Is there afood intolerance test?

There are no tests for food intolerances. The only way to know if you have one is to monitor your symptoms and the food you eat. See what happens when you cut out the suspected food for a while, and then reintroduce it back into your diet.

Food diary

Trykeeping a food diary, noting:

  • what foods you eat
  • any symptoms you have after eating these foods
  • when these symptomscome on

Trial elimination diet

Once you have a good idea which foods may be causing your symptoms, you can try excluding them from your diet one at a time and observing the effect this has.

Try:

  • Cutting out the suspected food from your diet for two to six weeks and see if your symptoms improve.
  • Then, reintroduce the food , to see if symptoms return. You may find you can tolerate a certain level, and you only get symptoms if you have more than this amount.

Consider seeing a dietitian to make sure you're receiving all your recommended daily nutrients while you do this trial. Find a registered dietitian .

Never restrict your child's dietunless this has been advisedby adietitian oryour doctor.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018