Our bodies are strange, even at the best of times, and we are still adjusting to it. When you are looking to get to the bottom of strange symptoms and that general feeling of simply being unwell after you’ve eaten, you’re certainly not alone. Almost everyone suffers from headaches, but not everyone realises that they may be caused by food intolerances or allergies.
When you feel like you’re having strange reactions to food, or experiencing headaches then you may be dealing with food intolerance.
Unique from a food allergy, a food intolerance doesn’t make you feel like you can’t breathe or give you a rash. It just means that your body can’t really digest or work with the food, so you start to feel unwell after eating it. Help stop your headaches today with a food intolerance test.
Allergy
vs Intolerance
A lot of food intolerances get misdiagnosed as a mild food allergy, or they get missed entirely because they are attributed to other common health issues. A lot of symptoms like headaches are generally caused by other health causes.
That’s why food intolerance testing is so important when you are looking at making sure that you are as healthy as possible. To break it down into detail, let’s take a look at an allergy and a food intolerance side by side:
Allergy: An allergy takes place when your body sees a certain food as attacking the body. The body then retaliates, resulting in a physical reaction as it fights.
Allergies can range from mild to severe. Common symptoms include rashes, shortness of breath, flushing, hives, and, of course, the dreaded anaphylactic shock that is so common with allergies such as nuts or soy.
Most severe allergies are present at birth but can develop at a later age as well. Allergies can also vary in terms of their type when exposed to the allergen. That is, what may be a simply annoying case of hives or itchy eyes and a runny nose one time, maybe shortness of breath and sneezing fit the next time.
Allergies are not always the same severity and should be taken seriously in terms of avoidance.
Intolerance:
An intolerance is when your body is simply unable to process something that comes into it. While it doesn’t attack the “intruder” in your body, it does react to it.
This reaction’s severity depends on how much of the food that you have. The less you have, the smaller the reaction. Common symptoms include fatigue (especially after eating), a bloated stomach, heartburn, headaches (even migraines) and diarrhoea.
With proper intolerance testing, you can figure out what the trigger food is and avoid it as well as monitor how much causes a reaction so that you can continue eating it in small amounts if preferred. Common intolerances include wheat intolerance, gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance.
While allergies tend to get all of the fame and glory, understanding the role a food intolerance can play in your life, as well as making sure that you are aware of it and can avoid it, is just as important.
When you want to get rid of those strange mystery symptoms, as well as those constant headaches, then you can turn to a Lifelab Testing kit. You will then generally feel better and healthier.
Whether you knew you needed it or not, grab that test and see for yourself just what the results are. If you are not sure which item is causing your variety of symptoms, you can get your hands on our Complete Body Test!
Food allergy testing is often only given when there is a clear indicator that it is needed. Particularly when teens or adults, where it’s commonly thought that the danger of an allergy developing has passed. However, allergy testing isn’t just required when a child, teen or adult has an anaphylaxis-related reaction. Sometimes it’s simply a bloated stomach or even fatigue. There is no “one size fits all” for a food allergy, which is why education is important.
How allergies relate to fatigue
Since we know that a food allergy occurs when your body’s natural system starts to protect itself from what it perceives as a threat (ie: the allergen), fatigue is actually a really common symptom of a food allergy, though it’s often ignored and attributed to other issues.
As your body fights the allergen, the same hormone that is released to fight it, also makes you feel tired and hazy. Similar to when you are overtired. It can also keep you from sleeping well, if the allergic reaction occurs near bedtime. This difficulty sleeping is also made worse by the fact that the same hormone can cause swelling in your nose, making you feel stuffy, which makes it hard to have a good night’s rest as well.
Examples of fatigue related to allergies
Fatigue and its connection to allergies can be felt in a few ways. Here are some examples that you may have found in your everyday life that, until now, don’t really have a clear reason for happening.
Constant fatigue:If you feel like you are always ready to pass out from fatigue in the afternoon or evening, it could be due to something that you’re eating in a meal. While slight fatigue is normal after a large meal, a traditional meal shouldn’t make you feel like you’re exhausted after it.
Difficulty sleeping: If you’re waking throughout the night or waking in the morning still feeling really dragged out or tired, it could be due to an allergen that is pushing those fatigue levels higher as well as keeping you from slipping into a deep sleep throughout the night.
Feeling fogged or hazy: Difficulty concentrating or simply feeling “hazy” or “out of it” is another version of fatigue that is often caused by a food allergen. If you are struggling to stay on-task or focused on a conversation, this form of fatigue could be something to consider in terms of the root cause.
What to do
In fighting the reaction, the best thing that you can do is to take an allergy test. This will help you figure out just what is triggering the fatigue so that you can avoid it. If you accidentally ingest it, you’ll find that taking an anti-histamine can help curb the worst of your symptoms and get you back to your life as normal. Allergy testing can help you beat fatigue for good.
For more information on battling fatigue and dealing with this annoying symptom, you can log on to www.lifelabtesting.com and see how we can help!
‘Lifelab Testing’ have been following Chris’ story ever since he came to us and told us that he wanted to be healthier in himself. He believed he was suffering from food allergies and intolerances which were stopping him from becoming a runner. Gluten intolerance is one of the things he had identified.
Chris has participated in the London half marathon this year, as well as some 10K runs and events across Derbyshire. He felt that his intolerances and allergies were holding him back.
Chris took a complete intolerance test, as well as a basic allergy test, as he wanted to be in full fitness. Take a read below of how Chris utilised his Lifelab Testing results to complete his running goals, and become a lot happier and healthier.
‘So, how have I ended up running in three long-distance races this year, having never really done one before? Well, I now feel like I am at the peak of my fitness. I have always been a keen runner, but lethargy and a bloated stomach have always let me down.
I’ve been running for a while in the gym and around my local village, and I did find it quite fun. I sometimes do it with my friends but often on my own. I always felt though that there was something holding me back, and I believed it was gluten intolerance. I timed myself a few times and could feel myself improving, but not in the way that you would expect when I was training so hard.
Despite enjoying my runs, I felt fatigued beforehand and had to use up all my effort and energy into becoming the best and going on a run. I was encouraged but I needed more. I needed to take a food intolerance test to see if I was suffering from gluten intolerance, as my intolerance symptoms kept cropping up every time I ate.
I did my research (a quick type in google) and Lifelab Testing was the most appealing intolerance test I could find. There were others I considered but Lifelab was for me. I ordered my test from Lifelab Testing and the package actually arrived the following day, I was shocked.
In trying to complete the test, I had to find the help of my partner, but this was not too bad and is expected. It was pain-free but I wanted to make sure my vile was perfect. It is so important to identify a gluten intolerance, and I was determined to get it right.
I couldn’t believe how easy the intolerance test was to do! I thought this was easy, and so I went online and purchased a Basic allergy test as well. I would receive my results within 5-7 days, which was completely fine although I wanted to get running immediately. Even sending off my sample gave me the boost I needed.
Low and behold, when my results arrived, I was right! Gluten was one of the main intolerances listed, and it all fit! I spoke to one of the nutritional therapists on offer, and I cut gluten out of my diet completely. I lost a load of weight and actually felt more motivated than ever.
Since taking the intolerance test, I have signed up for three more races because I now feel confident that I can. I chat to all of my friends about it and have encouraged them to start running. I also advised my lazy friends (a few) that they needed to see what they were intolerant to. Those who hated getting up for work are now feeling a lot better!’
The Complete Intolerance test is exactly what I needed to be happier. I will go into more detail about my Allergy test one day, but for now, gluten intolerance is not holding me back, thanks to Lifelab Testing. I cannot speak highly enough of the Lifelab team!
The number of people suffering from fatigue is increasing daily, and that is because lifestyles are becoming more hectic and more demanding. People are working harder all the time. The number of people complaining about feeling fatigued is always rising, but there has actually been more complaints about fatigue from women rather than men.
But, if fatigue is caused by a food intolerance, does it not affect everybody? It does, but not every food intolerance will cause the same symptoms, and it is not always the same food. Some people with a food intolerance will suffer from a bloated stomach or a headache, and some will suffer from fatigue. Intolerance testing can definitely help you to find out which foods you need to be avoiding.
How can intolerance testing help me?
Intolerance testing can help in so many ways, but one of the main ones is to help you reevaluate your diet. If you are always eating a food that you have a food intolerance to (but you weren’t aware) then intolerance testing can identify this, and this will help you to remove that food from your diet.
Why am I always tired?
Food intolerances and fatigue are linked, that is for sure. If you find yourself anxious and stressed, you may see that you constantly questioning: ‘Why am I always tired?’. Lethargy is common and there is often a root cause. You can consult your doctor with this and they will advise you.
Understanding your body
For people suffering from fatigue, there are so many questions. Why am I always tired is often asked, as you look to discover and understand why you are feeling a bit down. Your health and wellbeing is so important and intolerance testing can improve this. Identify and eliminate these food intolerances, it can be an important step forward in identifying your energy levels.
For more information on intolerance testing, log on to www.lifelabtesting.com and say goodbye to your fatigue and bloated stomach today.
Seasonal allergies can be an utter misery if you are suffering from them, as they can cause so many issues which leave you feeling upset and tied down. Worry no longer! As the pollen count rises, there are some things that you need to do in order to keep your pollen allergy symptoms at bay.
What to do if you suffer from a pollen allergy?
It may sound tedious but you do need to stay indoors when the pollen count or humidity is high. This will help you to cope with your pollen allergy (hay fever), as the pollen will not be able to gain access to your body.
If it is windy, then Allergy Clinic recommends that you also avoid places where dust and pollen are likely to blow about more than usual. Nowadays, with the way modern technology has been transformed, you can even access a pollen counter and download it straight to your phone.
Find the right medication right for you
You need to find the right medication for you. If your allergy test has highlighted that you may have a pollen allergy then you should contact your GP or health professional immediately. If you have seen an allergist, then they should give the right medication for you. Hay fever and food allergens like wheat, gluten and shellfish are perfect examples of why allergy testing can be beneficial for you.
Myths and truths of Hay Fever
If you are suffering from a pollen allergy, then you will probably read plenty of articles (like this one) highlighting what to do in order to cope with your intolerances and allergies.
Lifelab Testing recommend ordering an allergy test to identify whether it is hay fever causing your symptoms or something else entirely. We also recommend wearing sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes. We don’t, however, recommend wrapping vaseline around your nostrils as this is a myth to stop hay fever. Although some pollen will get stuck to the vaseline, it does not completely block it from entering your nose.
In conclusion
Overall, we would recommend identifying if you have an intolerance or a pollen allergy immediately.
If you have taken an allergy test then you are probably doing an elimination diet. This is when you remove certain foods from your diet which have been highlighted as a food allergy. Fortunately, Lifelab Testing is here to help you with any symptoms that you may be experiencing.
Individual nature of our symptoms
As we are each unique and individual, it is important that you remember how to cope with your individual foods. How a food makes you feel, is not actually how another person may feel (including a member of your family).
Rate your foods at the start
One of our key suggestions is that you need to record and track your symptoms. If you have purchased an allergy test and are doing our 30 days follow up, then you will see that we like to track your symptoms every 7 days.
Patience is key
Sometimes people find that their symptoms often get worse before they have got better. But you must not be surprised if this is the case, as you just need to monitor your symptoms further. An allergy test identifies which foods you probably need to remove from your diet, but please do monitor your symptoms.
Which test would be right for you?
Using our Find the right test tool, we can help point you in the right direction as to which test you need to purchase. Depending on your symptoms, it could be an intolerance or an allergy, but it is important you find out.
If your symptoms are occurring right away after every single moment that you eat food, then it is likely that you have a food allergy. For this, we would point you towards a Basic Allergy Test or a Complete Body Test, and it is so important that you are able to identify which foods are causing you the issue.
If your symptoms are similar to a bloated stomach and other stomach related issues, which sometimes occur up to 72 hours later, then it will be either a Basic Intolerance test or a Complete Intolerance test.
For more information on getting your hands on an intolerance or allergy test, then please log on to www.lifelabtesting.com and order your test now.
Whether it’s through a morning cup of coffee, a pre-workout energy drink or even an afternoon chocolate bar, the vast majority of us consume caffeine as a daily habit. But could it be the root cause of our digestive complaints? If you’re suffering from a caffeine intolerance, this could definitely be the case. Read on as we explain how caffeine could be causing you more harm than good.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a psychostimulant consumed throughout the world. It’s commonly found in hot beverages such as coffee and tea, as well as chocolate and most energy drinks. It’s known for giving you that ‘buzz’ or boost of energy and used by many to help wake up in the morning. Caffeine has become such an everyday part of our culture that the vast majority don’t even give a second thought to the amount they consume.
Benefits of Caffeine
Before we move on to discuss the drawbacks of caffeine and how to spot an intolerance, we’re going to give the drug its due and look at the benefits of caffeine. This isn’t a complete slam of the substance.
Alertness – As you’ll be aware, ingesting caffeine is usually followed by a boost in alertness and concentration. Research has shown that caffeine alertness effect is the same, whether it’s 2 pm or 2 am [1].
Fat Burning – Interestingly, consuming caffeine encourages your body to dip into your fat stores and use lipids for energy, instead of doing whatever it can to preserve those stores [2]. Studies have also measured the fat-burning benefits of caffeine and found that lean individuals can burn 150 calories from ingesting a single dose of 100mg [3].
Diabetes Prevention – Researchers are still looking into this, but the evidence points towards caffeine being beneficial in preventing type 2 diabetes. Several studies have shown how the substance can help in reducing insulin sensitivity [4, 5] and a few researchers have concluded that it could be helpful for those labelled ‘prediabetics’ [6. 7].
That being said, caffeine does have its drawbacks, even for those who aren’t intolerant to it.
Drawbacks of Caffeine
Anxiety disorders – As you may be aware since caffeine is a stimulant, it can worsen existing anxiety disorders. It makes perfect sense when you consider that caffeine makes your brain go into ‘fast mode’ and anxiety is a kind of fast-paced, negative thinking. It’s like adding fuel to the fire. Several studies have noted the exacerbating effects of caffeine for those with anxiety disorders [8]. One such study found a reduction in symptoms from simply diseasing consumption of the drug [9].
Other Mental illness – Other studies have noticed a correlation between depression and caffeine consumption, but further research still needs doing to determine whether this is a causal relationship or not [10].
Sleep disturbances – As caffeine is a stimulant one of the major drawbacks of it is the effect it can have on your sleep. With a half-life of 3 to 5 hours, after a humble cup of tea at 5 pm, toting around 25mg of caffeine, you’d still have half of that caffeine running through your bloodstream come bedtime. With a more caffeinated beverage like say, a venti at Starbucks, you can easily expect more than ten times that amount – so it’s no wonder caffeine can have such an effect on our sleep.
Symptoms of Caffeine Intolerance
Now onto the devil that is caffeine intolerance. Although often thought of as a ‘pick me up’ when that Monday afternoon is really beginning to drag, caffeine can cause serious issues for those whose bodies are not well adjusted to it. Caffeine intolerance, like most food intolerances, can be identified through a few symptoms;
Insomnia
Anxiety
Restlessness
Headaches
Fatigue
high blood pressure
IBS symptoms
The main issue with identifying caffeine intolerance is that the symptoms are so similar to many other conditions. Many even mistakenly attribute their symptoms to withdrawal rather than intolerance, because of the time delay in the symptoms. But it’s very common for caffeine intolerance symptoms to begin hours or even days after consumption.
How Much Caffeine Can You Drink?
Naturally, some people may be put off caffeine altogether after reading this, but the question is, how much caffeine is safe to drink before you develop an intolerance to it? As the summer comes around, you may find yourself consuming less hot drinks, but caffeine is still all around us, in chocolate (and chocolate flavoured foods), fizzy drinks and some sports drinks. The general consensus across the scientific and medical community is that 400mg of caffeine is relatively safe to have in one day, (around 4 homebrewed cups) but don’t let this trick you into assuming you don’t have an intolerance to the drug! An intolerance can develop regardless of how much you consume.
What Else Could it be?
The most frustrating part is that it’s almost impossible to distinguish between a caffeine intolerance and any other food intolerance. All of those symptoms we mentioned earlier can be experienced through any food intolerance, and the only true way to accurately identify which food items are causing your symptoms is through testing.
At Lifelab, we offer the MyDNA test kit, which can help you understand how caffeine interacts with your body specifically. You can then figure out if your jitters or afternoon stomach issues have been caused by this addictive energiser, or you can hit two birds with one stone with our combo deal – Save £30 on a MyDNA kit, and determine if another food item is the culprit. There’s no reason to stay in discomfort when a life without these symptoms could be a simple test away.
References
[1] Smith, A.P., Brockman, P., Flynn, R., Maben, A. and Thomas, M. (1993). Investigation of the effects of coffee on alertness and performance during the day and night. Neuropsychobiology, [online] 27(4), pp.217–23. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8232842 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[2] Patwardhan, R.V., Desmond, P.V., Johnson, R.F., Dunn, G.D., Robertson, D.H., Hoyumpa, A.M. and Schenker, S. (1980). Effects of caffeine on plasma free fatty acids, urinary catecholamines, and drug binding. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, [online] 28(3), pp.398–403. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7408399 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[3] Dulloo, A.G., Geissler, C.A., Horton, T., Collins, A. and Miller, D.S. (1989). Normal caffeine consumption: influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and postobese human volunteers. The American journal of clinical nutrition, [online] 49(1), pp.44–50. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[4] Keijzers, G.B., De Galan, B.E., Tack, C.J. and Smits, P. (2002). Caffeine can decrease insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes care, [online] 25(2), pp.364–9. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11815511 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[5] Shi, X., Xue, W., Liang, S., Zhao, J. and Zhang, X. (2016). Acute caffeine ingestion reduces insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Journal, [online] 15(1). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5192567/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[6] van Dam, R.M. and Hu, F.B. (2005). Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. JAMA, [online] 294(1), pp.97–104. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15998896 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[7] Odegaard, A.O., Pereira, M.A., Koh, W.-P., Arakawa, K., Lee, H.-P. and Yu, M.C. (2008). Coffee, tea, and incident type 2 diabetes: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, [online] 88(4), pp.979–85. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18842784 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[8] Richards, G. and Smith, A. (2015). Caffeine consumption and self-assessed stress, anxiety, and depression in secondary school children. Journal of Psychopharmacology, [online] 29(12), pp.1236–1247. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4668773/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
[10] Jin, M.-J., Yoon, C.-H., Ko, H.-J., Kim, H.-M., Kim, A.-S., Moon, H.-N. and Jung, S.-P. (2016). The Relationship of Caffeine Intake with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep in Korean Adolescents. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, [online] 37(2), p.111. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4826990/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2020].
At Lifelab Testing, the most important thing is our customer. We endeavour to help our customers feel much better after an allergy test, when they have reevaluated their diet to help them alleviate their symptoms, some of which include a bloated stomach or headache. Check out some of our testimonials below:
Georgia Cole – Bloated Stomach
Georgia Cole from Survival of the Fittest (ITV) decided that she would like to a Complete Body test. This is our most popular test and one that we would recommend to anyone who is looking to identify both your allergies and intolerances. A bloated stomach, as well as stomach cramps, were seriously affecting her. However, Georgia had a home-to-lab allergy test kit delivered straight to her door, and she was able to do her blood spot testing kit from the comfort from her own home. Now the days of Georgia’s bloated stomach are behind her. If you would like to alleviate your allergy symptoms, then please do order an allergy test.
Hayley Clough – Lethargic
Hayley Clough, a bodybuilder who was feeling fatigued and lethargic due to her intolerances. Fortunately, for someone in her position, she was not suffering from a bloated stomach, but she did also have to change her diet in order to help manage her symptoms. She stated she felt a huge improvement after taking advice due to her allergy test, and she also experienced a boost in her performance and training.
The Darcys – No not those ones!
The Darcys are epic foodies.They openly admitted that in their testimonials, but what they also admit is that they are suffering from severe allergy and intolerance symptoms. In their testimonial, this sentence stands out as something that many people would relate to:
“But we’ve faced some issues with our diets for a while, so we did a Lifelab Test to see what we’re intolerant to.”
Having followed a new diet for a while, they both reported an upturn in how they were feeling and what it meant for them to feel much better. Allergy symptoms are no longer thanks to the Lifelab Testing allergy test.
Nambo – Bloated stomach
Nambo is a personal trainer who was desperate to get into peak physical fitness, as he was suffering from a bloated stomach. He turned to an allergy test to try and find out what was causing his symptoms.
Leading up to competition, Nambo changes his diet, routine and lifestyle to ensure he’s in top physical shape. However, he was struggling with bloating which was keeping him awake until 3 o’clock in the morning. Uh oh.
For more information on allergy testing and doing an allergy test, Lifelab Testing offer solutions to your questions about allergy testing.
Anaphylaxis. The word itself can strike fear into those who know what it means, especially if they are suffering from food allergies which have wreaked havoc on their lives. There are many people who have suffered from allergy testing, but they do not always know what to do should they suffer an allergic reaction. However, at Lifelab Testing, we help people to try and improve their lives. See below more of the symptoms that you need to watch out for if you think that you are suffering from anaphylaxis.
What is anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is one of the most extreme and severe allergic reactions, it can often lead to life-threatening situations. The whole of your body is affected and usually within minutes of you consuming a food that you are allergic to. A person suffering from anaphylaxis can also experience symptoms up to hours later, so it is vital that you stay away from problematic foods.
Severe allergic reactions: Symptoms
Although anaphylaxis is one of the most severe reactions, which is often life-threatening, there are other symptoms which present themselves if you eat a food which you are allergic to.
Swelling of throat and mouth (lips)
Struggling to speak
Struggling to breath
Severe asthma
Pain in the abdomen
Nausea
Drop in blood pressure
But which foods cause anaphylaxis?
There are some common foods which are often associated with allergies. Food labelling standards and requirements have been incredibly tightened up due to the issues that are being caused by foods. Almost everybody knows someone with an allergy to peanuts, but other foods include fish, eggs. shellfish and dairy products. It is important that you are able to differentiate between milk allergy and lactose intolerance, so please do be careful.
Unfortunately, there are some non-food items which you need to look out for, and these include wasp and bee stings, latex and even penicillin. So please do be careful before jumping into any of these items, and make sure that you do not have an allergy first.
For more information on allergy testing and identifying your allergies, please check out www.lifelabtesting.com. If you have any questions about any of our tests, don’t forget to speak to our customer service advisors who are available via our LiveChat service.
A food allergy and a food intolerance are often thrown around in the same conversation and are thought to be the same thing when this couldn’t be further from the truth. An allergy is an entirely different condition to an intolerance and we’re here to clarify the difference for you. As well as being two different conditions, there are a lot of ‘untruths’ lying around regarding each term such as ‘an allergy can be cured if the food is removed for a period of time’ or ‘an allergy can be created by regular consumption of a food’.
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy, when occurring, creates an immune reaction within the body. This is usually caused by the protein of an allergen entering the bloodstream. This tends to happen more often at a younger age as the lining of the gut isn’t yet fully developed. When you are exposed to the allergen, whether you have ingested, inhaled or touched the item, an IgE immune response is released as the body now sees the allergen as a threat. This release histamine and symptoms that can occur immediately or up to a couple of hours later.
Symptoms are completely individual and can differ from person to person, however, in the worst-case scenario, anaphylactic shock can occur in which an EpiPen needs to be administered as well as seeking urgent medical attention. It is important that you know what to do in a situation where someone is suffering an allergic reaction as it has the potential of being life-threatening. If diagnosed with an allergy through an allergy test or an experience with a reaction, you need to do all you can to constantly avoid these items.
What is a food intolerance?
A food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, occurs when an individual’s gut lacks the correct digestive enzymes to break down the foods. In this case, we are going to look at immune-mediated intolerances which is a reaction to IgG antibodies. There are four types of IgG antibodies – IgG₁, IgG₂, IgG₃ and IgG₄. IgG₁ is a first responder to a reaction, however, if a reaction continues to happen to a food item because we are continually exposed to an allergen, we begin to produce IgG₄ antibodies. IgG₂ and IgG₃ antibodies are not produced in response to a food item which is why at Lifelab Testing, we find IgG₄the most relevant antibody for testing food intolerances.
Symptoms to a food intolerance can occur up to 72 hours after the food item has been consumed. Symptoms include;
Symptoms of an intolerance may only occur if you have eaten a large amount of the food. We can reduce symptoms of an intolerance by adjusting our diet to remove all the trigger items and then reintroducing the items after 6-8 weeks of not having consumed them. This is known as an elimination diet.
How can you discover your allergies and intolerances?
The answer is simple, a Lifelab Testing kit. Having one of our at-home blood testing kits delivered straight to your door means that you can begin your journey to health from the comfort of your own home. A small blood sample could change your life and relieve you of your symptoms when tested in our laboratory. From as little as £74.99, you can order one of our fantastic tests and discover whether you are suffering from a food allergy or food intolerance.
