Kokova Magazine

Food intolerance is a hidden epidemic affecting up to 45% of the population, and has been linked with a huge range of symptoms ranging from fatigue, headaches, migraine and skin problems, to bloating, stomach pain, depression, nausea, diarrhoea, IBS, joint pains and eczema.

Doctors rarely explore the link between food intolerance and chronic conditions such as these with their patients, yet there is now clear evidence that relief (total or partial) can be achieved by a change in diet.

Tests for allergies are sometimes carried out, but food intolerance, which is less easy to diagnose, is frequently overlooked.

So what is food intolerance and how is it different to food allergy?

There is a lot of confusion about the terms food intolerance and food allergy, and the differences between them.

Many people speak about food allergy when their symptoms can sometimes indicate food intolerance instead. Food allergies differ from intolerances in the speed and severity of your body's immune system reaction to a foodstuff - in an allergic reaction your immune system is mistaking a food for an 'invader' which results in a rapid response, often within minutes of eating the food.

This kind of response is typical of nut and seafood allergies.

Symptoms caused by food allergy can range from rashes, swelling, diarrhoea and vomiting. In the most severe cases symptoms such as swelling of the lips, tongue or face, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties and loss of consciousness can occur; anaphylaxis which is potentially life threatening.

Although true food allergy can be hugely significant for those who suffer it is actually quite rare with approximately 2.5% of the population diagnosed.

In contrast the effects of food sensitivity and intolerance are more subtle and less well understood. Food sensitivity can take on forms such as:

(a) Coeliac disease; 1% of people in the UK have a specific immune reaction to gluten (found in wheat, barley and rye). This means that eating gluten damages the lining of the small intestine and affects other parts of the body as well.

(b) The inability to break down milk sugar (lactose) which usually runs in families and can result in severe gut reactions, as can a deficiency in the enzyme needed to break down alcohol.

(c) Chemical sensitivities such as reactions to food additives and other chemicals such as histamine, caffeine, sulphites and tyramine.

Food intolerance is, significantly, a delayed response to foodstuffs, and so symptoms may take as long as 3 days to appear after eating a trigger food.

Once diagnosed and given a management plan people often realise that they have been having low grade symptoms most of their lives resulting in a feeling of general 'un-wellness'. Often these symptoms are not enough to make them seek medical help but are enough to stop them living life to its full.

Recognising that food is a trigger for a particular set of symptoms is not easy when, unlike food allergy and chemical sensitivity, where the symptoms are usually almost immediate, food intolerance symptoms appear hours, and often up to two or three days, later. For these sufferers there is often no clear diagnosis and it is usual that the symptoms get treated rather than the cause.

Identifying your intolerances

Currently the best accepted way to confirm food intolerances is by following an elimination diet.

This involves eating a restricted diet for several weeks, cutting out one potential trigger food after another. This method is obviously very time consuming, and because it's impossible to test all the different combinations of food types that may be causing the problems, it is a very ineffective process.

Everyone is unique with a different internal make-up, even to others with similar conditions, and so the foods - and importantly the combinations of foods - that are the cause of symptoms will be equally unique.

One approach available is a blood test that measures food-specific antibodies. Antibodies are substances produced naturally by the body to identify and neutralise foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. Antibodies to foods are found in the body when the immune system has identified a particular food type as being foreign.

Measurement of antibodies to foods in blood shows that the body is 'fighting' that particular food. It has been shown that removal of foods from the diet that the body is reacting to in this way can reduce ill health symptoms.

One such blood test is the YorkTest. The test only requires a few drops of blood, following which your unique profile of food intolerance is assessed against 113 different foods.

YorkTest has 25 years of experience of offering food intolerance programmes, and has published survey data to show that, in those with chronic symptoms, over three quarters will show significant benefit if they remove those foods that have shown a reaction in the YorkTest test.

Unlike other kits, The YorkTest also includes two telephone consultations with a qualified nutritionist who will offer specific individual advice and help on how to incorporate the recommended diet changes. A 12 week food diary with diet tips is also provided to help you keep track of the changes they are making to their diet.

The fact that people see a return of symptoms on reintroduction of the foods identified by the food-specific test supports the fact that this is an active and specific approach. Many patients with chronic conditions would rather have a dietary solution to their problem than have to take medication.

Dr Gill Hart

Dr Gill Hart is a PhD Biochemist with over twenty years experience in the development and clinical evaluation of diagnostic tests. Gill joined the YorkTest team as Scientific Director in 2005, and has applied her scientific and regulatory knowledge to all YorkTest services; including putting in measures of self-regulation in the under-regulated diagnostic testing services arena.
www.yorktest.com