London Clinic of Nutrition
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Food Intolerances Testing in London

We offer comprehensive food intolerance testing and can advise you in relation to any sensitivities and allergies to foods, helping reduce the risk of chronic health problems.

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FOOD INTOLERANCES TESTING

At The London Clinic of Nutrition, our functional medicine and nutritional therapy specialists may recommend food intolerance or allergy testing after your initial consultation.

The main difference between an allergy and a food intolerance is that an allergy is a severe almost immediate reaction to a food with symptoms that can range from difficulty breathing, rashes, swelling, runny nose and in some cases, a life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Please note that food intolerances tests are only available as part of our consultation package. They are required to help our nutrition experts support you in getting to the root cause of your health concerns.

Food allergy vs food intolerance comparison

Intolerances on the other hand are characterised by a delayed response which will normally be a few hours but in some rare cases can take up to a week.

Various studies have shown that allergies only affect about 3% of the population whilst food intolerances can affect 40% of the population at some time in their life.

A person can be intolerant to multiple foods and experience a number of symptoms such as:

  • Bloating, constipation
  • Fatigue and brain fog
  • Asthma
  • Sinusitis and Rhinitis
  • Irritable Bowel  Syndrome (IBS)
  • Fluid retention
  • Migraines and headaches
  • Eczema, rashes and other skin disorders.

Normally when someone has a food intolerance, this is down to the underlying poor health of the gut. The gut lining is only a few cells thick and is easily damaged; creating erosion that increases the permeability. Partially digested food particles are then able to pass through the barrier into the blood stream and are recognized by the immune system as foreign invaders.

This process is know as leaky gut and can be the root cause of chronic inflammation and autoimmune responses in any organ or tissue.

A food intolerance test will allow a person to identify and eliminate key allergens, so that inflammation can be reduced and the gut lining and body can be given the opportunity to heal.

However, it is important to understand what has caused the damage to the gut lining in the first place. This could be due to poor diet, stress, excess alcohol, antibiotics and bacterial and viral infections such as E. coliH. pylori, SIBO, yeast and parasites.

There are other tests around gut health that will help you determine this. If the underlying gut health issues are not resolved then a person may become intolerant to more foods and chronic health problems will persist.

How to book a food intolerance test at London Clinic of Nutrition

How to Book a Food Intolerances Test with the London Clinic of Nutrition

As functional medicine and nutritional therapy experts, we may use food intolerances tests to help identify the root cause of your health concerns.

As such our market leading tests are only available when we’re consulting you. Your practitioner will advise you if and when you need to access these tests.

If you’ve got concerns about your health and think a food intolerance may be a part of the cause then please get in touch to book a discovery call.

 

About Food Intolerance Testing

There are three major antibodies that are produced in food sensitivities and food allergies – IgE, IgG and IgA.

The IgE antibodies are normally produced in an allergic reaction. These are the antibodies normally screened for by conventional medicine and will not show if you have a food intolerance.

Testing for adverse food reactions is useful for individuals who suspect that a food is responsible for causing their symptoms, but can’t quite identify which food(s).

The presence of circulating antibodies may affect each patient differently. Circulating IgG food antibodies are not diagnostic for a specific condition, but indicate an immune response to that food. The immune response could be a normal response that would not necessarily cause symptoms.

About food intolerance testing IgE IgG IgA antibodies
Food antibody tests process at London Clinic of Nutrition

Food Antibodies Tests

At the London Clinic of Nutrition, we provide food intolerance testing as part of our consultation service.

These tests will be recommended as required by your functional medicine practitioner, naturopathic doctor or nutritionist.

These tests measure the most commonly found antibodies in food intolerance.

Their presence indicates that the food particles have passed through the gut lining and are causing systemic inflammation and/or autoimmunity.

Cyrex Tests & Arrays

The cyrex food sensitivity test uses advanced lab techniques, producing the most accurate results available on the market. The test involves a full blood test and looks for IgA and IgG antibodies in combination.

IgA antibodies are involved in the defense of the mucosal membranes and their presence indicates inflammation in the gut; helping to identify food sensitivities before they become more systemic.

IgG antibodies, are the most common antibody found in a food intolerance. Their presence indicates that the food particles have passed through the gut lining and are causing systemic inflammation and/or autoimmunity.

Cyrex also tests food in their raw and cooked forms; reactivity to common food combinations; and reactivity to gum molecules and binding isolates.

Cyrex arguably provides the world’s most advanced immunological testing services, which include markers for gluten, gluten-linked food intolerances and multiple food sensitivities, “leaky gut”, IBS, SIBO, auto-immune disorders, pathogens such as parasites, moulds, viruses and bacteria, blood brain barrier breakdown and other neurological disorders for example those arising from viral infection and/or toxins, as well as those relating to Alzheimer’s Disease.

  • Food Intolerances
  • Coeliac Disease
  • Relentless Fatigue
  • Autoimmunity
  • Neurological Issues
  • Chronic or Latent Infections
  • IBS
  • Skin Complaints
  • Mood Issues
  • Inflammation
  • Chemical Sensitivity
  • Migraines
  • Joint Pain
  • Memory Problems
  • Alzheimer’s Disease

Please find detailed information on the Arrays here.

Sample requirement: Blood (phlebotomy required)

Considerations: Please note that the enquiries team are able to guide you in the right direction with Cyrex testing but cannot choose which Array is best for you. These tests are complex so we would advise that you see a practitioner for an initial consultation first to ensure you are doing the correct Array for your health concerns. Get in touch today.

*Please be advised that this is only a small range of tests available. We would generally recommend the most appropriate testing following an initial consultation.

Our Functional Medicine Team

At LCON you are cared for by a team, not a single clinician. Your lead practitioner will have specialist depth relevant to your presentation.

Oliver Barnett

Founder · Functional Medicine Practitioner

Lyme Disease
Autoimmunity
Chronic Fatigue
Thyroid
Toxicity

Paul Foley

Nutritional Therapist · Functional Medicine Practitioner

Lyme Disease
Chronic Fatigue
Autoimmune
Mental Health
Children’s Health

Daisy Ilchovska

MSc Nutritional Therapist · BANT · CNHC · ILADS

Lyme Disease
Autoimmune
MCAS
Fertility
Gut Health

Lelani

Nutritional Therapist · Herbalist · Naturopath · BANT · CNHC · ILADS

Lyme Disease
Mental Health
Mould Illness
MCAS
Children’s Nutrition

Alina Tierney

MSc Nutritional Therapist · Functional Medicine

Immune Dysregulation
Gut Health
Women’s Health
Mental Health
Metabolic Health

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions we hear most often from patients considering food intolerance testing for the first time.

QHow do you get tested for food intolerance in London?

At The London Clinic of Nutrition, testing is only available as part of a consultation, not as a standalone purchase. Your practitioner takes a full history, decides whether a panel is appropriate and, if so, arranges a blood draw, also known as phlebotomy.

The results are discussed with you as part of that consultation. Any plan is based on your history and symptoms, not on the antibody findings alone.

Book a complimentary discovery call to start.

QDo food intolerance tests work?

BSACI and the British Dietetic Association do not recommend IgG-based food antibody testing as a diagnostic tool. IgG antibodies to foods also occur in healthy people, so a raised result does not, by itself, indicate an intolerance.

We agree with this position and do not market our testing as a diagnosis. Antibody results are discussed alongside your history and symptoms and should never be used for self-diagnosis or in place of an appropriate allergy assessment.

If you suspect a genuine food allergy, speak to your GP. They may refer you for evidence-based allergy assessment and testing, which can include skin-prick testing or food-specific IgE blood testing interpreted alongside your clinical history.

QWhich food intolerance test do you use, and why?

We use a food-specific IgG and IgA antibody panel that tests reactivity across a wide range of foods. A wider panel does not resolve the evidence gap that BSACI and the British Dietetic Association have identified with IgG testing generally.

We use it because it provides laboratory information for your practitioner to discuss with you, not because it identifies trigger foods. Potential triggers are explored through your practitioner’s wider assessment, often involving your history, symptoms and a supervised exclusion and reintroduction process.

QIs food intolerance testing accurate?

No IgG-based food intolerance test, including ours, has been shown to diagnose food intolerance. This is the position of BSACI and the British Dietetic Association, and we agree.

Our testing reports antibody reactivity, but this is not evidence that a food is causing an intolerance. Testing gives you and your practitioner laboratory information to discuss, not a way to identify trigger foods.

That is why testing is only offered following a consultation and cannot be purchased as a standalone diagnostic test.

QWho can arrange food intolerance testing for me?

At The London Clinic of Nutrition, testing is arranged through one of our functional medicine practitioners or nutritional therapists and cannot be booked directly.

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