Food Intolerance - What Is Making You Ill?

Latest figures by leading charity Allergy UK show that almost half of the UK population suffer with food intolerance. This is a huge number and equates to about 28 million people. However although these stats seem alarming many of us are unaware that we have have intolerance to food as any complications that are brought about are so minor they go unnoticed.

For some, however, food intolerance can contribute to some severe symptoms that can really affect your day to day living. Symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome and migraines. These symptoms are not curable and nine times out of ten doctors are unable to prescribe anything that can eradicate the problems.

So if you suffer some of these symptoms how can you determine if food sensitivity is contributing? Before exploring this it is worth understanding how it is brought about. In its basic form food intolerance is a non-allergic reaction to a type of food or food groups that is triggered due to the body having difficulties breaking down foods. The result produces numerous symptoms which also include eczema and chronic fatigue as well as the symptoms previously mentioned.

In order to find out if you have intolerance to food it is recommended that you undertake a food intolerance blood test. These tests can be easily done in the comfort of your own home and are available in two different types: one which can determine if you have food sensitivity and one determines which foods your body is sensitive to. The tests work by measuring food-specific IgG antibodies which help to identify food groups that your body may be reacting to.

If it is found that you do in fact have intolerance to food then eliminating the problematic foods should bring about a reduction in the symptoms experienced. However it is important that any dietary modification is carried out with the help and advice of a doctor or a nutritionist. Going at it alone and removing food from your diet could be robbing you of essential vitamins which could very well do more harm than good. For this reason we recommended undertaking a test as part of a food intolerance programme.

Food intolerance programmes offer continued support and help from taking the initial test right up until you desire. By taking advantage of a service like this you can ensure that you remain healthy and problem free well into the future.

Dr. Gillian Hart is a Scientific Director for YorkTest Laboratories who specialise in food intolerance testing and which can help those suffering from food intolerance symptoms to identify problematic foods. For more information visit YorkTest.com or call 0800 074 6185.