to an unnecessarily restrictive diet that is difficult to manage, is socially isolating, eliminates nutrient-dense foods, and could potentially lead down the path of orthorexia - an eating disorder characterized by a compulsive obsession with proper or healthful eating. If you suspect any kind of food intolerances, seek out professional help from physicians and dietitians. Don’t do the Everlywell food sensitivity test. The research doesn’t support that it has any diagnostic value and the results could lead you down a restrictive path that distorts your relationship with food.

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