Doctor's Rebuttal on Validity of Food Antibody Test Hits the Mark

We would agree wholeheartedly with the author of this article ("Rebuttal to The Globe and Mail article and The National- food antibodies testing. It’s NOT a waste of time and money!") and her rebuttal of recent unfounded, unscientific statements made by Dr. Levine of Toronto in the media.

Dr. Chin (an MD in Toronto, Canada) has correctly noted that the allergy specialist community has defined allergy to exclude any and all symptoms other than their classical hives, asthma, and anaphylaxis that occur quickly after exposure. The medical dictionary, however, defines allergy much more broadly. Dr. Chin has run hundreds of IgG food allergy panels using reputable labs and has seen first hand the difference quality lab data can provide to treatment.

Here at the IBS Treatment Center, Dr. Wangen has literally run thousands of these tests and has helped thousands of patients overcome IBS and many other conditions that are related to food allergies mediated by IgG antibodies. These patients, some of whom have written testimonials available on our website, know for certain that these test enabled them to make dramatic health improvements and that when they mistakenly eat the foods to which IgG testing showed them to be allergic, they suffer the consequences.

It is time for those claiming that the published literature doesn't provide enough evidence that IgG mediated allergies are valid to either publish a study demonstrating that those allergies don't exist or acknowledge that the evidence pool is smaller than they would like and call for more studies! If they want to contradict the existing published evidence, their study would have to be larger and more comprehensive than the many studies that show these allergies to be very real and the symptoms they produce to be very treatable by avoiding the foods to which the testing shows them to be allergic.

Excerpt from Dr. Chin's rebuttal:

You may have seen the recent media coverage regarding food sensitivity testing in the Globe and Mail article published last week and more recently a story by The National (CBC). Comments were provided by Dr. Elana Lavine after she published a Primer in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Dr. Lavine’s key message was to caution on the use and interpretation of Food Antibody testing. Furthermore, the press release of the article states: IgG food testing has no proven role. The Globe’s headline, “It’s a waste of money”.
Many of my professional colleagues have a contrasting position. Dr. Shelley Burns (a naturopathic doctor) and I use food testing to detect allergies, intolerances, sensitivities in our practice. We believe that such testing should be done under the supervision of professionals who understand the appropriate use of and know how to interpret the report. As well, the results are critically dependent on the source of lab testing. Only 3 labs in North America have been shown to have reliable and reproducible results – one of them is Rocky Mountain Analytical and their lab partner, US Biotek.

I have along with Dr. Burns completed more than 100 Food IgG, IgE, and IgA tests in our practices for at least 5 years. I’m not at all certain that Dr. Lavine has worked with these tests and yet she is weighing in.

I would be willing at any time to challenge my colleague Dr. Lavine as to our experience with a series of case studies where the testing results have in fact made a difference and reduced the chronic symptoms of migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and asthma. The first two cases to be reviewed will begin with my son and me. And then, there are dozens of my clients and their children whose lives have improved as a result of their testing and subsequent appropriate dietary changes.

Article Courtesy:  Dr. Stephen Wangen