Do you ever feel discomfort after eating something? Have you ever wondered if it could be caused by a food intolerance or food allergy? YorkTest provides testing for both and I recently had the chance to test it out!
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This review was kindly sponsored by YorkTest , but all of my opinions are my own.
I get the occasional painful bloating so I finally decided to bite the bullet and get to the bottom of what potential food sensitivities I may have. After doing some research, I opted to try YorkTest’s premium food sensitivity and food allergy test kits.
YorkTest is a leading provider of food intolerance testing, offering a range of tests to help individuals identify potential triggers and improve their overall well-being. Their tests are based on advanced immunological techniques and provide comprehensive results. You can even get a personalized dietary plan.
My results were really fascinating and eye-opening, but before I get to that, I’ll share my whole experience with receiving, taking the tests, and shipping them back.
What Are Food Intolerances
First off, let’s discuss a bit about what food intolerances are. While both food intolerances and allergies can cause discomfort, they are distinct conditions.
Food intolerances:
- Immune system: Do not involve an immune system response.
- Symptoms: Often digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation.
- Severity: Generally less severe than allergies.
Food Allergies:
- Immune system: Involve a hypersensitive immune response.
- Symptoms: Can range from mild (hives, itching) to severe (anaphylaxis).
- Severity: Can be life-threatening.
It’s important to note that while food intolerances are typically less severe, they can still significantly impact quality of life. If you suspect you have a food intolerance or allergy, consulting with a healthcare professional is recommended for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
How YorkTest Works
YorkTest’s food sensitivity testing helps you understand and manage food sensitivities through IgG testing. Essentially, they’re testing the reaction of your blood to proteins in foods.
One thing to note is that IgG tests involve exposing a blood sample to foods and measuring the resulting antibody response. However, IgG is an indicator of repeated exposure, so something may come up in the results that doesn’t necessarily cause symptoms for you, but shows in the results because you’ve been exposed to it before. So keep that in mind when analyzing your results!
The Test Process
The testing process was pretty straightforward, though I made sure to read through everything once ahead of time. You’ll want to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before you start—this helps with blood collection!
Each test kit provides everything you need to collect your blood sample in the comfort of your home. They even provide the return envelope so all you have to do is drop it off at your closest USPS.
To collect the sample, you use single-use lancets provided to prick your finger. I was initially hesitant to use the lancets but they surprisingly weren’t painful at all. Just a quick prick that healed within a couple of days. They even provide you with a bandaid!
The tests have slightly different directions because one requires soaking up blood drops with an absorbent wand and the other requires dripping the drops of blood onto a collection card.
I started with the Premium Food Sensitivity test and the images in the instructions showed using the lancet on the pointer finger so I started with that. It did suggest using the second lancet on another finger if you weren’t able to collect enough the first time. I just barely had enough from one and wanted to avoid pricking more fingers than necessary. However, the Food Allergy test had me use the lancet on my ring finger and that provided more than enough that I think I could have gotten away with my ring finger for both tests.
So, if you get the bundle and take both tests, I recommend starting with the Food Allergy Test, because you may get enough from just your ring finger to fill out both tests.
You’ll want to mail out your sample the same day, so make sure you do it early enough in the day for the post office to still be open. You could also place it in your outgoing mail, but my mail carrier had already come by, so I ran it to the post office.
Test Results
The results come back quickly once received, it took maybe a week. I received an email letting me know my results were ready.
Here are my results for the Premium Food Sensitivity Test:
I often eat gluten and enjoy nutritional yeast in my plant-based meals, which is a deactivated form of yeast. Although they fall into the high reactivity category for me, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to eliminate them completely.
I’ve never noticed any discomfort after eating these but I have noticed painful bloating after enjoying a wheat beer. I decided to stop drinking wheat beer after the test and I haven’t had any painful bloating since!
Here are my results for the Food Allergy Test:
I’ve never had an allergic reaction to food, so I wasn’t expecting a high reaction. I was surprised to see foods with a medium reaction. I eat a lot of almond butter, peanut butter, and soy (tofu, soy milk, edamame, soy sauce, etc.) but I don’t feel the need to eliminate them at this time.
I expected to see common ragweed on my allergy test, given my seasonal allergies. But, interestingly, cat dander didn’t show up, even though I often get stuffy around cats. Maybe I can adopt a cat after all!
Elimination Diet
Based on your results, you may want to try an elimination diet to pinpoint exactly what is causing your symptoms and discomfort. The Premium Food Sensitivity Guide Book included with your test shares some guidance on the process, but it’s best to consult with your doctor or healthcare practitioner if you’re doing this on your own.
They do offer consultations with a Nutritional Therapist but I didn’t end up getting one. If you have a lot of concerning symptoms, I would highly recommend going that route so that they can properly guide you on an elimination diet
Conclusion
I was impressed by how simple and fast the YorkTest process was. The results were clear and easy to interpret.
The tests confirmed some of my food sensitivities, like my reaction to wheat in beer, and helped me identify foods that work best for my body.
If you’re looking for a convenient at-home test to explore potential food sensitivities, YorkTest is a great place to start.
