Understand
your body in
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Once your sample has been received at our lab your results will be sent to the email address entered on your submission form within 7-10 days.

Food sensitivity happens when the body has difficulty digesting a particular food. Having food sensitivity can cause symptoms such as bloating, bowel movement changes, headaches and fatigue. It can also contribute towards symptoms experienced by those with chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, arthritis, autism and ADD/ADHD.

Food sensitivity should not be confused with food allergy. This test is for food sensitivity ONLY. Food allergy symptoms include coughing, sneezing, runny nose/eyes, itchy mouth/eyes, swelling of the lips/face, rashes, worsening of eczema and/or asthma, wheezing, breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in rare cases, anaphylaxis. Testing for food allergy can only be done through a blood, skin prick or patch test.

Non-food items can, just like food items, cause the body to react, which leads to the production of symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. It is important to note that this is not an allergy test and therefore any known pollen, dust mite or mould allergies may or may not come up in this test.

Metal toxicity is the build-up of large amounts of heavy metals in the soft tissues of the body. The heavy metals most commonly associated with poisoning are lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. Exposure usually occurs through industrial exposure, pollution, food, medication, improperly coated food containers or the ingestion of lead-based paints. Symptoms vary between the different types of heavy metals.

We test for over 400 types of food and drinks. We also test for over 400 non food items like pollen and detergents. In addition, we test Vitamins + Minerals and Metals. Please select the most appropriate test for you from the choice of our 4 tests.

Sensitivity NOT Allergy

It is important to reiterate that this test is NOT for allergy. It is easy to confuse allergy and sensitivity or intolerance as the different terms are often used interchangeably, which leads to misinterpretation. Allergy and sensitivity are not the same. Of course if someone is allergic to a food item it could be described as
being ‘sensitive’ however as a health condition allergy is different from sensitivity or intolerance.

There are a couple of fundamental differences between allergy and sensitivity; having food sensitivity may be uncomfortable and cause symptoms that, whilst annoying, embarrassing or even debilitating, do not have the potential to be life-threatening like those caused by food allergy; food sensitivity can also change over time, it can often be overcome through implementation of a food elimination diet and/or improving gut health, however food allergy tends to be lifelong.

The physiological process, which takes place in the body during an allergic reaction, is also entirely different to that of sensitivity. An allergic reaction involves the immune system and cells called antibodies, whereas this is not involved in sensitivity. Hair testing does not test antibody levels therefore this is why it cannot be used to test for allergy.

You may have a known allergy; so let’s help you to interpret sensitivity results to this item.

Scenario 1: The item you are allergic to shows as a moderate or high reactivity item. This means that as well as a food allergy you have food sensitivity. If you have already removed this item from your diet you do not need to take any action. If you have not removed it previously, it is worth considering doing so, however we would not recommend reintroduction following the elimination diet.

Scenario 2: The item you are allergic to shows as a no reactivity item. This means that you do not have food sensitivity to this item however the result does not question or contradict the presence of your food allergy to the item. It does NOT mean you should reintroduce the item to your diet, you should respect the symptoms or test results you have had previously with regards to allergy.

Remember this test does not test for allergy.

Everyday Foods
It is common for a food item consumed in the daily diet or very frequently, to test as a moderate or high sensitivity item. This can happen with food sensitivity and may be due to the body suddenly struggling to process or breakdown particular constituents of the food. This could be caused by overconsumption of a food group or could be down to an imbalance in gut bacteria or the presence of low-level inflammation in the gut.

Whatever the cause do not despair. We are talking about food sensitivity and NOT allergy; therefore completing a food elimination diet with subsequent reintroduction can help. This may mean you need to eliminate a favourite food or staple in your diet for a period of weeks but you will be able to reintroduce the
item. Eliminating food items for a period of time can allow the gut time to ‘rest’ from trigger foods and the reintroduction of items can allow you to assess how a food or food group makes you feel.

Gut Nourishment
In most cases carrying out an elimination diet is enough to improve symptoms and allow for a greater understanding of any foods, which aren’t agreeing with the body. It is also worth considering the nourishment of the digestive tract and addressing any gut bacteria imbalances to further improve gut function and reduce digestive symptoms.