Common Questions

What food does The Food Detective™ test for?

Cereals 
Corn, Durum Wheat, Gluten, Oats, Rice, Rye, Wheat.

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Nuts & Beans
Almond, Brazil Nut, Cashew, Cocoa Bean, Peanut, Legume Mix (pea, lentil, haricot), Soya Bean, Walnut.

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Meats 
Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork.

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Fish
Freshwater Fish Mix (salmon, trout), Shellfish Mix (shrimp, prawn, crab, lobster, mussel), Tuna, White Fish Mix (haddock, cod, plaice)

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Vegetables
Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Leek, Peppers (red, green, yellow), Potato.

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Fruits
Apple, Blackcurrant, Grapefruit, Melon Mix (cantaloupe, water melon), Olive, Orange & Lemon, Strawberry, Tomato

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Other
Egg (whole), Cow's Milk, Garlic, Ginger, Mushroom, Tea, Yeast.

What are the symptoms of a Food Intolerance?

If you have any of the following symptoms you could be suffering from food intolerance.
Food intolerance sufferers can also experience more than one symptom at the same time.

• Arthritis

• Asthma

• Bed wetting

• Bloating

• Bronchitis

• Coeliac Disease

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Constipation

• Diarrhoea

• Fibromyalgia

• Gastritis

• Headaches

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Insomnia

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• Itchy skin problems

• Malabsorption

• Migraine

• Sleep disturbances

• Water retention

• Weight control problems

How Does The Food Detective™ Work?

Food Detective measures IgG antibodies which may be linked to inflammatory conditions in the body, manifesting in a range of health issues. The technology used in the Food Detective is Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the same laboratory method used for most hospital lab-tests for antibodies. ELISA is used daily throughout Ireland to test for serious conditions such as HIV, Hepatitis and most infectious diseases.

What's the difference between an Allergy and and Intolerance?

Food Intolerance

• Reactions are usually delayed and symptoms may take several days to appear

• You can be intolerant to several different food groups at the same time

• Sufferers can experience multiple symptoms, from migraine to bloating, diarrhoea, lethargy and a generally feeling un well

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Food Allergy

• Reactions usually occur quickly, with a maximum of 2 hours after exposure to the 'reactive' food

• The body's IgE immune system is activated by the immediate ingestion of the reactive food

• Symptoms include: difficulty breathing, rashes, swelling, runny nose and anaphylactic shock These can potentially be life threatening

I have been avoiding a food for more than 3 months; will this food show up in the test?

It is possible that the antibody levels will have reduced significantly if you have been completely avoiding that food, and therefore highly likely that the food test will be unable to detect any antibodies. If you wish to test whether you can now tolerate the food concerned and feel that you can cope with the symptoms that may occur, include a portion of that food every day for 1 week before taking the blood sample. If you experience severe symptoms as a consequence, you should stop eating that food immediately and assume that you are still intolerant to it.

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

In some patients, inflammation or irritation of the intestinal lining allows partially digested foods to leak through gaps between cells in the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. This condition is called ‘leaky gut syndrome’ and patients with this condition typically have high levels of antibodies to multiple foods.  The symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome are many and varied and include: abdominal pain, heartburn, insomnia, bloating, anxiety, gluten intolerance, malnutrition, muscle cramps and pains, poor exercise tolerance, food allergies.

Do I have to avoid reactive foods for the rest of my life?

No. Once you have avoided the foods for at least 3 months, and have noticed an improvement in the symptoms, then you can start to gradually introduce the foods back into your diet. You should introduce one food at a time, with an interval of 4 days before trying another food. If you do not notice the return of any symptoms, then you can continue to include that food in your diet on an occasional basis.

How long do you have to avoid the foods?

It is recommended that you should avoid any food with a high IgG level for a minimum of 3 months. If you do not notice any improvement after this period of time, then you can assume that this food is not responsible for the symptoms.