For some individuals just reducing a food is enough to reduce symptoms. But does that mean that behind the scenes all is well or are things still happening in your body that could be slowly eroding your health?

Without a lab test how do you know why you react to that food, is it just the sugar types in wheat that feed certain problematic gut bacteria creating symptoms for you, or is there an immune reaction happening? And if so, which part of your immune system is reacting? Are you are having a short-term IgG immune response or a more serious life-long IgA reaction to a food?

If you are having an IgA immune response to e.g. gluten but you continue to have gluten, you will activate your immune system (which means inflammation) for at least 3 months each time gluten is consumed, even when very small amounts are consumed. This can greatly increase your risk of coeliac disease, nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis), as well as cancers of the digestive tract.

So, if you know that gluten gives you bloating or tummy ache, or you have had a food intolerance test which listed gluten or wheat as a problem for you, isn’t it worth going one step further and finding out exactly why it is a problem?

• What is in that food that you react to?
• What is it doing to your body when you do react?
• How serious a problem is it for you?
• How strictly do you need to avoid it?

Consider the value of an in-depth lab test, that tells you whether you have autoimmune activity and have to be strict about gluten, or whether you can happily enjoy a small amount of gluten. For some, it may be that they just need to correct some bacterial imbalances in their gut to ease IBS symptoms, and then they can enjoy gluten more often.

Lab test results could mean that you learn how you as an individual need to change your diet, how strictly and for how long. Enabling you to dramatically improve your health for the better!