Food Intolerance

The link between diet and performance is well known to professional sportsmen and women. At the top of our national sports it is unheard of for a team to travel without a chef and nutritionist to keep the players in peak condition.

For the rest of us it is rather more hit and miss; why do we sometimes feel on top of our game and other times, well, decidedly second best?

The answer could be food. It has been estimated that more than 20% of the population suffer from food intolerances/sensitivities with symptoms ranging from mild fatigue, to chronic asthma to name but two. Since symptoms often occur some time after food has been eaten it can be almost impossible to identify the problem ingredients by trial and error.

That’s where FoodCheck comes in. Using our simple fingerprick tests, and state-of-the-art laboratory analysis, you could find out exactly which ingredients are spoiling your performance. With the removal of problem foods from your diet you could perform better and feel better.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FOOD INTOLERANCE.

 

1. Is food intolerance a new thing?

 
To some degree this is true. Most of us these days eat food from many sources and have little or no control over the ingredients for prepared and processed food. It is well known that some people have an acute, often violent reaction to specific foods, such as nuts and strawberries – this is a classical allergic reaction. However, milder, potentially debilitating food intolerances are often overlooked. These, more recent tests, can now deal with this problematic area of food and chemical intolerance.

2. How do I find out if I am intolerant?

 
FoodCheck 5 is a test for 5 groups of foods that are the most common causes of food intolerance: Soya, Milk, Wheat, Fish and Nuts. FoodCheck 93 is a significantly more comprehensive test for intolerance to 93 different, specific foods, also covering foods outside the 5 food groups in FoodCheck 5. You can take either test to help you find out if you have food intolerance. FoodCheck 5 is often followed up by FoodCheck 93. FoodCheck 93 will provide a complete breakdown of 93 specific foods that may be causing problems, and, in the form of a scoring system, the degree to which you are intolerant. If FoodCheck 5 gives a positive result to a food group, FoodCheck 93 can help identify which exact food(s) within that group you are intolerant to, helping to cut down the number of foods to eliminate. If FoodCheck 5 gives a negative result to all 5 food groups, FoodCheck 93 can be taken to determine intolerance to foods outside those 5 food groups.

3. What if I test positive?

With the knowledge of what affects you and to what degree, you can simply choose a diet that eliminates the offending foods or ingredients. If your reactions are severe or you have intolerances to a number of foods, you may wish to consult a nutritionist. All About Non Surgical is able to supply a list of professional nutritionists in your area on request. If you test negative but still suffer from symptoms, you may suffer from symptoms not related to food intolerance, or you may be intolerant to a food not included in the test panel that you chose. You may want to consider a Helicobacter pylori test or consult your GP.

4. How does the test work?

The fingerprick tests measure the presence of IgG antibodies when exposed to specific foods.

5. Do I need to visit my GP?

You can – your Doctor is best placed to advise and support; and your GP can request these tests. The criteria for your GP requesting the test are:

• The test is not available from your local NHS laboratory
• The referral laboratory is CPA accredited
• The patient pays 

 

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