Do you need more information or have questions about our products or testing service? If so, you will find most of the answers here.
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- Should I have a food intolerance test?
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| If you have any of the symptoms that are listed in the next question, and you have visited your GP to ensure that there are no underlying causes for your symptoms, then it would be advisable to have a food intolerance test.
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- What are the symptoms of food intolerance?
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| Food intolerance can produce a variety of symptoms and can affect almost any organ. Often patients report multiple symptoms such as gut pain with headaches and skin rash, but some of the common symptoms include:- Anxiety, attention deficit disorder, constipation, diarrhoea, headaches, insomnia, migraines, water retention, arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma, abdominal bloating, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, itchy skin, weight control problems, hyperactivity disorder and irritable bowel syndrome. |
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- Are the tests covered by BUPA or any other insurance company?
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| BUPA does not currently cover the cost of these tests.
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- What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?
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| A classical food allergy such as peanut or shellfish allergy is usually characterised by an immediate and often severe reaction to exposure to the offending food. Symptoms include sneezing, rashes, skin irritation, swelling, runny nose, fatigue, and while allergic reactions to food can vary considerably in their severity, some may be fatal. Such allergic reactions usually involve IgE antibodies. A food intolerance tends to be characterised by a delayed onset and maybe due to insufficiency of an enzyme as in lactose intolerance, to a pharmacological effect such as that caused by the tyramine in red wine, or to the production of IgG antibodies to the offending foods. The symptoms of IgG induced food intolerance can occur up to 3 days after eating the food concerned, making it very difficult to determine which foods are causing the problem.
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- Which test should I take: the Food Detective or a CNS laboratory test?
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| This is entirely up to you. If you want to get your results quickly, you can order a Food Detective kit and do the test yourself, or you can request a nutritionist to do the test for you. Alternatively, if you prefer the test to be carried out in our laboratory, we will provide you with an easy-to-use collection kit and the results will typically be available within less than two weeks. |
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- Why should I use CNS rather than another lab?
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| Cambridge Nutritional Sciences was the first company in the UK to produce an ELISA test for assessing food IgG response. The Company’s reputation for quality of its assays is second to none, and its customer support service has won accolades since its inception.
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- Will the results differ throughout the day?
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| No, it does not matter when the sample is taken.
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- How long will the samples remain stable in the post?
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| The IgG molecules in the sample are very stable and can easily tolerate up to three weeks in the post, but samples normally take only 1 – 2 days to reach us.
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- What do the borderline foods mean?
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| The borderline foods are slightly above the normal values and ideally should be reduced to a minimum in your diet. Therefore, we recommend that you rotate those foods showing a borderline result, once every 4 days if possible.
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- Is it possible to be affected by foods that are not detected by the IgG food test?
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| Some foods may cause a classical allergic reaction involving the production of a type of antibody called IgE. These will not be detected by any IgG food test. There are also many foods that can cause a reaction in the body without involving the immune system but produce symptoms similar to IgG reactions. For example, amines in chocolate, cheese and red wine may cause migraines; some food additives such as tartrazine can cause hives, rashes and asthma; monosodium glutamate in Chinese dishes produces sweating and dizziness; and ‘Nightshade’ alkaloids in potatoes, tomatoes and peppers can affect the joints. These are very difficult to test, but you should avoid them if you suspect they are affecting you.
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Martin Healy
“Having been involved with allergy and related problems since 1983, I have used a number of laboratories and know the importance of accurate testing, which is why I am a great believer in periodically arranging split sample testing. CNS has never failed to provide accurate split sample results and as the developers of the UK’s first IgG food intolerance test I am convinced the CNS test is the best and most useful food intolerance test available.”
Martin...
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