Lots of people often associate gut symptoms with eating, therefore it can often raise the question, do I have a food intolerance? In an attempt to answer this, people will often go through a process of excluding different foods groups, sometimes with minimal improvements in their symptoms.
Furthermore, people are increasing turning to various intolerance tests, which often result in receiving a long list of foods to avoid. Both of these processes can result in people avoiding foods unnecessarily, which can result in more harm than good.
Unfortunately, a lot of the food intolerance tests available have limited scientific evidence to support them, and the only way to identify a food intolerance is to trial a process of food restriction, followed by food re-introduction.
It can be really difficult and confusing to know where to start with this process, so if you suspect you may have a food intolerance, during our appointment we will initially discuss your history and symptoms. I can then advise which approach may be best for you in order to explore whether you have an intolerance to a specific food or component, or whether there may be another cause for your symptoms, such irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), all whilst ensuring your diet remains nutritionally balanced.
