A food sensitivity, or a food intolerance occurs when a person has difficulty digesting a particular food. This can lead to symptoms such as intestinal gas, abdominal pain or diarrhoea. When the body is sensitive to certain foods, there are some common symptoms to be aware of. If you have one or more of these symptoms on a daily basis, then start paying attention to what you regularly eat.
A food intolerance is sometimes confused with or mislabelled as a food allergy. Food sensitivities/ intolerances involve the digestive system. Food allergies involve the immune system. With a food allergy, even a microscopic amount of the food has the potential to lead to a serious or life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.
Test4 do not test for Food Allergies.
Reaction Comparison
|
Immediate Reaction Allergy |
Delayed onset of Reaction Sensitivity |
Test type used |
IgE antibodies |
IgG antibodies |
Speed of reaction |
Within minutes |
Take hours or days to show up |
When do symptoms occur |
Short reaction time and dramatic symptoms |
Long-lasting and subtle symptoms |
Visibility of cause |
Easy to trace causes |
Causes are more difficult to trace |
|
Immediate Reaction Allergy |
Test type used |
IgE antibodies |
Speed of reaction |
Within minutes |
When do symptoms occur |
Short reaction time and dramatic symptoms |
Visibility of cause |
Easy to trace causes |
|
Delayed onset of Reaction Sensitivity |
Test type used |
IgG antibodies |
Speed of reaction |
Take hours or days to show up |
When do symptoms occur |
Long-lasting and subtle symptoms |
Visibility of cause |
Causes are more difficult to trace |
Test4 offer IgG Food Sensitivity testing from the comfort of your own home, our tests cut out the lengthy trial and error periods of attempting to eliminate certain foods from your diet and pin point the trigger foods directly.
If you suspect that you may be sensitive/intolerant to a certain food or food additive, speak to our team about testing options or see our test options here.
Although food sensitivities are usually less serious than food allergies, they can negatively affect your quality of life. This is why it's important to take steps to identify food intolerances in order to prevent unwanted symptoms and health issues.
|
Food Allergies |
Food Sensitivities |
Involve Immune System |
Yes |
Yes |
Reaction |
Immediate within minutes |
Delayed show up in hours or days |
Terms in Everyday Language |
Classic allergy / Acute allergy / True food allergy |
Delayed food allergy intolerance |
Symptoms |
Could look the same |
Could look the same |
|
Food Allergies |
Involve Immune System |
Yes |
Reaction |
Immediate within minutes |
Terms in Everyday Language |
Classic allergy / Acute allergy / True food allergy |
Symptoms |
Could look the same |
|
Food Sensitivities |
Involve Immune System |
Yes |
Reaction |
Delayed show up in hours or days |
Terms in Everyday Language |
Delayed food allergy intolerance |
Symptoms |
Could look the same |