About food intolerance, and how to know if you are intolerant to specific foods

People can develop intolerances to any number of foods. Food intolerances are invisible to your senses but may cause a range of slow-onset symptoms that are seemingly unconnected to specific foods until you are tested.

Many people are oblivious to food intolerances until they have a comprehensive type III IgG allergy (food intolerance) test. The test tells you which foods to exclude from your diets and which foods you should eat in moderation.

For example, although milk is classed as a healthy food, rich in calcium and vitamins, it can cause health problems in some people. An intolerance to milk may lead to a number of side effects, such as migraine and an inability to shed those extra kilos.

What are type III IgG food intolerances?

Allergies are characterised by the presence of IgE antibodies in the blood, which are responsible for immediate, often severe reactions. For example, an allergy to peanuts.

Intolerances are characterised by the presence of type III IgG antibodies. The reactions to an intolerance can occur from between 8 and 72 hours after consumption of the offending food or additive, so are more difficult to pinpoint.

In more detail

Food intolerances should not be confused with traditional food allergies. An allergy is a defence reaction by the body to a substance which enters it; the substance may be completely harmless. Typical symptoms of allergies include:

• Swelling of the lips
• Difficulty breathing
• Sneezing attacks
• Rashes

The reaction normally occurs a short time after consumption of the offending food, which can be easily recognized as the culprit.

Traditional food allergies are relatively rare and only affect a small percentage of the population. The ImuPro300 test is not designed to detect such allergies; it is designed to detect type III IgG allergies or food intolerances, which typically do not present until between 8 and 72 hours after the offending food has been eaten.

The delayed onset makes it very difficult to pinpoint which food is the culprit. Food intolerances occur more frequently than classic allergies and often develop over time. It is also possible for food intolerances to be passed onto a newborn child through the mother.

When you eat a food to which you have an intolerance, your immune system becomes stressed and your metabolism is affected, which can results in health problems.

The ImuPro300 test can detect whether a food intolerance is present. It is possible to have a Type III IgG allergy or intolerance to certain foods and additives without your knowledge; you may be experiencing any one of a number of symptoms, whilst remaining totally oblivious to the cause.

When you receive your ImuPro300 test results and put your personalised diet rotation plan into practice you will soon notice the difference in your general wellbeing.

For more information on which foods are tested with ImuPro300, consult our list of foods tested.

How do food intolerances develop?

The immune system is a mechanism for preventing infections in the body, which are caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

In the case of food intolerances, the offending food causes a defense reaction by the immune system; if the food continues to be eaten the defense reaction may become more severe, resulting in poor health.