The number of people in the UK suffering from food intolerance and allergies is increasing. Scientists believe that this is partly because of our love affair with junk food as well as our exposure to harmful toxins present in many foods.

However food intolerance and allergies can also be triggered by food that has not been exposed to chemicals. Recent research, for instance, suggests that eating peanuts when pregnant can cause the baby to develop a peanut allergy.

This can have very serious consequences as having an allergic reaction to peanuts can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock. Peanut allergies are often so severe that even a slight trace of peanut dust can produce itching, rashes and stomach problems in sufferers.

However, not everyone who has a problem with certain foods is allergic to them. Sometimes they can simply have a food intolerance rather than a food allergy. Food intolerance and food allergy are both caused by inappropriate immune responses to problem foods. However the reaction is very different. Food allergies provoke an immediate and sometimes severe reaction whilst food intolerance produces symptoms which can take hours or even days to develop.

Of course the best thing to do is identify whether you have a food intolerance or allergy and then eliminate the problem foods altogether from your diet. Food allergy and food intolerance testing is a quick and easy way to find out if there are foods that are making you feel ill. You can arrange food allergy and food intolerance testing online or by visiting your GP. Whilst identifying the culprit substances and removing them from your diet is an important starting point, strengthening your immune system is also very important.

Since much of the immune system exists within the digestive tract one of the best ways to support it is by ingesting particular vitamins and minerals.

Foods that are rich in anti-oxidant vitamins A, C and E, such as fresh fruits and vegetables should be included in your daily diet. The mineral Selenium can also be a useful inclusion, as can garlic. Pycnogenol, a dietary supplement made from pine bark extract is high in anti-oxidants and can help alleviate allergic reactions as well as help cardiovascular health.

Food intolerance and food allergies can make you miserable. By identifying whether you are a sufferer and what foods are causing you problems you will be able to improve your sense of wellbeing. Food allergy and food intolerance testing can help you do this whilst strengthening your immune system is the starting point on the road to better health.

Elizabeth Harfleet, is a leading a UK based nutritional therapist who sells food intolerance testing kits via her website.