Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you always wanted to know about food allergies and ImuPro
General questions
- Is the test rebateable through Medicare or private health funds?
- Can I have the test done if I am on a restricted diet?
- Can children or babies take the test?
- I am on antibiotics. Will this affect my results?
- Is there any need to be re-tested months down the track?
- How reliable is the ImuPro test?
- Your offices are in Sydney - how can I take the test if I live in other parts of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore or Malaysia?
- Will my blood serum sample be spoilt during transit?
- My general practitioner performed a standard allergy test on me. Why does the result not correspond to the result of the ImuPro Test?
- Will the ImuPro test detect if I am Lactose intolerant?
- Will the ImuPro test detect if I am intolerant to salycilates or amines in foods?
- What is the difference between IgG and IgE?
- What are the most common allergens?
- Can I eat lollies and biscuits?
- I suffer symptoms after eating certain foods but I am not sure whether it is caused by food intolerance or something else - can you help?
- My test shows that I react to foodstuffs I have never eaten. How can this be possible?
- I would like to try a food that I have not been tested for - how should I go about it?
- What should I do in case of a sudden craving for a particular food?
- Should I take the DAO Histamine test instead of the Imupro test?
Is the test rebateable on Medicare or through private health funds?
Unfortunately, as the ImuPro test is fairly new in Australia, there are currently no medical rebates available for it because it does take many years to get rebates set up. ImuPro is a worldwide company and the test has been used extensively in Europe since 2000.
We do have the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Association) approval, listed under ARTG number 125411, but you won't be able to claim the cost of the test back through health funds or Medicare for the time being.
Can I have the test done if I am on a restricted diet?
Yes, you can still take the test if you are on a restricted diet. However, your reactions to the foods that you have been avoiding will be much lower than if you were on an unrestricted diet.
Can children or babies take the test?
Children over 12 months old can take the ImuPro test.
If the child is under 12 months old. we recommend that the mother is tested as she can inadvertently pass her antibodies on to the child through breast feeding.
I am on antibiotics. Will this affect my results?
Provided you are not taking immunosuppresant drugs, your results will not be affected by being on a short course of antibiotics.
A long course of antibiotics can compromise the intestinal flora and may cause a higher number of reactions to be detected. If you are currently taking any medications, you should advise the ImuPro team just to be certain.
Is there any need to be re-tested months down the track?
No, this is not normally necessary. Even if a retest does not detect particular antibodies, this does not mean that you can recommence eating foods or additives to which an intolerance was detected.
The immune system has a memory and reactivates the production of antibodies when it comes in contact with a food or additive to which it previously had a reaction.
However, the production of antibodies is generally reduced through implementing dietary changes to cut out offending foods.
The test would only need to be repeated if the symptoms re-occur, although this is unlikely if you are keeping to your diet and rotation plan instructions.
If the test is repeated, we recommend at least a two year wait between tests.
How reliable is the ImuPro test?
The reliability of the test is proven by over 100,000 performed tests with a satisfaction score of over 90%.
The test is performed using the ELISA method, which is a well-established standard procedure in laboratory analysis. Our results are reliable and reproducible, and are checked through regular quality controls in labs across different countries.
Your offices are in Sydney - how can I take the test if I live in other parts of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore or Malaysia?
To take the test, you only need to have a blood sample taken at a pathology lab, then send it to us. We can advise you of the nearest pathology centre anywhere in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore or Malaysia and provide you with the correct paperwork.
We then courier the blood to Germany where the test is done and you will have your results and individual diet plan sent to you within 10 to 14 days.
You don’t need a referral from a GP. You just need to take the request form which we can provide to you by e-mail or post, as well as a clear procedure checklist that we also provide.
Will my blood serum sample be spoilt during transit?
No. Your blood sample will be specially prepared by pathology (a process called “centrifuging”). This process ensures that the clear liquid serum is separated from the blood solids. The serum is what we require for testing, and is stable at room temperature for up to 7 days. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months without being spoilt.
My general practitioner performed a standard allergy test on me. Why does the result not correspond to the result of the ImuPro Test?
The ImuPro test detects reactions, which may occur between 8 and 72 hours after the consumption of the offending food or additive.
Allergy tests administered by GPs are designed to detect immediate reactions to ingested food. Classic Type I (IgE) allergies are different to the IgG (delayed onset allergy) that the ImuPro tests for.
Will the ImuPro test detect if I am lactose intolerant?
Lactose intolerance is different to a Type III food allergy (which is what we specifically test for).
Lactose intolerance is an enzyme deficiency, not IgG mediated, and therefore will not be detected by the ImuPro test.
You can be lactose intolerant, but not Type III intolerant to dairy products. Similarly, you might have a Type III food allergy to dairy products, but this does not necessarily mean you are lactose intolerant.
Will the ImuPro test detect if I am intolerant to salycilates or amines in foods?
The ImuPro test is sensitive to IgG antibodies. Salycilate and amine intolerance are not IgG mediated and therefore will not be picked up by the ImuPro test.
What is the difference between IgG and IgE?
IgG reactions occur in cases of disturbed intestinal flora, but decrease if the new diet is adhered to. IgE reactions occur occasionally and are more severe. The IgE findings must be taken into account in addition to the ImuPro findings when amending your diet, since the foods tested positively for IgE antibodies must always be avoided.
What are the most common allergens?
ImuPro studies have shown that milk and dairy products as well as varieties of cereals trigger immunological reactions in a large number of people.
Gluten, egg white, dairy products and brewers/baker’s yeast can cause a high level of intolerance and should be avoided if an intolerance is detected - this is not always easy as theses food types are often hidden in innumerable manufactured products.
Can I eat lollies and biscuits?
You may. However make sure that they fit into your rotation plan and don’t contain any hidden ingredients to which you are intolerant.
I suffer symptoms after eating certain foods but I am not sure whether it is caused by food intolerances or something else?
If you are not sure if your symptoms are caused by food intolerances, we have a low-cost Pre-Screen Test which is designed to show you whether or not you have intolerances and whether you would benefit from the full test. The cost of the Pre-Screen Test is $195.00. If you go on to take the full ImuPro300 test, we rebate you $100.00 off the cost.
The full ImuPro300 tests for intolerances to 271 individual foods and is the most comprehensive test of it's kind available in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore or Malaysia.
My test shows that I react to foods I have never eaten. How can this be possible?
Some foods belong to the same family. For example, potato, aubergine, tomato and tobacco are all members of the nightshade family. Related foods can often produce a similar immunological response.
It is also possible that you react to a food (such as soy), even though you are sure that you have never eaten soy. This is because soy and its extracts are added to a large number of foods, so you may have consumed soy without your knowledge. Another example is poppy seed, which is frequently contained in drugs as a modified component.
I would like to try a food that I have not been tested for
All foods and additives not included in the test should be avoided during the first 8 to 10 weeks following the test.
Afterwards, you should proceed as follows: incompatibilities with rare foodstuffs such as safflower oil, tropical fruits or exotic vegetables such as parsnips are rare. If you would like to try a food which has not been tested, you should note any health problems that occur in the following week.
You should also limit yourself to reintroducing one untested food at a time into your diet. If you do not have any adverse reactions to the food then you may continue to include it in your rotational diet.
What should I do in case of a sudden craving for a particular food?
It is widely known that there is a link between food intolerances and cravings. Do not give in to food cravings. After three to five days the cravings will subside and are less likely to return.
Should I take the DAO Histamine test instead of the Imupro test?
These tests are complementary to each other, as they detect different things, which one test alone is unable to do. We have institutes who test always both at the same time. This avoids periods of no success when both histamine intolerance and IgG intolerance are present. It is not confusing doing these diets together, in fact it is not two diets but a more refined Imupro diet. You avoid IgG positive food and histamine containing food. Often they are the same, for example cheese or fermented dairy products.
