Food intolerance testing helps personalise diet

Posted on Mon, 23 Oct 17

A personalised elimination diet based on food intolerance testing reduced digestive symptoms effectively. 

A new clinical study published in the British Medical Journal Open Gastroenterology reported the results of 4-week long individualised diets guided by a leucocyte activation test (also known as an ALCAT Test) in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

This study was important because food intolerance testing based on this type of test have not been well studied. 

There was found to be a statistically significant decrease in global IBS symptoms when compared to a matched fake diet. And in strong responders to the testing-guided elimination diet there was a reduction in an immunological marker, plasma neutrophil elastase, that further supported a beneficial effect of the diet.  

Several previous studies have found that IgG-based food intolerance testing is an effective way to personalise diets and relieve symptoms in people with IBS, so the discovery that food intolerance testing is useful is not entirely new. 

“This study provides data suggesting that a leucocyte activation test can be used to develop an individualised diet that can alleviate symptom burden in IBS,” noted the new study. “These dietary changes may be less restrictive than a low-FODMAP diet and may result in better long-term adherence.”

Reference: 

1. Ali A, Weiss TR, McKee D, et al. Efficacy of individualised diets in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Gastroenterology 2017;4:e000164. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2017-000164