Question:
'Allergycare' is a business based in Taunton, Somerset, England.
They 'advise' on the individual's sensitivity to foods, drinks and additives
following a test using a conductivity meter of some kind. The tests are
often carried out at you local Pharmacy for £30 to £39 depending if you are
also tested for mineral and vitamin deficiency or not.
An 'elimination' diet is then proposed and you are left to get on with
without further supervision. Does any one have knowledge of the scientific principles behind these
'conductivity' tests and the success rate of the advised food sensitivity
and mineral/vitamin deficiency so determined. I'd like to know the prospects for success before rigidly following the
proposals and embarking on a major change to my feeding habits and
consequential disruption to the family food preparation zone?
Answer:
I suffer from "idiopathic anaphylaxis" (i.e. I get full
anaphylactic shock episodes where the cause is unknown - 3 times in 2
months). Given that even skin prick tests, blood RAST tests and so on are not
conclusive, I would somehow doubt the validity of this. If you are badly allergic to something, then the surest way is to go
on some form of elimination diet, and then if you think you have
isolated the troublesome beastie (and it does not cause you to have a
life-threatening problem, like mine), then you can then do the
"challenge
test" and re-introduce it, and "prove to yourself" that the eliminated
item really causes the problem. This is quite a long term tricky thing to do. The guys who will test you for "100 things you may be allergic to" will
almost without doubt come up with something - they will give you a
tailored diet, and you most likely will feel better. However, a better
diet will make just about ALL of use feel better!!!!! It is hard to
say whether the elimination of something you may be mildly allergic to
is what's making you feel better. (Also, repeat testing etc may well
give false positives and false negatives ... it's not a complete science
yet ...) As an example, my elimination diet (to try to find my trigger to
anaphylactic shock) was a complete salicylate free diet (that is, none
of the natural "aspirin-like" compounds), no farmed animal products, no
herbs or spices. This meant, no meat, no dairy products, no fresh fruit or any vegetables
except potatos and leaf veg (i.e.l spinach, broccoli, cabbage). No tea,
coffee, beer, wine, cider etc etc ... only pure bottled water. The end product - zilch! I am eating as per normal - waiting for the next episode (and down to
the A&E for treatment when it happens, of course!!!) - and getting on
with life as normal. So far so good. What does your GP say? I was under a consultant dietician, a consultant
dermatologist and now a consultant immunologist. The bottom line is to take the advice of a professional. Note the NHS is going to get more money for allergy clinics, so at last
it is being recognised as a problem! It's a scam.
