Living with Food Intolerances: What It’s Like?

Dr Joachim Stolte

Published: 23/08/22

Sometimes, the body can have, or develop, difficulty in digesting a certain type of food, or group of
foods – this is known as food intolerance. The problem is that, unlike food allergies – which are an
immune system response and often cause severe reactions – the symptoms of food intolerances
vary considerably. So much so, in fact, that it’s possible for a person to be suffering without even
understanding why they are experiencing their symptoms.

Common Symptoms of Food Intolerances


Food intolerances are a digestive system response and cause several symptoms, the most common
of which are:

  • Stomach pain
  • Bloating
  • Wind
  • Diarrhoea
  • Rashes
  • Fatigue

Most Common Food Intolerances in the UK

  • Dairy
  • Gluten
  • Caffeine

Living with Food Intolerances

Ultimately, while it’s possible to live with a level of food hypersensitivity for a while in the case of
some food intolerances, the body does reach a saturation point. In short, there’s only so long the
body will put up with it, and if a sufferer is unable to identify the root cause of their symptoms, not
only are they perpetuating painful or uncomfortable symptoms, but they also risk long-term health
risks like fatigue and higher susceptibility to colds and viruses.

Food Intolerance Patient Case Study:

One patient, Judith, talked to us about her experiences as a food intolerance sufferer and how it
has impacted her life and long-term health:

“For years my stomach seemed to bulge and wearing trousers was so uncomfortable. I used to
experience what I now know was painful bloat, which although upsetting, became almost normal.

Even when I experienced discomfort and wind after eating certain meals, the penny didn’t drop that
my poor old body might be reacting to what I put in it.

It was only when, after many years, that I started to spend more time on the toilet than off it that I
decided to mention the problem to my doctor.

Initially he went down the blood test route, and I had an endoscopy; however, it was all clear and nothing seemed wrong according to the results. Of course, my problem persisted.

It was difficult receiving help, and I was very much left on my own to trial cutting out different foods
and noting the reactions.

Eventually, I was able to build a greater picture of what my body needed,
and even though it seems obvious now, it took many, many years and many ‘mistakes’ to better
understand what I was suffering with.

Now, I wish I had had access to the appropriate tests back then, so my symptoms wouldn’t have become as extreme and I could have made better choices for my body.

The fact that Dr Stolte and his team are providing food allergy and intolerance tests is fantastic, as it can greatly improve quality of life. Even mild symptoms should never be ignored”.

Judith, Cornwall.

Food Intolerance Tests

A phenomenon that’s on the rise, the National Centre for Social Research has stated that 25% of all
UK households have at least one possible allergy or intolerance sufferer. Yet despite this, it’s hard
to know exactly how many people are suffering because, up until now, it’s been really hard to access
the right information and resources to reach a diagnosis. That’s why we developed our range of food
allergy and intolerance tests.

If you would like to check your symptoms and take the first step towards a more comfortable,
healthier life, book one of our food and environmental allergy and food intolerance tests today (also
available in a low-cost bundle).

Able to be taken anywhere in the UK, all you have to do is take a simple finger-prick blood sample at
home and post it back to our laboratory to be analysed by our accredited technicians. From this
sample, we can provide you with your individual results with 3-5 working days. Buy yours now