What is a Food Intolerance Test?
That’s a very good question!
A food Intolerance test is designed to identify foods which may trigger reactions and intolerances. Undeniably, these reactions to food are becoming more common. The prevalence of food allergies and intolerances continues to rise in the UK, currently affecting around 44% of adults and 50% of children.
The Power of a Food Intolerance Test
Our food intolerance test kit is your solution to identifying these triggers. By pinpointing the foods causing an IgG antibody response, you can make informed choices and changes to your diet and lifestyle.
TESTme provides the support and information needed to improve diet while on an elimination plan. We help ensure you keep a well balanced and nutrient rich diet, and provide motivation along the way. Even in small amounts, these changes add up!
The Rise of Food Intolerance & Allergies
This alarming trend is impacting not just individuals but the NHS, which currently spends around £900 million per year addressing the problem. Identifying these conditions is notoriously tricky when relying on food diaries and other less obvious forms of identification.
As such, limited resources, funding and long waiting lists means testing is becoming ever more limited to the general public. This in turn is leading to frustration, as symptoms for individuals continues to rise.
IgG Intolerance
An IgG response is accumulative and can lead to delayed reactions lasting up to 72 hours. People with intolerances will typically experience one or more of the following symptoms;
IBS symptoms, Diarrhoea, bloating, constipation, abdominal pain
Bloating and belching
Indigestion, heartburn, reflux, nausea
Sinus, mucous, catarrh, Migraines and headaches
Anxiety, depression, low mood, brain fog
Joint pain and arthritis
Eczema, rosacea, acne and other skin conditions
Fatigue and chronic fatigue
Chronic pain
What’s to blame for this explosion in allergies and food intolerance?
Unfortunately, we are living in a world full of toxins. And at a time where we’re consuming an increasing number of foods which are devoid of nutrients. As this toxicity and deficiency manifests in our body, it results in a myriad of symptoms and/or disease. These toxins come in many forms;
Aerosols, carbon emissions, chemicals in our cleaning products, chlorine in our water, benzine at the petrol pumps, aluminium in tinfoil, cans and Teflon pans, microwaves, plastic food packaging, wi-fi and wireless devices which produce radiation, pesticides, antibiotics in the food chain, micro plastics in fish, fire retardant chemicals in your soft furnishings, and many other contributor’s.
When manufacturers claim exposure to small amounts of these substances are not harmful, they decline to acknowledge they accumulate in our bodies and overwhelm the immune system. In the western world today, we are producing almost 250 pounds of toxic waste per person per day, which is alarming.
What is Blood Testing (The ELISA Method)
This form of food intolerance test is a reliable and controlled method, used to measure elevated antibodies in an individual. By eliminating guesswork and providing accurate results, you can understand your body’s response to common foods, allowing you to take charge of food choices.
See below for a study done by the Natural Medicine Journal.
What’s the science behind ELISA Blood testing for a food intolerance test?
ELISA is a common laboratory testing technique, which detects and counts certain antibodies, antigens, proteins and hormones in bodily fluid samples. These include blood, plasma, urine and saliva
Cleveland Clinic
“ELISA” stands for “enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.”
Several medical tests involve the use of the ELISA technique. However, it’s important to note that your laboratory test results won’t say “ELISA test.” This is because ELISA is a laboratory ‘technique’, and there are countless variations of the tests which use it.
Researchers consider ELISA to be the gold standard of immunoassays. Tests which use ELISA can help diagnose a wide range of conditions, from bacterial and viral infections (like Lyme disease and HIV) to endocrine conditions, like thyroid disease. Used as a method for a food intolerance test, and to ascertain allergies, it can also detect a host of other infections and health conditions.
What is BER testing?
This testing works to gauge a level of resistance using a Bio-Energetic Response (BER), much the same as Kineseology. Used as a diagnostic tool for a food intolerance test, it can help indicate the body’s resistance to a particular substance.
However, it will not identify whether you have an IgE or IgG response to a food or substance, you would need a blood test to ascertain this.
What is hair analysis?
A small sample of hair is sent to a laboratory for testing. It can be successfully used to identify heavy metal poisoning and drug use over time, but there is no good evidence that it performs as a food intolerance test. A hair test will look at energy fields around hair and is often used to detect recreational drugs. However, its role in allergies and intolerances has been found to be unreliable.
What is a skin prick test?
In general, your GP would refer you for a skin prick test through the NHS. This type of testing will expose your skin to suspected allergens looking for signs of an allergic reaction (not an intolerance).
Along with your medical history, these allergy tests may be able to confirm whether a particular substance you touch, breathe or eat is causing an allergic reaction.
In general, skin allergy tests are reliable for diagnosing allergies to airborne substances, such as pollen, pet dander and dust mites. Skin testing may help diagnose food allergies (not intolerances), but according to the Mayo Clinic “food allergies can be complex, so you may need additional testing”.
What’s the argument against a food intolerance test?
Great question, long answer!
AllergyUK reveals a staggering statistic: the NHS spends around £900 million annually on treating symptoms related to allergies, food intolerances, and conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. That’s a hefty 10% chunk of the GP’s prescribing budget. This would indicate both a substantial financial burden and a widespread health concern.
To address symptoms with medications, is widely acknowledged as inadequate. Pharmaceutical companies have a monopoly in medications designed to ‘treat the symptom’, and most people would agree that this isn’t working.
Poor dietary choices
There’s a common mantra by some media outlets, and even healthcare professionals, suggesting that a food intolerance test poses risks of nutritional deficiencies. However, this notion is a lazy argument. Access to high-quality, organic, and seasonal produce is increasingly limited, and expensive. Consequently, many families resort to cheaper, processed, and sugar-laden alternatives, contributing to a surge in health issues.
To dismiss a food intolerance test on grounds of potential nutrient deficiency is not only unfounded, but also ignores the broader dietary landscape contributing to health challenges.
Shouldn’t safeguarding our health and that of our loved ones be paramount? It’s unfortunate that the NHS currently lacks provisions for comprehensive testing in this regard. Therefore, it stands to reason that exploring all available options to mitigate inflammation and disease should be encouraged. After all, shouldn’t individuals have the freedom to make informed choices regarding their health?
For instance, many don’t realise that all the following conditions (and many more) can often be acerbated and often directly caused by food intolerances;
Indigestion, asthma, eczema, hay fever and migraines.
Because food triggers can cause inflammation levels to rise, this in turn can acerbate symptoms. By eating the food repeatedly (we no longer eat seasonally), and not following an elimination diet, these symptoms are unlikely to improve.
If we can manage symptoms by avoiding inflammatory foods, including more raw and nutricious items and adjusting lifestyle, the need for these drugs becomes less. Therefore, this has a huge impact on a multi-billion-dollar industry. Suffice to say, not everyone’s a winner!
The Challenge of Identification
Meanwhile, many suffer in silence due to the difficulty in identifying allergies and food intolerances.
Lack of funding, limited availability, and GP support, leaves countless individuals without access to vital testing.
TESTme can help bridge this gap empowering you to make informed choices about your health.
