Food Sensitivity Vs Allergy Testing

 

Eric Murphy tests at the following venues on a once monthly basis, apart from the Bushey venue, which has regular availablity throughout the month. Please contact the venue directly to book an apointment. There is a £30.00, non-refundable deposit required for all shop bookings.

The Health Partnership:-

Bushey, Watford (0208 950 4099)

 

 

Unit 2 Faircross House (opposite pond)

116 The Parade, High Street,

Watford (01923 805508)

 

Healthright:-

27 High Street, Chesham (01494 771267)

Natural Health:-

339 Ballards Lane, North Finchley (0208 445 4397)

 

19 North Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1EF (01525 371378)

 

To arrange to be tested at my home in Bushey, or for me to come out to your home, please call: 0208 950 4099 or email using the "make an enquiry" button at the top of this page. The Bushey venue is fitted with an air-ioniser which helps remove bacteria and viruses from circulation.*[email protected]

(We are not insured to test children under 5 years old, pregnant women, people who suffer from epilepsy or who are fitted with a pacemaker.)

 

* For scientific research on air ionisers please go to the following link:

 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3228-air-ionisers-wipe-out-hospital-infections/

 

 

 

Jane (Nash Mills)

 

Rajendra (London)

Dear Eric
...It's not even been 30 days of the 90-day expected turnaround and I am having no recurring symptoms.

Not only has my skin cleared up, I feel wholly less tired and I have significantly less pain in my joints. Literally as you predicted, it feels like a fog has lifted from my mind and a deep uneasiness has escaped my body.

I feel more grounded, secure and open to healing. I just wanted to thank you for your kindness and professionalism and I have been recommending your service to others I suspect might need attention, especially with gluten.
My sincere thanks,
Alex (Aylesbury)

"...so we are now 2 months since we saw you - and have embraced the diet in full - and Joseph is so so much happier and healthier. He has gained 2kg back from the 4kg he lost - which is amazing - and his performance at school and energy levels are so much better. We have not looked back and Joseph has become an independent & avid label reader and on one occasion was 'glutened' by accident at school and recognised his symptoms immediately. Thank you for the info and support."
Sandra & Joseph (Amersham)

"Its been about 4 months since we have seen you and I think the photos say it all for Marilyn. Marilyn went from 83 kg in January – 68 kg in March, a loss of 15 kg.
I have lost 11KG. Most of all the problems we had are cleared up.
The weight loss is a side effect.
Will continue to recommend people to you."
Alec (South Oxhey)

"...I have been suffering from what I thought was IBS for years, which I in turn thought was down to anxiety. Even though I had read that gluten sensitivity is often confused with IBS, I still didn't think this applied to me as the effects weren't immediate.  (…) After seeing you in the health shop in north Finchley I didn't eat pasta or bread, and after only 2 days the symptoms just vanished. There was no stomach churning or diarrhoea. I also used to feel sick in the mornings, which had also just gone away. I was amazed at the results."
Tijana (North Finchley)

"...Eric was helpful in explaining everything clearly, suggesting alternatives to food I would have to remove, suggested supplements and even now, months after the test, still answers my questions quickly and clearly. After just one month of this diet I started seeing some improvements to my symptoms. I am less gassy and don''t get bloated or heart burn like I used to. Although I am not sure about the test itself, Eric has been extraordinarily helpful and after failed attempts trying to cure my symptoms, it seems I have finally found something that actually works. Big thanks to Eric!"
Jonny (Great Missenden)


"Just wanted to let you know that your diet which you prescribed to me has been doing incredibly well. I am 2 months in from the 3 months which you prescribed me. All my symptoms have reduced significantly or disappeared completely. Which is amazing I would be happy to write a testimony of the results for you.."
Umisha (Northolt)


"Just thought I’d drop you a line 3 months on to let you know how it’s (i.e. gluten free) going. To be honest, it was probably one of the best £80 I’ve ever spent.
The bloaty feeling subsided very quickly after going gluten free – I certainly noticed the difference – with less wind too!
(...) So – after 3 months I have no intention of “going back”; I shall maintain gluten free, continue to find new things to cook, and hopefully will continue to feel a whole lot better than I did before.(...)
Hope you yourself are keeping well – and busy with your – what has been in my case – brilliant testing technique."
Hilary (Hillingdon)

"I have been following the yeast/sugar free diet religiously and am now starting my 3rd week - I’m really feeling a difference (haven’t felt bloated and uncomfortable in the afternoons for a while) and my family have even mentioned that I’ve not complained about headaches as much so it must be working!!" Helen (Herts)

"- my stomach is no longer in discomfort each day
- no more swelling of my stomach
- reduced wind
- rarely anymore stomach cramps
- normal bowel movements again
best £60 I ever spent !!! Thank you for all the advice." Mandy (Aylesbury)

"Since I cut Gluten things have been completely different. My mood has improved, the fog has gone from my mind, my catarrh has cleared up completely. Friends had even noticed I look better, one described me as radiant!?! Thanks for your wonderful test."
Colin (North Finchley)

"I have been now on the candida diet for nearly five months and have seen a lot of improvement in my health. I have not taken a anti-histamine for over 10 weeks now, which I am very happy about. Occasionally I do still get rash but not necessary for me to take the anti-histamine tablets."Usha (Edgeware)

"Dear Eric
Well, it has been a little over 9 weeks since I saw you for a food sensitivity test and things have certainly changed. I have now lost 13lbs (still holding on to that last pound before I can say that I have lost a stone!) and I am feeling much better. It has taken a lot of hard work and determination and the first couple of weeks were awful but I am certainly starting to see the benefits now.(...)
Thank you for all of your advice and support. Getting rid of the constant foggy-headedness has made a huge difference and it has been great to finally start losing the weight that I have struggled to shift for years.(...)You have also since tested my parents and found that my dad had a gluten problem and my mum had similar problems to me. Both are doing well, continuing their diets and both have lost some weight." Joanne (Bucks)

"Thank you, I was over 12 stone and getting bigger, now, I am 8.4 stone. The test showed yeast and you gave me advice on Candida diet. (...) There is some negative press regarding these tests, I think maybe because people don't do exactly what they are advised, maybe they were not lucky enough to have an experienced, straight talking advisor such as you. You were so clear, thank you, as if you had not been, I would not have understood the importance and worse still, not seen the results, which have been maintained for many months now."
Annette (Dubai)

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About Us

I trained with the UK's largest independent food sensitivity service, Healthscreening UK Ltd, an organisation that saw more than 440,000 clients over a 30 year period. I have tested in clinics and health stores all over the South East and have years of experience assisting clients with IBS type symptoms.

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Fees

The complete test is £59.95 and includes sensitivity to 81 foods & 28 additives (E numbers) plus vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The test takes approximately an hour.

Most venues will ask for a non-refundable deposit of £30. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or bank transfer, but card payments are only possible in the shops.

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Services

I test for food and E-number sensitivity, and for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, with face to face consultation.

True allergy, also known as "IgE mediated allergic reactions", is quite rare in that it may only afflict 2% of the population. More common is non-allergic food hypersensitivity ( food sensitivity) which, although less dramatic, may still cause many symptoms including IBS, headaches, skin problems, bloating, mood swings and even arthritis. So if you have had no luck with your GP, and suspect you may have a sensitivity to something you are eating, then this may well be worth a try.

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Special Interests

I have had particular success with digestive symptoms such as bloating and IBS, and have helped clients who had come to a dead end with conventional approaches. Many children, who have a particular food sensitivity, may exhibit early indications through such conditions as eczema, asthma, and behavioural problems. I have found that the correct identification of the culprit food will lead to rapid improvements in child health.

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What is the test and how is it done

Put simply, our test, which is sometimes called electrodermal testing, or the vega test (after the name of the machine we use), works on the basis that the human body creates a tiny electrical resistance to the vibrational fields of substances it finds disagreeable. It involves no pain or needles, but simply the client holding an electrode whilst another probe is pushed against the acupressure points on the tip of his or her finger. Homoeopathic preparations of various substances (foods, e-numbers etc.,) are then placed one at a time in the machine until we detect a drop in electrical current. Our food sensitivity system is based on three markers.

These are:

1) the foods most commonly eaten by the client;
2) cross-referenced with a list of foods known to trigger specific symptoms;
3) cross-referenced with the results of the vega test (described above).

Since the test relies on the degree of sensitivity the client has to a food, it is advised to eat the foods that normally make up one's diet at least a couple of times a week in the fortnight prior to the test. On average one becomes desensitized to a food if one has not eaten it for more than a month, but in children or adults with a strong immune system, this may be only two or three weeks. Unsurprisingly it is foods that are eaten more frequently (three or more times a week) that usually turn out to be the culprits.

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What is the science behind electrodermal testing for food sensitivity?

The creator of the Vega machine (which is used in our test) was the renowned German physician, Dr. Helmut Schimmel, M.D.. His invention, which was an evolution of the work of Dr. Reinhardt Voll, M.D., is based on the effect of electrical resistance changes of the skin at certain acupuncture points (low electrical resistance areas) in response to differing substances that are either beneficial or detrimental to the client's body. This is also very similar to other methods such as applied kinesiology or bioresonance.

Dr. Shimmel is also the author of the groundbreaking book; 'Functional Medicine: The Origin and Treatment of Chronic Diseases' (Vol 1). This book combined oriental and occidental medical knowledge, dealing with the bioenergetic events which precede and accompany biochemical and organic pathology. So there is undoubtedly an impressive medical background to the originators of the Vega test.

Whilst we always recommend seeing your GP for any persistent ailments, it is a sad fact that many people who book a food sensitivity test are at their wits' end, often having seen endless doctors and specialists, whilst their symptoms persist or even worsen. Modern medical science is clearly not meeting the needs of many people with food issues. As is admitted by one web site which attacks any and all "alternative" attempts to solve people's food sensitivity issues:

"At present, there are no reliable and validated clinical tests for the diagnosis of food intolerance." http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/

Those few scientific studies that have been done on electrodermal testing almost always look for efficacy in detecting true allergy (IgE), rather than mere sensitivity (non-IgE mediated allergic reactions). For this reason, the “studies” cited by the media and others, which supposedly cast doubt on our vega test, are not directly relevant. One such study, which is the gold standard for those wishing to discredit the vega test, was published in the venerable British Medical Journal. However, the featured study itself admits to its own irrelevance:

“However, we recognise that electrodermal testing, when used to assess “antigens” in a non-blinded manner, is usually used to evaluate food intolerance rather than to diagnose allergies in the traditional sense of the term.8 We did not investigate food intolerance, partly because there is no universally recognised conventional test for food intolerance against which to evaluate electrodermal testing. (...) Furthermore, we recognise that electrodermal testing was developed to aid the prescription of homeopathic and herbal remedies and not primarily as an allergy test; we made no attempt to evaluate these claims.” i

Since it is possible to be sensitive to a food, and yet not technically allergic to it; and since the BMJ admits there is no validated medical test for food sensitivity; any negative, absolutist pronouncements on this issue by the medical establishment, never mind popular media outlets such as the BBC, can hardly be taken as definitive. Some "alternative" organisations claim to be testing for other types of immune system responses such as IgG or IgA, but this is also currently rejected as having any validity by mainstream medicine, despite their self-confessed shortcomings.

Of course, we do not ourselves give any type of firm, medical diagnosis, but rather suggest foods that the client can try eliminating for a limited trial period, and then re-introduce to see if symptoms return.

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Despite the fact that we do not claim to be testing for true allergy, there have been some studies done in this very field by a handful of medical pioneers, with encouraging results:

Dr. Julian Kenyon has done considerable clinical research in the application of the Vega technology to the field of clinical ecology at the Centre for the Study of Alternative Therapies in England. He has pioneered the use of the vegatest as a tool of therapeutic and diagnostic practice. iii iv v vi

At least three double-blind studies have been published on electrodermal allergy testing:

Dr. Ali found a 73% concordance between electrodermal testing and ELISA IgE antibody levels for a variety of pollens and moulds.vii

Dr. Kiop in Toronto found a 66% correspondence in identifying the neutralization sublingual dose for a variety of foods, chemicals and inhalants between the electrodermal test and intradermal sublingual testing.viii

In 1984, a University of Hawaii research team compared six different diagnostic modalities for assessing food allergies including history, food challenge, skin, RAST, IgE antibodies, and electrodermal.ix In over 300 tests, electrodermal testing matched the history 74%, the food challenge test 77%, skin testing 71%, and RAST testing 69%. This research group, which has already published several research studies, is embarking on an extensive five year study on the efficacy of the electrodermal testing procedure in medical practice.x xi xii

Here are links to Youtube videos of some research into the information retaining properties of water (the basis of Homoeopathy) and the difficulty of gaining wider scientific acceptance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYlMSHOGBw

http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=4433B81CEB37DCC66CBF4907F6393DA4

This link explains the difference between IgE and IgG immune responses:

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home/eng/e-newsletter/IgG%20vs%20IgE.pdf

This link answers some critics of homoeopathy:

http://homeopathyplus.com.au/extraordinary-cures-require-extraordinary-medicine/

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Disclaimer:


I am not a doctor, therefore the information and advice I provide is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and not as medical advice. I cannot advise on, or diagnose any illness, but only suggest foods to avoid on a trial basis, along with supplements that may help maintain health. Please first consult a 'qualified' medical or health professional if you have ongoing queries about your health.

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References:

i) Is electrodermal testing as effective as skin prick tests for diagnosing allergies? A double blind, randomised block design study BMJ 2001; 322 : 131 doi: 10.1136/bmj.322.7279.131 (Published 20 January 2001)

Fehrenbach, J., Noll, H., Nolte, H.G. & Schimmell, H.: Short Manuel of the VEGATEST method. Vega Grieshaber, 1981.
iii
Kenyon, J. : Modern Techniques of Acupuncture, vol. 3, Thorsons, 1985.
iv
Lewith, G. & Kenyons, J. : Clinical Ecology, Thorsons, 1985
v
Kenyon, J. : “Diagnostic Techniques of the Future: Bioenergic Regulatory Medicine”, Journal of Alternative Medicine, vol. 12,
December 1985.
vi
Kenyon, J. : Twentieth Century Medicine, Thorsons, 1986.
vii
Ali, M. : “Correlation of IgE antibodies with specificity for pollen and mould allergy with changes in electrodermal skin responses
following exposure to allergens”, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 91:357, 1989.
viii
Kiop, J., Swierczek, J., Wood, A. : “Comparison of Ecological Testing with the Vega Test Method in Identifying Sensitivities to
Chemicals, Foods and Inhalants”, American Journal of Acupuncture, 13:253-59, 1985.
ix
Lam, F., Tsuei, J., : “Case Findings from a Family Practitioners Office Using Electroacupuncture According to Voll”, American Journal of
Acupuncture, vol. 11, 23-29, 1983.
x
10Lam, F., Tsuei, J., Zhao, Z. : “Bioenergetic Regulatory Measurement Instruments and Devices”, American Journal of Acupuncture, vol.
16, 345-49, 1988.
11 Tsuei, J., et al., “Study on Bioenergy in Diabetes Mellitus Patients”, American Journal of Acupuncture, vol. 17, 31-37, 1989.
xi
12 Lam, F., et al., “Study on the Bioenergetic Measurement of Acupuncture Points for determination of Correct Dosages of Allopathic or
Homeopathic Medicines in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus”, American Journal of Acupuncture, vol. 18, 127-33, 1990.