Why your Food Intolerance Test Is Just an Expensive Horoscope for Your Gut
I get it. You’ve been feeling a little off lately. Bloated, sluggish, maybe even blaming that extra holiday weight on mysterious food intolerances. You’ve cut gluten. Then dairy. Then…nightshades? (What even are nightshades?!) And now, in a last-ditch effort to “figure out what’s wrong,” you’ve shelled out upwards of 12k Php for a food intolerance test.
You open the results, scrolling through a list of your worst enemies—almonds, bananas, spinach, even avocados (how dare they). But the thing is that these tests are just basically the food equivalent of, “Your star sign means you’re moody but creative.”
The Science You Didn’t Ask For
Let’s break it down: food intolerance tests typically measure something called IgG antibodies in your blood. IgG stands for immunoglobulin G, which is a fancy way of saying, “Hey, your immune system noticed this food exists.” But here’s the kicker: IgG isn’t a red flag but a souvenir.
Whenever you eat something, your body produces IgG antibodies as a normal part of digestion. In fact, higher levels of IgG antibodies usually mean your body is totally chill with that food. (Yes, your intolerance test is trying to cancel bread, and we simply won’t stand for it.)
Real food intolerances, like lactose intolerance or fructose malabsorption, are caused by enzyme deficiencies, not antibodies. The symptoms of a true intolerance can be uncomfortable (hello, bloating and gas), but they’re not something a simple blood test can uncover.
Why Are We All So Obsessed With Food Intolerances?
Blame it on the internet. Or your coworker Karen, who swears that cutting out eggs made her “so much more energized.” Food intolerances have become the scapegoat for every symptom under the sun: weight gain, fatigue, indigestion, brain fog, you name it.
The reality is that your “symptoms” might be caused by a totally different culprit. Feeling bloated? Maybe it’s portion size, stress, or fiber overload. Feeling sluggish? Perhaps you need more sleep, not fewer carbs. And if you’ve been gaining weight, sorry to say, it’s more likely due to deficiencies than some sneaky gluten molecule.
The Pricey Placebo Effect
The wild thing is that food intolerance tests can cost thousands of pesos, but they’re often as scientific as flipping a coin. What’s worse, they might even lead you to cut out foods you don’t need to avoid, which can mess with your diet and make you miserable.
Case in point: avoiding an entire category of foods, like dairy or grains, without medical advice can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Calcium, fiber, vitamin D, yeah, those are kind of important. And for what? To blame quinoa for your bad mood?
What to Do Instead
If you suspect a food intolerance, there’s a better (and cheaper) way to get answers: the good old-fashioned elimination diet. Remove a suspected food for a few weeks, then reintroduce it while tracking symptoms. It’s not sexy, but it works. It’s super important to do this under the care of a doctor or dietitian. And you can only do it for a very limited amount of time. Because it will lead to deficiencies from eliminating all those food groups.
If you’re dealing with persistent symptoms like stomach pain or fatigue, it’s time to see a doctor. Real food allergies or intolerances are best diagnosed by professionals, not a fancy lab marketing directly to your Instagram feed.
Final Thoughts
Food intolerance tests might feel like the answer to all your problems, but they’re really just selling you peace of mind at a steep markup. So save your money, pour yourself a cup of tea (yes, even if it’s on the “bad list”), and remember: sometimes a stomach ache is just a stomach ache.
And hey, don’t blame the bread. It’s done nothing but love you.