A Review of Supply Life Intolerance Tests

I wanted to share a review of Supply Life, a service I paid for over Christmas. I have found it has helped me hugely over the past few months since I have eliminated the trigger foods they discovered. 

An easy skin prick blood test, you post off (they require more blood than others I’ve tried it seems but that felt somewhat encouraging and thorough, and they do test your blood twice against a variety of foods) so bear with it!

Admittedly, I would have liked them to test for more than 67 foods in their initial package for e.g. coconut in my case, as that seems to be a trigger food for me but even their core test on offer is comprehensive and it is the least expensive at £137 (it was one of many Christmas presents from my folks so I didn’t want to take the mickey).

Utilising advanced immunoassay microarray technology (yep, I’m none the wiser about this but it sounds high tech and impressive), their laboratory in Cambridge offers one of the most sophisticated food intolerance tests available according to their website and the results certainly matched my own experiences of not only food intolerances but even allergies too-brazil nuts in my case (although please don’t use results to determine allergies).

Their site states, ‘Our food intolerance tests are done using a blood based method covering IgG 1,2,3,4, the blood sample collection process is done via a pin prick to the finger, it takes around 4 – 5 large droplets’.

They go on to explain the tests in more detail,

‘Generally, foods are broken down during digestion into their component parts e.g. amino acids, glycerides etc. These pass harmlessly through the gut as the gut becomes inflamed (bloated) these proteins enter the bloodstream. This is where they are recognized by the immune system as being ‘foreign’. The immune system responds by making IgG antibodies to these foods’.

It is your reaction that is being discovered in these tests. 

I knew I struggled with wheat, gluten and yeast, as I have all of my life (as has my Mum) so those triggers were no surprise but ingredients like peas, cow’s dairy and oysters were not on my radar as affecting me hugely. They absolutely make sense to me now as post consumption, I would always feel lethargic and bloated, particularly when it came to cow’s dairy. I’ve switched to goat’s milk, cheese and yoghurt and feel fabulous! 

So once you pop your blood into the post, a detailed report is sent over to you within 7 days and as with other similar testing services, this is categorised into a traffic light system of red, yellow and green foods (avoid, kiss and marry).

They do follow up this report arranging a call with a qualified nutritionist so you can speak to someone in more detail about your results and food swaps (mine suggested avoiding my red foods for 9 months to a year and slowly reintroducing them to see how I felt) and they also emailed over incredible and innovate recipes (not your usual fare you’d find anywhere either).

Many of the recipes in my bundle had the dreaded untested coconut in them however so were not as useful as they could have been but they were beautifully photographed and genuinely easy to make. 

Along with an increase in exercise (I mean 10K minimum steps daily, swimming 3 times a week and weights once a week), these food swaps are the only thing I’ve done differently diet wise over the past few months (and yes I’ve ‘cheated’ eating some wheat her and there because it’s everywhere) but I’ve seen radical improvements in health for e.g when it comes to PMS (barely suffering at all the past two months bar some chocolate cravings and a little moodiness) and importantly, losing weight has felt easier. I’ve been on a weightloss plan since last August but this test has definitely supported my weightloss to the point others have noticed it (finally) so I would say eliminating trigger foods has been a catalyst in many ways because when you feel less bloated and feel more energised you are more inclined to work out!

I still enjoy treats with dark chocolate and I made some delicious chickpea flour chocolate cookies today. I’ll share the recipe here soon! 

I would recommend Supply Life!

I was not asked to review this company nor was I paid to do so.