Food Intolerance Tests vs. Allergy Tests

After seeing an Allergist, I got prescribed 2 inhalers, was told to avoid spending time outdoors and was also told I was not allergic to any food- this did me absolutely no good!

​It took me almost a year of visiting specialists in hospitals before I decided to take an IgG food intolerance test, which measured my reaction to specific foods.

I went the conventional route and saw a specialist in the States for allergies. With my IBS symptoms getting out of control and environmental allergies also flaring up, I thought I was doing the right thing. However, all I was left with was with prescriptions which I never ended up using. I was told to avoid having houseplants and try not to spend time sitting on the grass or around mold, all of which I appeared to be extremely allergic to. It took me a whole year to decide to do food intolerance testing- which is what I really wanted all along!

Courtesy of Fitzwilliam FoodTEST Clinic

Intestinal Permeability or "leaky gut" occur overtime for many reasons. The intestinal system consists of our microbiome. In the human body, human cells are outnumbered by bacteria 10:1. Prescription drug use, poor diet and aging can all have an effect on our microflora. Antibiotic use can also cause a permanent reduction of probiotic bacteria in the gut. Pathogenic bacteria, fungi and yeast can all multiply when the good bacteria in our gut declines. Intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut” occurs when toxic byproducts from yeast such as candida leach through gaps in the colon wall into the bloodstream.

For me in particular, it was the overuse of many different types of broad spectrum antibiotics for many years that contributed to my intestinal permeability. Antibiotics were a blanket approach that treated my symptoms but did not address a root cause to my health issues. Although I have made great progress in the past 4 years, I am still suffering the consequences of dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut flora. 

​There are many different types of food intolerance testing out there. Our body makes many types of immunoglobulins, involved in our immunity. These include igE (involved in anaphylaxis type allergy), igG, igA, igM. When IgGs are tested for in the blood, it points to the possibility of intestinal permeability. IgG does not normally live in the blood, and is a sign that your body is improperly reacting to trigger foods. IgG can seep past gaps in the gut wall and cause symptoms such as inflammation, mucous, brain fog and many many more 

I was extremely pleased with my health after I did the food intolerance test in Dublin. It resolved many of my chronic health problems that many doctors could not find a root cause or an explanation for. After I removed those adverse foods from my diet, I no longer needed any medication, and only had to visit my doctor for the annual check up, rather than every couple of weeks. Exactly 1 year after I got my results, I stopped into the Fitzwilliam Food Test to thank them for all they had done for me. They asked me to film a patient testimonial video to share my positive experience with others that may be suffering with similar issues. Check out their Youtube channel for more patient testimonials.

Fitzwilliam Food Test