Private MD News

Food intolerance testing may help with diet

Category: Allergy Testing

Avoidance of hidden food allergies, or food intolerance, may be an effective weight loss method, according to a study published in the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine.

The researchers studied 27 patients over the course of 12 weeks. The subjects were made to avoid foods that were shown to be immune reactive according to a blood test. The result was an average weight loss of 37 pounds, an average drop of six points of BMI, and an average decrease of 30 percent body fat.

The theory behind the diet is that by avoiding foods which cause inflammation and therefore interfere with normal metabolism, digestion and health is improved.

This could be good news for the millions of dieters who relied on the diet supplement Hydroxycut. They were disappointed when the FDA declared it unsafe last week, and a diet that can be dictated with a simple food allergy blood test may be a promising new method.

Obesity rates are at all time highs in the U.S., as are the health problems associated with the condition. The appeal of a simple blood test that can help someone lose weight without excessive caloric restriction is obvious, but the research is still inconclusive.