Allergies & Co: beware of fake tests

The belly hurts, you feel swollen and maybe diarrhea or vomiting arise: these are some of the most frequent symptoms of food intolerances, problems that affect almost eight million Italians. To which are added the more than two million people suffering from a real allergy to a food. Among the inhabitants of the Bel Paese, however, there are at least eight million other imaginary hypersensitive people who attribute health problems to food, the cause of which is quite different. We are often convinced that the enemy is food by falling into the trap set by those who propose tests for scientifically unreliable intolerances.

Simple answers to complex problems

The cost of these useless examinations can amount to several hundred euros, but experts have no doubts: it is money far from well spent. If it is true that, in nine cases out of ten, they provide an “answer” to their problem, the risk of not identifying the real cause is around the corner.

There are, for example, those who are convinced that they cannot lose weight because of intolerance, when intolerances and allergies do not make you fat. In addition, convincing yourself that you suffer from an intolerance, you can overlook the possibility that at the base of your disorders there is a serious disorder such as celiac disease. This risk can be avoided by resigning oneself to the need to follow a more demanding diagnostic path, but with the effectiveness guaranteed by science.

The path to follow

The first step to take is to rely on an allergist or nutritionist who, based on the disorders described, and possibly the compilation of a food diary, will evaluate the usefulness of undergoing tests for allergies or intolerances.

A correct diagnosis also involves an exclusion diet. The suspect food must be temporarily eliminated and then reintroduced at a later stage. If during the period of abstention the disorders were to disappear to recur at reintroduction, it is likely that you are really dealing with an adverse reaction to food.

In the event that an allergy is suspected, skin tests (the prick test) and dosages of specific antibodies (IgE) may then be prescribed. Any oral challenge tests – which involve the administration of increasing doses of the food, with the risk of triggering even serious reactions – should be performed only under strict medical supervision and in specialized centers.

In other cases, the expert may consider it appropriate to submit scientifically validated tests for intolerances. Results in hand it will be possible to identify the person responsible for your problem or resign yourself to the fact that the cause of your disorders is to be looked for outside the pot.

Tests to be wary of

To stem the risks associated with the use of fake tests, the Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (Siaaic) has developed a vademecum to orient itself in the world of adverse reactions to food and, above all, their diagnosis.

The general advice is not to rely on do-it-yourselfers, experts of dubious qualification or commercial tests. Among the latter, Siaaic experts indicate 6 from which to be wary: the hair test, the blood cell test, the strength test, the Vega Test, the bioresonance and the Pulse Test (or ear reflex test).