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As someone who has suffered from IBS and digestive issues and the fatigue that can come with that for nearly 15 years now, I’ve always been curious about food intolerance tests but never took the plunge. I feared that the results would either come back showing no intolerances or that I would have a restrictive diet. When YorkTest reached out, though, I felt it was finally time to take the plunge. I’ve been on a bit of a health and fitness journey for the past year, and this felt like the final piece of the puzzle. After researching YorkTest and their Premium Food Intolerance Test, I was pleased to see all of the science and customer support behind each of their tests. Here’s how I got on with the YorkTest Premium Food Intolerance Test from beginning to end.
Receiving and Taking the Test
All of the YorkTest kits come in a small box that easily fits through the letterbox. In the Premium Food Intolerance Test, there was a set of instructions, a postage bag, an alcohol-free wipe, two lancets, an absorbent wand in a container, a test container, and a plaster.
Before doing the test, you must create an account online and register your test, which takes about 5 minutes to do. Make sure you post your sample on the same day that you collect it.
After that, simply follow all of the instructions to collect your blood sample. The lancets included are single use however, you receive two in case one fails or you don’t collect enough blood.
As someone with a phobia of needles, I will admit the idea of a finger prick test didn’t fill me with joy. However, it’s very quick and relatively painless, similar to pricking your finger with a sewing needle. I found it was easier to get someone to activate the lancet for me.
After that, it’s a simple case of making sure the swab is fully saturated with blood then placing it in the test container and sealing up the bag that is provided by YorkTest. All the postage details are already on the bag, you just need to take it to your nearest post office.
The Results
I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly my results came through from YorkTest. From posting the test back to getting my result, it only took a few days.
Once your results are ready, you log back into the hub where you registered and you’re presented with a traffic light system of everything that was tested. A score of 0-11 is green and indicates normal reactivity meaning you can eat those foods without restriction, 12-19 is orange and indicates borderline meaning you may benefit from reducing consumption and 20-100 is red and indicates high reactivity meaning there may be a benefit to eliminating those items completely.
I was really quite surprised by what my results showed as I only had two orange items and two red items. However, by far my best reactive ingredient was yeast with a score of 80 which was never something I’d considered having an intolerance to. My second highest ingredient was cow’s milk with a score of 29.
My Honest Thoughts on Food Intolerance Tests
Personally, I found the food intolerance test an interesting exercise to partake in. However, I don’t think I’ll be completely eliminating yeast from my diet as suggested. Although it came out with a very high reactivity score I have been living with my IBS symptoms for a long time now and products containing yeast aren’t my worst triggers at all so it’s very surprising that it came out so high.
I do think food intolerance tests shouldn’t be your only solution when it comes to dealing with any dietary issues you have. Medically only certain things can be tested for when it comes to allergies and intolerances such as lactose and gluten. There is no standardized test for food intolerances.
That being said if you feel at a complete loss with what is causing your symptoms, food intolerance tests can be a useful first step. Just don’t jump straight into an elimination diet without consulting a doctor or trained nutritionist. Keeping a food diary is probably a helpful first step to track any intolerances that the test has flagged and see how you get on with those ingredients.
The Premium Food Intolerance Test does include a 30-minute nutritional therapist consultation should you wish to take it. It is always advisable to seek your own advice from a medical professional if you have serious concerns about food intolerances before making any major changes.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with my experience with YorkTest. It was quick and easy and the results came through quickly and in an easy-to-understand format but I won’t solely rely on the food intolerance test to manage my symptoms. It has, however, given me an idea of ingredients I should monitor for a reaction.
If you’re looking for a good first step in getting to grips with any concerns you have around intolerances then intolerance tests from YorkTest can be a good route to go down to help you with further care and diet choices. However, it should only be used as a first step and not a definitive answer to your health issues.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the YorkTest Premium Food Intolerance Test. It’s really helpful how you walk us through the pros and limits of such testing. I also found a few diet ideas and healthy tips on the blog articles on SheMed, useful for some general info on diet and wellbeing, especially when you’re trying to understand your body a bit better.