Everything You Need To Know About Food Intolerance

People with food allergies or intolerances need more than regular physical exercise and a balanced diet to maintain a healthy life. After all, each individual’s body reacts in a specific way when exposed to different types of food. 

There are people whose organisms do not react well to the consumption of milk or seafood, for example, while others can consume these products without problems. The set of adverse reactions that the consumption of certain foods can cause, such as intestinal and respiratory problems, itching, and spots on the skin, is called food intolerance.

To always feel comfortable, without abdominal pain or hives on the skin, you need to be aware of your body’s limits, knowing what should or should not be consumed. Thus, it is possible to live well with food intolerance, but for this, some actions are necessary:

  • First, the symptoms must be evaluated by a professional;
  • Through an examination, it is necessary to identify the food that the body has difficulty digesting;
  • Then you should remove it from the diet and try to reintroduce its consumption little by little, observing the reactions. 

Want to know more? Keep reading and understand how these tests work.

Food Intolerance Test – IgG Antibody: Everything You Need To Know

Many people’s bodies may not be able to digest certain foods properly – and lactose and gluten intolerance are the most common examples of this condition. However, several other foods, such as peanuts, chestnuts, beans, pineapple, eggs, vegetables, and seafood, can trigger allergy or intolerance symptoms. 

There are several ways to find out if the body is intolerant to some food, such as performing a small intestine biopsy. However, there is a less invasive solution: the food intolerance test, capable of detecting intolerance to 200 types of food and which can be performed through a blood sample.

With the collection of capillary blood, which the patient at home can perform, an assessment is made through the levels of Immunoglobulin (IgG) against 200 different foods. Food intolerance can manifest itself later, being less evident than allergies, which causes it to be confused with other pathologies or malaise.

For this reason, many people live with intolerance and their effects for many years. It is estimated that between 20 and 35% of the population suffers from some clinical manifestation due to food sensitivity.

In the test result, the tested foods are flagged in different colors, which indicate a different reaction:

  • green: no response to food; 
  • yellow: mild intolerance, with a low response to food;
  • orange: moderate bias, the average response to food;
  • red: severe intolerance, with high response to food.  

When To Do The Food Intolerance Test?

Well, even if your diet is considered balanced and healthy, some types of food that you consume may cause unpleasant reactions in your body. In this sense, precision nutrition is of fundamental importance to understanding the specificities of each organism.

The food intolerance test is indicated for people with symptoms not explained by other diagnosed pathologies or in the event that usual medical treatments are ineffective.

Therefore, consider testing if you frequently experience some of the symptoms below and do not respond to treatments.

  • Gastrointestinal disorders: abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal swelling, nausea, acidity, ulcers and canker sores, gastritis, colitis.
  • Dermatological processes: acne, eczema, psoriasis, urticarial itching. Neurological disorders: headache, migraine, dizziness, vertigo. Respiratory alterations: cough, bronchitis, asthma, rhinitis.
  • Psychological conditions: anxiety, depression, fatigue, hyperactivity. Musculoskeletal disorders: pain, stiffness, arthritis, fibromyalgia.

Other medical conditions: fluid retention and obesity.

Precision Nutrition: An Essential Ally Against Food Intolerance

Since each person’s body is unique, personalized nutritional services are more efficient. For this reason, professionals have sought more tools to define an individualized food plan based on identifying each person’s needs and sensitivities to nutrients. 

The term “Precision Nutrition” appears to name this form of care that considers individual requirements through a series of exams and evaluations. The objective is to provide a nutritional orientation closer to the ideal, tailored, which is only possible if the particularities of each one are respected, also avoiding the development of intolerance to certain foods.

Also Read: 4 Home Remedies For Neck Pain