Description
The FoodPrint® 40+ service utilises state of the art immunoassay microarray technology to detect food-specific IgG antibodies to 44 different foods.
What is an IgG?
IgG stands for Immunoglobulin (type G). Immunoglobulins are a class of proteins that function as antibodies produced by the immune system in response to foreign bodies entering the body. There are several different types of immunoglobulins with IgA, IgE, IgG, IgM being the most well-known.
Why do foods cause an IgG response?
Generally, foods are broken down during digestion into their component parts e.g. amino acids, glycerides etc. These pass harmlessly through the gut into the bloodstream. However, occasionally small fragments of partially digested or undigested foods are able to pass through the gut wall into the bloodstream where they are recognized by the immune system as being ‘foreign’. The immune system responds by making IgG antibodies to these foods.
Do high IgG antibody levels cause symptoms?
When a food causes the body to produce high levels of IgG then these antibodies combine with the protein in the food to form an ‘antigen-antibody complex’. These complexes are usually eliminated by other cells in the immune system. However, if the immune system is overloaded, these insoluble molecules become deposited in tissues within the body, causing chronic inflammation and the subsequent production of symptoms.
