FAQ

Optiway tests for gliadin separately because it is a non-soluble protein and is lost in the processing of the product. So, the wheat, barley and rye products on the report have negligeable levels of gliadin.

The IgG food sensitivity test is based on your immune system producing antibodies in response to you eating certain foods. If you have been avoiding a particular food, your body may be producing insufficient antibodies to be detected by the test. You may therefore show a negative response. To ensure a reliable result, you should include that food in your diet daily for at least 6 weeks before testing. However, if you know that the food concerned causes you extreme symptoms do not reintroduce that food at all.

U/ml stands for Units per milliliter and is a measure of concentration. All positive results on the Food Sensitivity Test report are expressed in U/ml to show the concentration of IgG antibodies in the blood.

Once you’ve completed the Optiway test, you’ll receive your personalised report via email. This report categorises foods based on your sensitivity levels and includes a link to a Support Guide to help you understand and navigate your results.

If you were referred by a practitioner, they will review the results with you.

If you ordered the test directly from Optiway and would like further guidance, you can book a feedback session with one of the practitioners listed on our website.

Consultations are available online and may be covered by most medical aids.

To book your consultation, click here: https://optiway.co.za/contacts-for-a-feedback-session/

Yes – some foods may cause a classic allergic reaction involving the production of IgE antibodies. These will not be detected by any IgG food test. There are also many foods that can cause a reaction in the body without involving the immune system but produce symptoms similar to IgG reactions. For example amines in chocolate, cheese and red wine may cause migraines; some food additives such as tartrazine can cause hives, rashes, and asthma; monosodium glutamate in Chinese dishes can produce sweating and dizziness; ‘Nightshade’ alkaloids in potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers may affect the joints. Food sensitivity may also be due to a deficiency of a particular enzyme, as in lactose sensitivity. You should avoid any foods that you suspect are affecting you adversely.

No, not necessarily. Lactose sensitivity is the inability to digest lactose, the major sugar found in milk, and is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase. Our food sensitivity test detects whether your immune system is reacting to proteins within cow’s milk but does not detect the lactase enzyme and therefore cannot diagnose lactose sensitivity.

No. A product can be wheat-free but not gluten-free and vice versa. You can buy products that are both gluten-free and wheat-free. It is important to read ingredient labels to be certain.

In this test, the gliadin (gluten) is tested independently of wheat, barley, and rye. If you test positive for gliadin, we suggest you avoid these grains (even if they show a negative response on your results) and substitute with naturally gluten-free foods such as quinoa, buckwheat, corn, and oats.

No. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that results in a severe reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Our wheat extract does not contain gluten and so a positive test result for wheat only indicates a sensitivity to wheat proteins, not to gluten.

No, you can order from us directly or through your healthcare practitioner.

You do have to be careful when changing your diet which is why we offer follow-up dietary advice from our qualified nutritionists to anyone who has taken our tests.

Food sensitivity testing is not recommended for children under 2 years old. At this age, little ones have often not been exposed to enough different foods for the results to be meaningful, so some sensitivities may simply not appear yet. In addition, their immune systems are still developing, and IgG responses in infants often reflect normal learning and tolerance, not true reactions. Because of this, results can be misleading and may lead to unnecessary food restrictions during an important stage of growth.

Most people do not need to have a re-test, but if you would like another test we usually advise a period of 12 months in between tests. If your symptoms have improved and you have been able to successfully re-introduce the foods, then a re-test is unnecessary.

When gliadin is in the red all wheat-based products which contain gliadin including whole wheat, wheat bran, spelt, durum wheat, couscous etc. should be avoided for the suggested three month elimination period.  This advice will also include barley and rye grains which contain gliadin.  Seek alternatives from the NORMAL list of foods in the green section such as quinoa and root vegetables and rice.

The reason gliadin can come up red whilst wheat is still normal, is because the protein structures differ.  For example: couscous is made from durum wheat but the process of producing it, in which the bran and the germ of the grain are removed leaving mainly starch (endosperm/semolina), means that results differ between the products, as the protein structure is different.

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.

The efficacy of a diet based on the measurement of IgG antibodies specific for food components has been demonstrated in a number of conditions, both in independent studies and clinical practice. Excellent results have been obtained in patients with migraine, IBS and obesity.

Generally, foods are broken down during digestion into their component parts (e.g. amino acids, glycerides etc.), which usually 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 antibodies (IgG).

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 immune-complexes are usually eliminated by other cells of the immune system. However, if the immune system is overloaded, these insoluble molecules can become deposited in tissues within the body, causing chronic inflammation and the subsequent production of symptoms.

Yes, some people do have high IgG levels to certain foods, but do not have any symptoms at all. This is possibly due to their immune system being extremely efficient at clearing away the antigen-antibody complexes, before they have chance to be deposited in the tissues and cause a problem.

Yes – some foods may cause a classic allergic reaction involving the production of IgE antibodies. These will not be detected by any IgG food test. There are also many foods that can cause a reaction in the body without involving the immune system but produce symptoms similar to IgG reactions. For example, amines in chocolate, cheese and red wine may cause migraines; some food additives such as tartrazine can cause hives, rashes and asthma; monosodium glutamate in Chinese dishes can produce sweating and dizziness; ‘Nightshade’ alkaloids in potatoes, tomatoes and peppers may affect the joints. Food sensitivity may also be due to a deficiency of a particular enzyme, as in lactose intolerance. You should avoid any foods that you suspect are affecting you adversely.

No, the test will not only give results for foods in your diet. While it is true that certain common foods are more likely to show a positive result e.g. wheat, dairy, soya. The reason for this is that these foods are consumed on a regular basis in our diet and along with digestive issues this can increase the likelihood that the body may react to them. While an elimination diet will always be the gold standard, the benefit of doing a food sensitivity test is that it will be able to quickly show which of the foods that are eaten on a regular basis, are a potential problem. In addition, the tests are able to highlight more unusual foods which a person may not have considered removing from their diet.

In general, we recommend that you follow your normal diet, so that the test will reflect what you usually eat. However, if you have specifically avoided a food for more than three months (e.g. cow’s milk), which used to be part of your normal diet and you would like it tested, we would recommend that it is reintroduced. The recommendations are to reintroduce the food for 1 week, eating a normal portion of that food at least once daily before taking your blood sample. If symptoms occur on reintroducing the food, we recommend that you discontinue that food and conclude you are still intolerant to it.

No, not necessarily. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the major sugar found in milk, and is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase. Our food sensitivity test detects whether your immune system is reacting to proteins within cow’s milk but does not detect the lactase enzyme and therefore, cannot diagnose lactose intolerance.

No. A product can be wheat-free but not gluten-free and vice versa. You can buy products that are both gluten-free and wheat-free. It is important to read ingredient labels to be certain. In this test, the gliadin (gluten) is tested independently of wheat, barley and rye. If you test positive for gliadin, we suggest you avoid these grains (even if they show a negative response on your results) and substitute with naturally gluten-free foods, such as quinoa, buckwheat, corn and oats.

No. A positive reaction to gluten on an IgG test is not confirmation of coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten that is found in wheat, rye and barley. It is a life-long inflammatory condition of the intestinal tract. If you are concerned that you may have coeliac disease you must speak to your doctor.

IgG mediated food sensitivity is caused by antibodies directed primarily to proteins. In general, alcohol does not provoke an antibody response as they are too small to be seen by the immune system.

Food extracts are ‘printed’ onto nitrocellulose ‘pads’™ on a glass microscope slide, together with calibration standards and controls. A blood sample provided by the patient is diluted and dispensed onto each printed microarray. Food IgG antibodies, if present, bind to the food extracts and the results are measured by a high-resolution scanner, before being calibrated against the standards using the reporting software to give quantitative results. This software then produces a tailor-made printout of the final food IgG antibody result for each food on the requested food panel.

Customers should avoid the use of immunosuppressant medication if possible when performing these tests, as they may have an impact upon the results

A food sensitivity test is not recommended during pregnancy due to the changes that are taking place which may affect antibody production. We do also not recommend testing during breastfeeding.

No, samples can be collected at any time of the day.

Although it is advisable to completely fill the tube, a half filled microvette tube should be enough to run the test. If there are any problems with a sample, the lab will let the customer know.

Yes, it does need to be stored in the fridge with the lid secured, if it is not being sent on the same day that the sample was collected.

No. Once you have avoided those foods for at least 3 months, and you have noticed an improvement in your symptoms, then you can start to gradually introduce the foods back into your diet. You should introduce one food at a time, with an interval of 4 days before trying another food. If you do not notice the return of any symptoms, then you can continue to include that food in your diet on an occasional basis. You may find a food and symptom diary useful whilst re-introducing foods. If you are sure you have been avoiding the foods and address Leaky Gut and do not notice any improvement after 3 months, then you can assume that those foods are not responsible for your symptoms.

This is a normal reaction for many people in the first few days after excluding a food or foods, due to ‘withdrawal-type’ symptoms. It is quite common to feel worse for a few days, but this phase soon passes, and an improvement is usually noticed after a week or two.

Some people find that they feel better for a short while after eating foods to which they react to however, if they continue to eat those foods, the symptoms return. Eating more of the food once again brings relief, creating a vicious cycle of addiction that is difficult to break. This can be overcome by strictly eliminating the reactive food for a minimum of 3 months.

No, in the first instance this is not recommended. You are recommended to only avoid the foods that have come up positive on your test. It is recommended that if you want to avoid all other members of that food family, that this is carried out under the supervision of a practitioner.

This is because either a) you have eaten ‘x’ hidden in other foods (it is very important to check ingredients labels carefully); or b) you have eaten foods within the same food family or been exposed to an allergen that is similar to the antigen in the food and these can result in antibody production. This is known as cross reactions. Please contact OptiWay™  for more information on cross reactions.

If you have a lot of positive results, it can be a very daunting task trying to cut out everything whilst maintaining a nutritionally well-balanced diet. In these cases, we recommend you visit a dietitian who will help you to avoid the foods with a strong positive response, and to rotate the foods with a lower positive result.

Potentially, you may have a condition known as ‘Leaky Gut’. You should consult a registered dietitian.

In some patients, inflammation or irritation of the intestinal lining allows partially digested foods to leak through gaps between cells in the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. This condition is called ‘Leaky Gut Syndrome’ and patients with this condition typically have high levels of antibodies to multiple foods.

Most people do not need to have a re-test, but you confirm that your body has been repaired. We we usually advise a period of 12 months in between tests. If your symptoms have improved and you have been able to successfully re-introduce the foods, then a re-test is unnecessary.

The table below is designed to provide patients and practitioners with a quick guide to common medicines and how they could affect a test for food-specific IgG antibodies.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/166oEP_rX7t2d0vQcy_3i1jAxoL_fhNzJ/view?usp=sharing

Coriander Seed, Cumin Seed, Onion, Salt, Chilli Powder, Fenugreek, Garlic Powder, Ginger, Paprika, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Clove, Bay Leaf, Cardamom.

Brewer’s yeast and baker’s yeast are two strains of the same organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with slight differences in their protein structures. As a result, they are tested separately and may appear differently on test results, showing varying levels of elevation.

Baker’s yeast is “live” and is selected for its ability to produce carbon dioxide, which helps dough rise during baking, while also contributing to its characteristic flavour. In contrast, brewer’s yeast is inactive, has a more bitter taste, and is primarily used in alcohol production.

If only one type of yeast shows a positive result, the individual may be advised to avoid both, depending on their IgG response. Since yeast is a common ingredient in many food and drink products, it’s important to first eliminate the most obvious sources—such as bread, alcohol, and fermented foods—as part of the dietary adjustment.

The fact that corn (maize) can be elevated and polenta normal can be confusing, but the reason that this can occur is due to the fact that although polenta derives from corn, the process of producing it, which involves grinding down of the dried corn kernels into cornmeal before heat treating (cooking) the mixture, actually denatures the proteins. Epitopes are the portions of an antigen that are recognised by the antibodies of the immune system and any antibodies raised to a particular protein bind precisely to specific epitopes. However, these epitopes are often not recognised when denaturing occurs and as a result, the antibodies raised to the epitopes of corn proteins cannot necessarily be specific to polenta. In practical terms however, we would recommend that if an individual has elevated IgG antibodies to corn, that they also avoid/limit polenta consumption during the elimination period. This is because, as polenta is derived from corn, it’s consumption may still continue to affect IgG antibody levels to corn itself.

No, you can’t take colostrum supplements as colostrum is equally as high in casein as cow’s milk.

The cow’s milk sensitivity also excludes low-casein cheese.  This is precautionary, especially if you have a particularly high elevation to both cow’s milk and casein, it would be sensible to seek alternatives for the elimination period.  Low-casein does not mean no-casein.  When you are reintroducing dairy milk products after the elimination period it may be wise to introduce low-casein products first to see if they can be tolerated before testing other dairy products.

It is possible that in the months between the first and second reports significant changes could have happened to predispose you to a ‘leaky gut’? With this unusual outcome, it appears that damage to the integrity of the gut is allowing passage of foods into the bloodstream stimulating multiple responses.  These potential events could be for example:

1. Stressful life events
2. Over exercise
3. Medications e.g., antibiotics, antacids
4. Severe infection e.g., Covid virus which can remain in the gut for up to three months, disrupting balance
5. Exposure to environmental toxins
6. Poor sleep
7. Peri menopause

Out of caution we would always suggest that a client waits until the symptoms of an illness have abated and their temperature is normal.  However, as our test is specific to raised IgG antibodies to individual foods, the results should not in theory be affected. 

• Food intolerances occur when the body lacks certain enzymes or chemicals required to properly digest specific food components. One common example is lactose intolerance, where the body lacks the enzyme lactase needed to break down lactose (a sugar found in dairy products) and this is diagnosed by a genetic test. This is different to an allergy or sensitivity to dairy products.   Or gluten-intolerance, which is confirmed by testing for the HLA gene. Relatively few people at gluten intolerant, but many more are gluten ‘sensitive’. Various labs are doing genetic tests, and you can test for the HLA gene at Ampath /Lancet / Pathcare.

• Food sensitivities refer to a range of adverse reactions to certain foods as measured by IgG testing. These reactions are generally milder than food allergies and intolerances. OptiWay tests for IgG reactions. 

• A food allergy is an immune system response to certain proteins present in food and is measured by IgE testing. When someone with a food allergy ingests the trigger food, the immune system mistakenly identifies the protein as harmful and releases histamines and other chemicals, causing an allergic reaction. People must avoid the allergen for life. IgE tests can be requested from laboratories such as Ampath /Lancet / Pathcare and you must specify which foods you want to test for.

• Expert Recommendations: Our Support Guide assists you in removing or reducing reactive foods, avoiding nutrient deficiencies, and reintroducing foods responsibly.
• Fast and Actionable: With accurate results tailored to you in a short period of time, you can take the guesswork out of identifying symptoms and triggers.
• Follow the Colours: The easy-to-follow report categorises foods into red, yellow, and green to help you optimise an eating plan

• For venison we test cervus elaphus which is Red Deer. 

• The fact that corn (maize) can show elevated levels while polenta remains normal can be confusing. This occurs because, although polenta is derived from corn, the production process involves grinding dried corn kernels into cornmeal and then heat-treating (cooking) the mixture. This process denatures the proteins.

  Epitopes are portions of an antigen recognized by antibodies of the immune system, and antibodies bind specifically to these epitopes. However, denaturing can alter epitopes, making them unrecognizable to the antibodies initially raised against corn proteins. Therefore, antibodies specific to corn may not necessarily react to polenta.

  In practical terms, we recommend that individuals with elevated IgG antibodies to corn also avoid or limit polenta consumption during the elimination period. Since polenta is derived from corn, its consumption may still affect IgG antibody levels to corn.

• It is possible to be sensitive to wheat but not gluten because wheat contains many components, including proteins and other molecules, that can cause adverse reactions in some people. Wheat contains various proteins besides gluten, such as albumins and globulins. Some individuals might be sensitive to these other proteins rather than gluten. Gluten is composed of two main types of proteins: gliadins and glutenins. These proteins give dough its elasticity and help it rise and maintain its shape.

• We recommend that clients focus on eliminating foods that are regularly consumed and flagged as elevated in the report, as these are the most likely to cause symptoms. We do not suggest excluding foods based on potential cross-reactions, as this may lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions. Cross-reactions are only considered if a food appears on the report and the client is confident they have not eaten it.

• If you have a very high number of reactive foods (‘red’), we recommend testing for coeliac disease (CD) and consider a colonoscopy to explore potential inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease.

   

  Additionally, it’s helpful to exclude foods that register above a certain threshold, like 70 U/ml, and to rotate foods under this threshold into your diet. Foods under 70 U/ml should be consumed no more than twice per week to avoid overexposure.

   

  It’s also essential to address upstream factors that impact gut barrier function. One of the key contributors is stress, as elevated cortisol levels can increase zonulin activity, leading to higher intestinal permeability. Common stressors include overtraining without sufficient recovery, poor sleep, and emotional stress. Excessive alcohol consumption and high caffeine intake can also compromise gut integrity.

   

  Lastly, consider supporting gastrointestinal health with key nutrients such as L-glutamine, zinc, vitamins A and D, N-Acetyl Glucosamine, and omega-3 fatty acids to help restore and maintain gut integrity.

• Cow’s milk typically contains A1 beta-casein, which is known to be more inflammatory for many people. In contrast, buffalo milk contains mostly A2 beta-casein — a form that is structurally closer to the casein found in human milk and generally easier to digest.

  Although both contain casein, the immune system often reacts differently to A1 and A2 forms. A2 casein, like that in buffalo milk, is less likely to trigger the same inflammatory or immune response — which is why buffalo milk can work for you, while others don’t.

• Yes, the client should avoid cow’s milk yogurt, as it also contains casein. However, consider whether alternatives like soy or coconut yogurt may be suitable, provided they are classified as low-impact (“green”) foods for the client.

The kola nut comes from trees in the genus Cola, which are native to the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa.

Kola nuts can be found in a variety of foods, drinks, and health products—especially those associated with energy, alertness, or traditional medicine.

Look for the words kola nut, Cola acuminata and Cola nitida on labels.

Kola nut has known cross-reactivity with cocoa, chocolate and cocoa butter because they belong to the same botanical order and share similar protein structures. 

Courier costs are included within the South African borders

No. Our IgG food sensitivity test looks specifically at how your immune system responds to certain foods. When food is broken down, it’s mostly into proteins. If your immune system identifies some of these proteins as “suspicious,” it may produce IgG antibodies against them. The test measures these antibody levels to indicate possible sensitivities.

Chemical or artificial additives and preservatives generally don’t contain proteins and therefore do not trigger the IgG immune response. If you suspect a sensitivity to additives or preservatives, the most reliable method is an elimination diet followed by a structured re-challenge under the guidance of a qualified dietitian or clinician. This approach is considered the gold standard worldwide.