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Understanding food sensitivity

Enjoy life without symptoms of food sensitivity

Food sensitivities can arise from a delayed immune response to certain foods. Surprisingly, it’s often the foods we eat regularly or crave the most that may be causing issues. Research has shown that food sensitivities can be linked to IgG antibodies, produced when these ‘problem’ foods are consumed. While these antibodies are usually harmless, in people with compromised immune or digestive systems, they can contribute to a wide range of symptoms.

Did you know?
Optimal gut health and proper digestion are essential for maintaining overall well-being. Identifying and managing food sensitivities can help restore balance and improve quality of life.
What causes food sensitivities?

Gut health matters

The causes of food sensitivities are complex and not fully understood. However, one contributing factor may be damage to the gut lining, which allows undigested food proteins to pass into the bloodstream and trigger an immune response.

Common factors believed to play a role include:

>  Inadequate digestion

>  Altered gut microbiota

>  Intestinal infections (parasites, yeast, or bacteria)

>  Poor diet

>  The effects of medications such as antibiotics

***Gut health*** matters
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Are you suffering from symptoms?

BIOLOGICALMARKERS

Some foods can trigger immune responses in the body, leading to symptoms that often go unexplained. By identifying these responses, our tests can help you connect foods to possible symptoms.

01

Bloating and IBS

Bloating happens because certain foods can be difficult to digest and certain gut bacteria will ferment them which causes bloating.

02

Brain fog

Poor memory, fuzzy thinking and mental sluggishness, a sensation of mental haziness. It's a symptom, often temporary, and can often be improved with lifestyle changes like better sleep and diet.

03

Constipation

It happens when waste moves too slowly through the colon, causing too much water to be absorbed, and is commonly caused by low fiber, dehydration, lack of exercise, or changes in routine.

04

Diarrhoea

Often caused by infections, but can be long-term and signal other issues like diet changes, medications, or digestive disorders.

05

Fatigue and lethargy

Systemic inflammation triggered by food-specific IgG antibodies can affect energy metabolism, leading to persistent tiredness.

06

Gas or flatulence

Bacteria in your large intestine can ferment undigested food, leading to gases like hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, which eventually needs to exit the body.

07

Headaches and migraines

Headache's are a general symptom of pain in the head or upper neck, while a migraine is a complex, genetic neurological disease that can affect the entire body.

08

Joint pain

Medically known as arthralgia, joint pain is discomfort, soreness, or aching at a joint, the point where two or more bones meet

09

Stomach cramps

A tightening, squeezing, or spasmodic pain in your gut, often coming in waves, usually from gas, indigestion, constipation, period pain, or a stomach bug, but can also signal Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or food poisoning

10

Nausea

Nausea is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as acid reflux, rather than a disease itself.

11

Itchy skin

Itchy skin can be caused by sensitivities or intolerances to some everyday culprits. Reactions vary from mild itching to severe anaphylaxis, so identifying your specific triggers is key.

Important
Some symptoms—such as bloating or diarrhoea—may also be related to other health issues like coeliac disease, so it’s important to consult your doctor before pursuing a food sensitivity test.

Symptom relief

How can a food sensitivity test help?

Many people find significant relief from symptoms after adjusting their diet based on food sensitivity test results.

These tests work by detecting food-specific IgG antibodies in your blood. If you’re currently experiencing symptoms, the results can help you and your healthcare professional identify problem foods and guide the creation of a personalised elimination diet.

Typically, you’ll follow this tailored diet for around 3 months, giving your body time to heal. Your healthcare provider will also help you:

> Identify healthy food alternatives
> Support gut health
> Reintroduce foods in a structured, manageable way

How it works

just 3 steps…

01

Take your sample

A simple finger-prick blood test collects a small sample.

02

Testing your sample

IgG antibodies are measured against a panel of common foods.

03

What happens next?

Results are reviewed with your healthcare professional. Together, you’ll create a personalised elimination diet.

Bespoke nutrition

Together…we get results

We now know that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to diet and health is outdated. Your genes, biochemistry, and gut microbiome are unique to you. For long-term health and symptom management, a personalised approach—based on your individual profile and lifestyle—is key.

When you take a personalised approach to your diet and avoid foods which trigger a response, you’re more likely to feel better day to day.

Because your diet is built around your body, your health history, and your preferences, it’s easier for you to stick with than a one‑size‑fits‑all diet. Over time, you get to know which foods truly work for you, so you feel more in control of your health and more motivated to keep up the changes.

It’s  important to get support from a qualified nutrition professional when you make these changes. They can help you safely identify your triggers, make sure you’re still getting all the nutrients you need, and prevent you from cutting out foods unnecessarily.

With expert guidance, you’re more likely to make changes that are effective, balanced, and sustainable for your long‑term health.

Together...***we get results***
Diagnostics tests from CNSLab

Explore our full range of diagnostic tests

CNSLab offers premium quality diagnostic tests, including a 
wide range of food sensitivity testing panels and other functional diagnostic testing.

Our tests
Explore our full range of ***diagnostic tests***
FAQs

I've got a question…?

More FAQs

Food allergies involve a rapid immune reaction mediated by Immunoglobulin E (IgE), often causing immediate and potentially severe symptoms. IgG testing, by contrast, looks for delayed immune responses that may occur hours or even days after eating certain foods.

Our CE marked laboratory tests, which are manufactured in the UK to ISO standards, are validated and performed using advanced immunoassay technology . This advanced technology even allows us to test each sample twice, which ensures greater accuracy and stability over other tests – we believe we’re the only lab that does this. Other tests that are available from other companies may not be a CE marked lab test and not manufactured to ISO standards.

No fasting is required. However, it’s best to have eaten a variety of foods in the weeks leading up to the test, so that any potential sensitivities are more likely to appear in your results.

A food sensitivity test is not recommended during pregnancy as the immune system and antibody production is suppressed. There is currently no research to suggest that breastfeeding negatively impacts the immune system’s ability to produce IgG antibodies, however we would suggest the mother waits for a minimum of three months before testing or until no longer breastfeeding.

If you have recently eliminated major food groups (such as dairy or gluten), the test may not detect IgG antibodies to those foods. It’s best to discuss timing with your healthcare provider before testing.