At-home food sensitivity tests continue gaining immense popularity in different parts of the world. However, you should never rush into buying a food sensitivity test kit without having a clear insight into how to use it. After all, you might fail to enjoy the numerous health benefits it adds to your life.
Before hitting the shop and buying one, it is essential that you understand what food sensitivity is all about. In a nutshell, you can refer to it as the inability to digest food to an enzyme deficiency or a reaction to a chemical present in the food.
Of course, food sensitivities are not life-threatening. However, they can certainly make you feel uncomfortable. Common symptoms of food sensitivity include gas, bloating, belly pain, or diarrhea. The good news is you can always get away with consuming a small amount of that food, if you’re lactose intolerant.
So, what is the mechanism behind a food sensitivity test? Well, this test aims to identify which foods may be causing harmful symptoms by identifying which foods raise your body’s immunoglobulin levels, an antibody produced by the immune system.
Afood sensitivity test is typically sold at over-the-counter drug stores or online, and insurance doesn’t usually cover the cost. Most come with a kit that allows you to provide a blood sample, hair sample, or mouth swab, and mail the kit to a lab for analysis.
So, what should you do in the event that you think you might have a food sensitivity? In this regard, it pays off to keep a food journal of what you eat and when, as well as when symptoms first appear and what you experience. You should then bring the journal to your first appointment with a health care provider.
Your medical practitioner will then take a full health history to help determine if you have a true food intolerance or if there is an underlying condition like irritable bowel syndrome causing your symptoms. Only then can a viable solution can be realized to solve the issue once and for all.