IgG sensitivity vs cross reactivity

[jenni]

i attempted to post this question in the FB group but not sure it went through.  Then saw the link in the header to the community, and thought it better to ask here anyway. Please delete my question there if it is awaiting moderation. 

I know from how I feel, that I can't eat wheat. And sure enough it showed up as a big reaction on my IgG test. (Many things did) No gluten, no grains. Surprisingly, dairy is NOT a big problem for me. At least not IgG sensitive. Does this rule out cross-reactivity? Can I safely eat small bits of dairy or are there other issues at play? I understand it isn't technically paleo.

I have to eliminate SO MUCH I want to hang on to  whatever I can. No garlic, no tomatoes, no seafood, no beans, not even green beans. Chicken is a problem, and even LETTUCE showed significant reactivity! Lettuce?? I am deficient in many nutrients, despite healthy eating and supplements. SOMETHING is going on. Just gave up chocolate. (Sob) Next up, nightshades and coffee. 

Thoughts?

[EJ]

"Paleo" doesn't quite mean what it used to. You should listen to your own body to determine what you can tolerate (and do some research on the quality of foods, too).

I don't know about that specific test...but many tests aren't all that accurate. It's possible that your system is so inflamed right now that any food will upset it. Obviously, you can't cut out every food

If I were in your shoes, I think I'd try a strict AIP diet for a long while. My doctor said 6 months to a year...but sometimes it takes up to 2 years to see results. Everyone is different. So start with 30 days. I promise you that within that 30 days you will be able to identify which foods still bother you (seafood or chicken, etc.). But experiment on yourself-can you eat fresh but not canned? Raw but not cooked (not chicken, obviously, but different vegetables)? Try different ways of preparing things and carefully track what you eat and how you feel each day. Then if you know you can't eat shrimp, cut it out. By then, you'll have mastered basic AIP so it won't be so emotionally hard. I would stick the dairy in this category-go strict AIP for a while, then maybe introduce some full-fat pastured or raw dairy in tiny amounts to see how you feel.

If you're deficient in nutrients...cutting out whole animals may not help (ALL seafood??). I'd focus on healing, nutritionally dense foods (anything from The Paleo Mom's site or books). Hopefully, that will help your deficiencies and heal your gut so you can more easily tolerate some of those foods that came up on your test.

Just remember, a test isn't 100%-what's more important is how your body reacts and how you feel. Most people who do AIP feel 90% better after removing nightshades! Maybe that's enough to make you feel good. Then you can play around with other things from there.

Good luck!

[Erin]

In my opinion, an IgG panel is a great tool to tailor your autoimmune protocol even more so. While some foods may not show up on it that cause inflammation or you do react to {that could mean there is a different antibody class reaction going on}, your panel list can show you for sure - this is what my body will attack currently in my bloodstream. I am currently eliminating the foods with a reaction class of three and higher for six months. Plenty of those foods are safe for all intents and purposes on the AIP... Carrots, kale, parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli, yeasts, plantains... As frustrating as it can be, trust that it won't last forever. Let your body heal, give it time. Your gut needs to heal!!

[jenni]

I guess I am asking if there are mechanical reasons to eliminate dairy as opposed to IgG intolerances as there is with gluten? Are dairy molecules partuclarly irritating to the gut physically, even if my blood is not reacting? Is the recommendation to eliminate dairy for AIP based on dairy being a likely intolerance or for some other reason?

Similarly, sugar. Doesn't seem to be an IgG problem ( ND was surprised) Do I need to eliminate it regardless?

I got the test done, since previous elimination diets were really hard for me to discern reaction upon reintroduction. . Was hoping to tailor my protocol to me. For example, given my reaction to seafood, I am not sure that fish oil is such a hot idea. And a reaction to yeast makes me unsure about fermented foods. A textbook strict AIP may need modification.

Thoughts??

Thanks.

[EJ]

Thanks for clarifying

For dairy, check out:
www.thepaleomom.com/2012/03/how-do-grains-legumes-and-dairy-cause_29.html
www.thepaleomom.com/2012/10/the-great-dairy-debate.html

For sugars:
www.thepaleomom.com/2012/03/is-sugar-paleo.html
www.thepaleomom.com/2011/12/why-is-sugar-bad.html
www.thepaleomom.com/2011/11/sugar-vs-sweeteners.html

I totally understand wanting to individualize your AIP Everyone should do that! In general, I believe there are good reasons to eliminate dairy and sugar in most peoples' diets. If you must avoid seafood, try to get your omega-3s through grass-fed meat instead. Many people avoid fermented foods. None of that is too extreme

Just remember that we are trying to THRIVE! Just not having a reaction to dairy may not be a good reason to eat it if it doesn't actually improve your health. Also, make sure to try different types of foods-cheese vs. butter vs. milk. Each may cause a different reaction.

And referring to your past elimination diets...how long did you do them? Is it possible you didn't do them long enough to achieve a healed gut?

[jenni]

Oh I absolutely never healed gut! I was just trying to figure out what is causing water retention initially. I am only inching towards a more wholehearted diving into restricted eating. Thank you for the links. Checking them out now!
Jenni

[localkaty]

If you're suffering from increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"), it's possible to wind up with an immune response to a food that you would normally have no issues with. As a simplified example, if you were eating a lot of wheat (or something else problematic) and it damaged the lining of your intestines and amped up your immune system, an undigested lettuce protein may have come into contact with your immune system and triggered a reaction. Eliminating wheat would allow your gut to heal and your immune system to calm down, and you would no longer have an issue with lettuce.

The foods eliminated on AIP are not inherently problematic for everyone, they are just foods with a strong potential to irritate the gut or amp up immune response. Some people have issues they aren't aware of until they've tried eliminating the problematic food. Not everyone needs to give up dairy long term, but there's no way to know until you've cut it out long enough to see improvement, then added it back to check for a reaction.