Product Information
The FoodScan 113 Food Intolerance Test, from YorkTest Laboratories, tests for food sensitivity to 113 different foods, from cow’s milk to yeast, tea to tomatoes, wheat to walnuts, egg yolk to mustard seeds, gluten, beef and more. The results tell you which foods to avoid, which are borderline and which cause no reaction.
Please note: This test determines food intolerances in Non-Vegetarians. If you are a vegetarian, please order our Vegetarian FoodScan Test.
Key Benefits:
- Highly comprehensive food intolerance test
- Tests sensitivities to 113 individual foods to determine which foods you should avoid
- Includes two free telephone consultations
- Test can be completed in the privacy and comfort of your own home
- Over 75% of people who take this test enjoy a noticeable improvement
- Quick and easy to use
- Customer care support to advise on any queries you may have before or after receiving your results
As well as prompting health difficulties of their own, food intolerances can affect the healthy function of your body to the point where your ability to resist common ailments and conditions is compromised. You may feel unwell, and not be able to identify an obvious cause. Unhealthy reactions to the food we eat are thought to affect up to 60% of the UK population.
Food intolerance testing is helping more and more people identify long-term food sensitivity problems and enjoy a better quality of life, helping you to pinpoint exactly what is causing your symptoms from that irritating headache to the ongoing bloating feeling after eating.
Is a Food Intolerance test for me?
The list below describes the broad effects associated with food intolerance. If you experience any of the following symptoms regularly it may indicate that a food intolerance test is advisable:
- Abdominal Pain
- Aches and Pains
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Depression
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Eczema
- Fatigue
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Itching
- Fluid Retention
- Headaches
- Hyperactivity
- Loss of Appetite
- Migraine
- Nausea
- Rashes
- Respiratory Symptoms
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Rhinitis
- Sinusitis
- Stomach Cramps
- Tension
- Tiredness
- Urticaria
- Weight Loss
- Wheezing
Important: Do not take the Food Intolerance Test if you are pregnant, or if you have a blood-borne disease such as Hepatitis or HIV. The test is also unsuitable for children under the age of two years old.
Are allergies and intolerances the same?
Both allergies and intolerances are signs that your body is reacting badly to something. With intolerances, it is always something you have eaten or ingested. Allergens can be environmental, like dust or pet hair, but you can also be allergic to foodstuffs.
There are two big differences between them, however. The first is the speed with which you can react, and the second is the severity of your reaction.
• An allergy will bring on your reaction immediately after contact with the allergen that affects you. You will usually know there and then what it is that has prompted your reaction, or have a very good idea, because the cause and the effect are closely tied. Allergies generally have a far more dramatic effect - the worst will necessitate immediate hospital treatment, and particularly severe allergies can be fatal. Allergies to peanuts or insect stings will sometimes lead to the sufferers carrying emergency medication with them, and people who are allergic to medicines are often advised to wear a bracelet that indicates as much in case they are in an accident at any point.
• An intolerance or sensitivity, by comparison, is much slower and more subtle in taking effect. Your symptoms may not occur until between an hour and two days later. They may also be easy to put down to other things. A headache that occurs a day after you ate something you were intolerant to would not be easy to diagnose. Because the cause of the headache, the bloating, or the lethergy is removed by quite some time from the event itself, it can be extremely hard to figure out what is going on.
What do you test for?
YorkTests’ laboratory will check for reactions to 113 foods including meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, herbs and spices.
To see a list of the foods which are tested in the non-vegetarian test, click here.
To see a list of foods tested in the Vegetarian diet, click here.
How is the test carried out?
YorkTest will supply you with all that you need to carry out the Food Intolerance Test in the comfort of your own home. The test uses a simple finger-prick device and there is no need to go to a clinic or visit a doctor.
The test is very quick and easy to carry out your self - to see a copy of the test instructions, please click here.
After you receive your results you will be entitled to two free half-hour telephone consultations with a BANT qualified nutritionist. The nutritionist will go through your results with you and make sure you understand everything, and help you to put an action plan in place to make the most of what the test results tell you. The second will be to check on your progress and discuss any issues you might have.
FAQs
Q. If I haven’t eaten something that I’m intolerant to for a few weeks, will this still show up in the results?
We want your results to be as accurate as possible, so we recommend that you stick to your usual diet before you take the test. The test seeks out reactions that are happening to you now, so be sure to eat all the foods that you usually do in the weeks beforehand. If you are already eliminating something from your diet because you know it affects you, don’t start eating it again, and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t show up as a problem on the results - intolerances can take regular exposure to show up, so avoiding some foods for a period of time might mean they show as a negative result.
Q. If I eliminate a problem food how soon will my symptoms go away?
Most of our clients start to notice an improvement in their health roughly three weeks after they change their diet.
Q. When will I receive my results?
It will take 10-12 working days to send your results back to you by post. Also included will be information about how you can work with your results and avoid the foods that are causing your reactions.
Q. What is in the test kit?
The test kit is sent in a tough, secure box which contains:
- Fully illustrated and complete instructions
- An antiseptic wipe for you to use before taking your sample
- A simple-to-use finger prick lancet
- A blood sample collection stick
- A small sterile plaster for you to use on your finger after the test is complete
- A post-paid envelope for you to return the sample in.
Q. Can I eat and drink before I take the blood sample?
You must not eat or drink anything for at least six hours before you conduct the test. Therefore we suggest that the best time to take your sample might be first thing in the morning, before breakfast.
Q. What am I going to have to send you?
Using the finger prick lancets you’ll prick your finger or thumb tip, and put a few drops of blood into the collection tube. Follow all the instructions closely, complete the customer details form and send everything back in the reply-paid envelope.
Q. How do I complete the test kit?
Full, illustrated instructions will be sent with the kit. If you’d like to see what the instructions look like, click here.
Q. How do I prepare for the test?
It’s important to keep your routine as normal as possible before you take the test. If you avoid a food for a period of time, it may produce a false negative.
Q. Is posting back my sample safe?
The box that contains your kit is very strong – in all the years that the laboratory have operated they have never had any problems with tests being damaged in transit. Return your sample following the instructions, and it will be completely safe.
Q. Will any medication or nutritional supplements I am taking affect the test?
A.You cannot take any of our tests if you are pregnant or breast feeding, or taking steroids or immunosuppressants.
Q. How soon do I have to return my sample?
A. You should ideally post your sample back to the laboratory on the same day that you take it. This stops the sample from degrading over time and gives the most accurate results. You will also need to avoid posting the sample later in the week to make sure that it arrives on a working day and processing can begin immediately.
Q. Does the test hurt?
A. The test has been designed to be a convenient and comfortable as possible. YorkTest’s finger prick is much quicker and less painful than having a full blood draw taken. If you are at all worried, the YorkTest Customer Care team are happy to talk to you about the best way to take your sample.
Q. Do I need to see my doctor?
The advice we give is not intended to replace any recommendations offered by your doctor, since they will have the full details of your medical history. We strongly recommend that you consult your GP or Healthcare Practitioner with your test results. You do not need to see your doctor to take the blood sample, you can do that yourself at home.
