Diet has a huge impact on health: those mood swings, lack of concentration or lethargy could be the result of your child overindulging in their favourite sweet treat, but if he or she regularly suffers from these symptoms or headaches, stomach pains or bloating after eating, a food intolerance could be responsible.
YorkTest, Europe's largest provider of food intolerance† programmes, has launched FoodScan Junior. Developed for children between the ages of 2 and 18, it involves a simple finger-prick blood test that can be carried out in the comfort of the home. The sample of blood is then posted back to the YorkTest Laboratory in a pre-paid envelope to be analyzed for IgG antibodies in the blood, which are produced as a defence against foods causing a reaction. A total of 113 ingredients are tested and the kit also includes a daily food and drinks diary, plus two consultations with a Nutritional Therapist who will offer support and knowledge to help you replace your child's trigger foods with balanced alternatives.
Benefits of FoodScan Junior
A food intolerance is the body's delayed reaction to problem foods and often manifests in a range of problems, yet symptoms may occur between two hours and up to three days later, so it is hard to know what is responsible. Doctors often recommend an elimination diet, which involves cutting out one food at a time over a few weeks to see if symptoms improve, but this can be laborious and you could risk depriving your child of essential nutrients. FoodScan Junior can pinpoint precisely which foods are causing high levels of IgG antibodies in the blood, thus identifying which ones to remove.
FoodScan Junior costs $315 and includes:
-Expert laboratory testing and analysis
-Convenient home to laboratory testing service
-Free return post to our laboratory
-Convenient mail order service - no need to visit our laboratory
-Expert testing and analysis of IgG antibody reactions to 113 foods
-2 x 30-minute telephone consultations with one of our registered Nutritional Therapists
Please note: if you are concerned about any symptoms your child is experiencing, you should always visit your Doctor first to rule out any serious underlying medical condition.
† Food intolerance defined as a food-specific IgG reaction
What to expect from the FoodScan Junior programme
The YorkTest FoodScan Junior kit contains all you need to take a small blood sample (2-3 drops) in the comfort of your own home. Simply return your child's sample in the pre-paid envelope provided to our laboratories for expert analysis. Your child's confidential results and additional support material will be sent to you within 10 days.
When you have received your child's results and are ready, you can contact us to book your appointments with one of our registered Nutritional Therapists. These half hour sessions will provide you with support and knowledge to assist you in your child's new diet, ensuring you are confident about the changes you can make to improve their health and wellbeing.
Raised levels of food-specific IgG antibodies within your child's blood indicate that an IgG antibody reaction to a particular food or foods has occurred. If you have already taken the decision to eliminate a particular food or foods from your child's diet they may not show up a reaction on their results. If you know of foods that cause your child to feel unwell, do not allow them to start eating them; we do not encourage your child to eat a food or foods which you already know are a problem to them.
FoodScan Junior does not provide information about celiac disease, enzyme deficiencies such as lactose intolerance, IgE-mediated allergies, histamine sensitivity or other chemical sensitivities such as reactions to sulphites, tannins or tyramine. FoodScan Junior is only recommended for children aged 2-18 who have food intolerance symptoms and who have already been checked out by a doctor.
