accuracy issues-saliva secretor test?
Howdy All,
I received my saliva secretor results back a few weeks ago and have
been concerned by the fact that I am a “non-secretor” due to
increased health risks. I started wondering how accurate the results
were since the saliva had to go through the mail and wasn’t on ice.
I’ve been snooping around on the Internet and found some issues in
other newsgroups about how inaccurate the saliva testing has been.
Seems that some non-secretor folks are getting the blood test for the
Lewis type (D’Adamo says this is one way to go) and are getting
secretor results instead.
One discussion group in particular www.owendot.com seems to have some
people who have gone from trusting the saliva test to doubting it and
having multiple blood tests instead. I guess the deal with getting
the blood test sent to two different labs surrounds issues of lab
accuracy which should be taken into account. There were discussions
back in Sept. 2001 and in March 2003 on that newsgroup that really
got me thinking. Seems that most of the saliva tests show “non-
secretor” status and the blood test show “secretor” status. I’m
wondering if the saliva test is not sensitive enough and if too many
steps have been cut out of the process for such mass marketing. I
have read what D’Adamo says about the test, but things aren’t adding
up right. I’ve been reading about how professional crime labs do the
saliva test and it seems like a difficult test to do correctly.
Saliva is very unstable and should be freeze dried and tested in a
way that is more rigorous than what the Great Smokies lab does.
I’m really thinking about getting the blood test to see if I too have
conflicting results. I feel like being a non-secretor poses many more
health risks and I need to know if this really is my status. Anyone
know of decent labs in western Oregon? I have heard that the Red
Cross is excellent at producing accurate results, but I’m not sure if
they do this sort of thing for everyday people. Any one out there
have the Lewis Type blood test to verify the results of the saliva
test? I’m just curious to find out if people are getting the saliva
result confirmed. Please let me know–I’m very curious.
Lydia (O+, non-secretor–I guess)
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Sarah,
I saw my naturopath yesterday and he told me that he had his Lewis
Phenotype blood test done up in Portland–at the Great Smokies lab
there. He said that it cost about $99 and they include a list of
avoids and beneficial (but I already have all the books). For another
$180 they will test allergy reactions to 96 different foods–but I do
understand allergy reactions are not the same as lectin and blood
clumping issues. FYI, a fuller test that includes more veggies,
spices, and environmental pollutants is available for $290. Still, it
would be nice to know because even on the non-secretor diet my
overall health issues have not improved and I’m even now exercising 6
days a week. Could be a matter of time, but it would be nice to know
if I am having an allergic reaction to some of the foods that I have
been eating. I definitely know that I cannot digest spinach (my
mother found that out when I was a baby and nothing has changed my
horrible reaction)–yet it is supposed to be beneficial. I could also
get a vega allergy test (more about food energy) for about $120–but
I’m not sure I believe in that sort of thing. Not sure what I am
going to do yet about testing–depends on how long my lay off lasts.
Medical testing with no insurance bites! But there is no doubt that
I think that I need to further customize the diet even more to my
particular body. Still concerned though about what seems like the
curse of non-secretors–I just don’t see any benefits and it is
rather disheartening to know that we are supposed to be more
susceptible to nearly everything.
Thanks.
Lydia