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Home test your way to better health
Eliminating problem foods from the diet can dramatically reduce chronic inflammation disease (CID) symptoms, according to new research carried out by York University and YorkTest, leaders in food allergy research (1).
Supporting recent clinical findings that identified the direct link between diet and various inflammatory diseases of the body (2), the new research offers potential hope to the 45% of the population who are thought to suffer from CIDs such as irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis and psoriasis.
The startling research, analysed by York University, taken from a section of 5,000 participants, showed that over 75% showed moderate to high improvement of their symptoms within three weeks by removing the problem foods identified by an IgG antibodies test, commonly used to identify food intolerances.
Notable improvements among sufferers included ‘moderate to high’ reduction in symptoms (%) of:
• Flatulence / Wind (91%)
• Upset stomach (90%)
• General aches and pains (88%)
• Colitis (88%)
• Fatigue (87%)
• Rashes (84%)
• Arthritis (74%)
Those with IBS showed a significant reduction in stomach distension, bowel dysfunction and general well-being, and also showed a reduction in factors such as pain and fatigue (3).
Geoffrey Hardman of the University of York, co-author of the study commented: “This robust survey, the largest of its kind, gives a clear indication of the benefits that dietary change can make on some of the most common chronic conditions.”
Family health expert and media GP, Dr Hilary Jones, also commented: “Over the years, in my work as a GP, I have met many patients who suffer with chronic conditions such IBS and arthritis. These new, exciting findings, which show that these conditions may be linked to food intolerance, offer real hope for the many who suffer from the painful and debilitating symptoms of these conditions. It offers them a chance to get to the root of their problem by tackling the possible cause, rather than relying on long-term treatments for chronic conditions.”
Food intolerance is a delayed response to certain foods and can be a debilitating condition that affects long term health and quality of life with symptoms such as IBS, bloating, tiredness, migraines and digestive complaints.
Sufferers often react to more than one food, which means it can be a timely process identifying which foods are causing the problems. Getting rid of food intolerance is about identifying the foods that are making you ill and subsequently eliminating them from your diet. Currently the NHS advocates an arduous process in treating food intolerance involving an elimination diet and food diary which often proves a lengthy process.
The YorkTest FoodScan Food Intolerance Test is a simple finger-prick home testing kit, which offers a simple solution to identifying up to 113 problem ‘trigger foods’.
The YorkTest First Step Food Intolerance Test provides a positive or negative result as to whether a person is food sensitive or not. If results prove positive the sufferer can then upgrade to the YorkTest Foodscan113 Food Intolerance Test to identify exactly what the problem foods are so they can begin eliminating them from their diet.
The YorkTest Foodscan includes a finger prick blood collection kit with detailed instructions on how to take the test so it’s easy to use and straightforward. The results which are based on the presence and amounts of food-specific IgG antibodies are analysed by scientists at YorkTest Laboratories who can accurately identify which foods are causing the food intolerance.
The results will give a breakdown of which of the 113 individual foods from cows milk to yeast, tea to tomatoes, wheat to walnuts, egg yolk to mustard seeds, gluten, tuna, beef, lamb and lentils are causing the food intolerance and give advice on which foods to avoid, those that are borderline and foods that are fine to continue consuming.
The process also includes two telephone consultations with a qualified nutritionist from the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy who will offer specific individual advice and help on how to incorporate the recommended diet changes. A 12 week food diary with diet tips will also be provided to help sufferers keep track of the changes they are making to their diet.
Food intolerance in the UK
Food sensitivity is not to be confused with a full-blown allergy to a food, which will provoke a strong immediate reaction, and is commonly caused by foods such as nuts and shellfish. The effects of food reactions are more subtle and less well understood.
When people start talking about inflammatory diseases the symptoms of bloating, gut pain and changes in bowel habit may come to mind. However, although inflammatory diseases include problems with the gut such as inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), they also include diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, nephritis, multiple sclerosis and skin disorders such as psoriasis. The symptoms linked with inflammatory diseases are wide and varied and include bloating, lethargy, swelling, joint pains, rashes and weight gain.
Chronic inflammatory disease – what is it?
Inflammatory diseases develop because of an inappropriate response to factors that the body has been exposed to. In many cases, this manifests itself as an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system becomes confused and starts to attack the person’s own body. All in all this can cause considerable damage to the tissues of the body, and can lead to a variety of problems, depending on where the inflammation is located. Some people experience inflammation in response to certain foods or environmental factors. The type of symptoms experienced will depend on which organs are affected. For example inflammation of the large intestine may cause cramps and diarrhoea.
People with chronic inflammatory diseases tend to experience a great deal of suffering. Inflammation, often, cannot be fully controlled and so resorting to constant medication is commonplace. Some people also find that their symptoms and suffering are dismissed by people such as employers and co-workers, who may not fully understand the processes and debilitation which can be involved in having a chronic inflammatory disease.
Chronic inflammatory diseases afflict millions of people across the world leading to untold suffering, economic loss and premature death. Chronic inflammatory conditions are difficult to treat and impose a big socio-economic burden to society. It is estimated that about 10% of the world population suffer from some kind of chronic inflammatory disorder. Within the last 25 years, a major research effort worldwide has resulted in new insights into the mechanisms that drive chronic inflammation. As a result many novel drugs have been developed, however, there are still no drugs that cure chronic inflammatory diseases specifically and most drugs have severe side-effects such as stomach upset/bleeding, easy bruising, thinning of bones, cataracts, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, blurry vision and increased susceptibility to infection.