Read 57 times since Thursday, September 08, 2011
Food intolerance is prevalent across the UK with leading charity Allergy UK releasing figures that almost half (49%) of the UK population are sufferers. However little is known about food intolerance as its not yet established mainstream attention to the extent that other issues such as allergies have.
To begin with then, it is worth understanding what exactly being food intolerant is. Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to the ingestion of food or to any food group. It is triggered due to the body having difficulty breaking certain foods down such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats and additives. The result produces various symptoms which can range from mild discomfort to quite severe reactions that can have a big impact on your quality of life.
Due to the fact that the awareness of food sensitivity is quite low, many people have suffered prolonged symptoms that they have not been able to prevent or at the very least minimise. Some of these symptoms are illnesses that you would never have thought but are very common in people suffering with food sensitivity. The most common 5 of these are:
* Headaches and migraines
* Bloating
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
* Eczema
* Fatigue
All of the above can be inflamed/worsened by the foods you eat. So how do you know if you are intolerant to food? Believe it or not but food intolerance has been known among medical professionals for some time. Years ago (and even in use today) a common way to measure the effects of food on your body was to undergo an elimination diet. This involves restricting certain foods over a concentrated period of time and monitoring for any reduction in symptoms. Of course a massive downside to this is the time it takes a lot of time as there is such a wide range of different foods and so is not ideal for someone looking to get relief from their symptoms quickly.
Fortunately scientific innovations have seen the introduction of the food intolerance test. The tests work by measuring food-specific IgG antibodies which help to identify food groups that your body may be reacting to and are available in two groups, those that determine if you have food intolerance and those that determine which foods your body is sensitive to. As a first step the former test is advised if you are at your wits end with any problematic symptoms you may have.
The tests are an easy to use finger prick test that can be conducted in the comfort of your own home. Once you take the test your blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis and within days you get your results.
If receiving a positive result and/or discovering which foods you are intolerant to it is important that you seek the advice of a nutritionist or doctor before making and dietary modifications. Trying to go at it alone can actually do just as much harm to your body as you can be restricting your body of essential vitamins needed to promote good health. For this very reason it is recommended that any test is carried out as part of a food intolerance programme where you can get on-going support to guide you through. Dr. Gillian Hart is a Scientific Director for YorkTest Laboratories who specialise in food intolerance testing which can help those suffering from food intolerance symptoms to identify problematic foods. For more information visit YorkTest.com or call 0800 074 6185.
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