AIBU to think the York Food Test might improve my health?

[cakefiend19]

If you have had the York test done, did following it's recommendations improve your health? Without going in to lots of detail, I have been tempted to try this test to see if my poor health is due to a food intolerance but the fact these tests are so expensive and not without controversy is putting me off. If you have had the test would you recommend it?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

This article, in the Guardian, does not approve of this feast at all.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

How did autocorrect go from test to feast?

[KnobJockey]

Anecdote here, not data, but a friend I used to work with severe eczema head to toe- to the point of weeks off work during a flare up as she would just bleed from her skin whenever she moved. She had the food intolerance tests, (not sure if it was York's) cut out a LOT of foods, and within weeks she only had a few patches in the usual places.

If I recall correctly she paid a couple of hundred for it, and had to cut out gluten & wheat, dairy, sulphates, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers among others. She has a VERY restrictive diet but her life is 100% improved

[cakefiend19]

Thanks for your replies, this seems to be typical- lots of articles saying it's a waste of money but then there are individuals who say it really worked for them!

[Helenluvsrob]

You would be better off researching you condition and looking to see if anything specific makes it worse ( or if the bet suggests anything particular could trigger it) then trying a month of very strict exclusion to see if you are any different, then try another thing etc.

Allergy tests can be " positive" without actually having any clinical significance.

Doing any form of food exclusion will automatically mean cooking from fresh etc so removing many additives that could be triggering anyway - and just eating a fresh diet without proscessed crap might make you a lot better too!

[cakefiend19]

I don't tend to eat a lot of processed food anyway but I know what you are saying about an exclusion diet, it's my next step, just wondered if the food test had helped individuals identify trigger foods faster.

[CantChoose]

I'm an HCP and feel strongly that these tests are absolute bollocks and it is designed to steal money from people who are vulnerable due to illness.
Id suggest you ask your GP for a referral to a dietician to guide you doing a food exclusion and reintroduction diet to avoid ending up on an unnecessarily restrictive diet.

[watchingthedetectives]

Also HCP - scientifically what they measure is accurate but there is no evidence to suggest that having measurable antibodies in this context translates into any sort of allergy.
Its not the same as the testing for coeliac disease which is reliable.
Agree with the PP dietician, food exclusion and reintroduction is a much better way to go