Food Sensitivity Testing | Omega Diagnostics

Food Sensitivity: Understand what foods you might be reacting to

Food sensitivity, sometimes referred to as food intolerance, occurs when you react to certain foods that can cause uncomfortable symptoms. This condition, characterised by a delayed immune response to specific foods, can significantly impact your daily life.

Distinguishing Food Sensitivity from Food Allergies

It's important to differentiate between food sensitivity/hypersensitivity, food intolerance and food allergies. While food intolerance affects your digestive system and results from an inability to digest and absorb certain foods such as lactose, a sugar found in dairy products, food allergies and food sensitivities involve the immune system and the production of antibodies. Allergic reactions can be severe and life-threatening, unlike the less dangerous but uncomfortable symptoms of food sensitivity.

The Role of IgG Antibodies in Food Sensitivity

Scientific research links food sensitivity to the production of IgG antibodies and the build-up of immune complexes upon consuming 'problem' foods. While these antibodies are generally harmless, in cases where the immune or digestive system is compromised, they can trigger a wide array of symptoms, which can be uncomfortable and disrupt day to day life.

What causes food sensitivities to develop?

The cause of food sensitivities is complex. Damage to the intestinal barrier wall is thought to play a role which allows undigested food proteins to pass across the gut wall barrier which provokes an elevated immune response.

The reasons for the development of food sensitivities can vary from person to person but the following factors are thought to be involved:

Inadequate Digestion: Inefficient digestion can lead to partially digested food proteins entering the bloodstream, provoking an immune response.

Altered Gut Microbiota: An imbalance in gut bacteria can contribute to the development of food sensitivities.

Infections in the Gut: Parasites, yeast, or bacterial infections can damage the gut lining, increasing the risk of an immune response to foods eaten

Dietary Factors: A poor diet lacking essential nutrients can adversely affect the gut barrier wall function

Medication Effects: Drugs, especially antibiotics, can impact gut microbiota which plays a role in maintaining good gut health.

Food sensitivity has been associated with various symptoms, such as:

Bloating
Constipation or diarrhoea
Flatulence
Headaches
IBS
Lethargy
Migraines
Nausea
Stomach cramps

It's important to consult a doctor to rule out other health issues, like coeliac disease, before conducting a food sensitivity test.

The Impact of Food Sensitivity Testing

Food sensitivity tests, identifying food-specific IgG antibodies, can be instrumental in pinpointing problematic foods. Adjusting your diet based on these results often leads to an improvement in symptoms and overall health.

Creating a Customised Diet Plan

Post-testing, healthcare professionals can help formulate a personalised diet plan that eliminates problem foods, suggests healthy alternatives, and guides reintroduction of foods. Typically, this customised diet is followed for about three months allowing time for immune complexes to clear and symptoms to resolve. Scientific studies have found that a personalised elimination diet based on food IgG sensitivity testing can significantly improve symptoms related to some chronic conditions such as IBS and migraine.

Personalised Nutrition

It is now widely accepted that a generic approach to diet and health is ineffective, and personalised nutrition is a more effective approach which considers individual genetic makeup, biochemistry, and gut microbiome, allowing Nutrition and other health practitioners to develop custom solutions for managing chronic illnesses.

Advanced IgG Food Sensitivity Testing

Our pioneering IgG food sensitivity tests require a small finger prick of blood and quickly identifies individual food sensitivity reactions. This enables health practitioners to make precise dietary recommendations, aiding in resolving symptoms associated with food sensitivities.

Food sensitivity, often a hidden health challenge, can be effectively managed through appropriate testing and personalised nutrition plans. Recognising the unique nature of everyone’s health profile, can pave the way for improved well-being.