Why Not to Waste Your Money on Intolerance Tests

“My intolerance test said I have a dairy intolerance, so I cut out dairy.
I think it’s helped, but it’s a shame I can’t eat my favourite foods anymore.”

Statements like the above are unfortunately said far too many times, but what if we told you that you might not be intolerant to those foods, and you could actually keep eating them! Nowadays food intolerance tests are becoming increasingly popular, with multiple companies offering people the opportunity to purchase their kits, use them at home, and send them off in the post. Normally these tests involve doing a cheek swab, a finger prick blood test or sending some hair and can be fairly expensive! Here are a few issues we thought we’d highlight about these tests:

 1.      They’re not evidence based. The British Dietary Association (BDA) state that these tests are not based on scientific evidence and are not recommended.
The only way to identify food intolerances is to undergo food trials under the supervision of a registered professional.

 2.     They measure the wrong thing. Most of these food intolerance tests are measuring something called IgG antibodies which simply show what foods your immune system has recently been exposed to, not what you’re intolerant to. If you’ve been eating your favourite foods prior to taking the test, it’s likely they will ping up as positive and you’ll be told you’re intolerant to them.

 3.     Allergies and intolerances are not the same thing. As mentioned above, these tests measure antibodies. Intolerances do not involve the immune system and therefore do not involve antibodies.

 4.    Nutrient deficiencies. The big problem with these tests is that people believe they’re intolerant to several foods and completely remove them from their diet. In reality all they’re likely doing is removing major food groups and important nutrients from their diet, which can lead to many problems commonly related to nutrient deficiencies.

In summary, save your money and keep enjoying your favourite foods, however if you are concerned that you may be intolerant to some foods then we’d recommend you contact your GP or book an appointment with a registered nutritionist as they may be able to help.