In the UK, public interest in food intolerance testing is increasing significantly. This could be due to factors such as media interest and celebrity endorsements. In addition, food intolerance testing is becoming an important issue as modern lifestyles and the typical British diet appears to be resulting in an increase in digestive disorders. What is Food Intolerance Food intolerance is a negative physical reaction to certain foods or ingredients that takes place whenever the problem food is consumed. Reactions are particularly severe when larger amounts are eaten. Symptoms of food intolerance can include skin problems, fatigue, headaches and joint pain as well as digestive problems. Food Intolerance Testing There are various food intolerance testing methods available. Some require an electronic stylus to be placed on the side of a finger in order to gauge energy responses to particular food substances. The information is then passed through to a monitor from which the practitioner can obtain a reading and measure reaction. Practitioners of Kinesiology measure food intolerance by testing muscle strength, as the patient is exposed to various foods. The only clinically and scientifically proven testing for food intolerances involves screening a pin prick sample of blood for IgG antibodies which react to foods which cause a reaction. This small sample can provide a lot of information, from whether food intolerance is an issue or not, right through to detailed results about the reactive foods themselves. Food intolerance differs from Food Allergy. An allergy is usually an immediate and often severe reaction which may require urgent medical treatment. An intolerance can also produce unpleasant symptoms, but over a slightly longer period, from a few hours to a few days. This means that the culprit food or foods is harder to identify. Identifying problem foods via food intolerance testing can provide an opportunity to potentially relieve troublesome symptoms and improve quality of life. In order to maximise the benefit of this information, care and attention should also be given to general health and lifestyle issues. |
