One of my 2019 goals is to Eat like a Vegan, motivated by a desire to overcome some longstanding health conditions.
One step along this path was requesting a Food Sensitivity blood test during my last annual physical, which happened to be during the last week of 2018.
Here are the results, which represent not just some good data in support of veganism, but also provide a baseline from which to track. I’m thinking I can repeat this blood test (or one like it) quarterly to try and measure actual progress and impact of my dietary changes.
Here’s the key for these measures:
Class IgE kU/L Interpretation
0 <0.10 Negative
1 0.10-0.34 Equivocal
2 0.35-0.70 Low
3 0.71-3.50 Moderate
4 3.51-17.50 High
5 17.60-50.00 Very High
6 50.10-100.00 Very High
7 >100.00 Very High
| Component | Your Value | Standard Range |
|---|---|---|
| IgE | 6,610 IU/mL | 4 – 269 IU/mL |
| IgE Allergen Clam | 0.37 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Cod Fish | 0.14 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Corn (Maize) | 10.70 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Egg White | 0.27 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Milk, Cow | 0.21 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Peanut | 35.10 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Shrimp | 1.66 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Soybean | 0.46 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Walnut | 0.27 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Wheat | 2.62 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
| IgE Allergen Scallop | 7.15 kU/L | <0.10 kU/L |
Peanut is no surprise. That is one allergen I have long known was a problem and have no problem avoiding.
Wheat (and I assume therefore gluten) is also been on my suspect list for some time, and while I have not fully adopted a gluten free diet, I can now at least have a data point to support doing so.
Corn, however, is pretty striking, especially given its 100-fold value over the non-reactive threshold. So that is definitely one to pay attention to. Avoiding corn will probably be the hardest to force myself to do, since I love me some tortilla chips, popcorn, and corn is used pretty universally as an ingredient.
The seafoods are noteworthy – but I’ve never been much of a seafood fan, so again, avoiding these will not necessarily be problematic.
Egg and milk are in the ‘low’ range, but true veganism will drop those out as well.
I suppose the other interesting observation is that I have some reaction to ALL the allergens, and that my total IgE count is almost 25 times the standard range. That alone suggests and reinforces my feeling of general un-health. Clearly, my body is reactive, and the more I learn about gut health and immune response, these numbers all confirm that my digestive health will has a long way to go.
Here’s to green smoothies!
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