Food Sensitivity Test in Bangalore
Comprehensive IgG antibody blood panel measuring reactivity against 287 food antigens. Includes phlebotomist home collection across Bengaluru and doctor-reviewed reporting.
Quick Diagnostic Overview
A Food Sensitivity Test measures food-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels in blood to evaluate delayed immune responses to 287 foods. Fasting is not required, and same-day doorstep blood collection is available across all Bengaluru pin codes through QXL Diagnostics.Test Specifications & Parameters
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Test Name | Comprehensive Food-Specific IgG Panel (287 Foods) |
| Methodology | Multiplex Microarray Food-Specific IgG Immunoassay |
| Antigens Tested | 287 Foods (Dairy, Grains, Meats, Poultry, Seafood, Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Spices, Teas, Additives) |
| Specimen Required | 3 mL Serum (EDTA / Plain Tube) |
| Pre-Test Preparation | No fasting required. Maintain normal diet prior to testing for accurate antibody baseline. |
| Home Collection | Available across all Bengaluru localities (Free Doorstep Visit) |
| Reporting Time | 3–5 Days |
Dr. Shantakumar Muruda, MD
Founder & Chief Clinical Biochemist, NABL Lead Assessor
287 Food Sensitivity Test, Food Intolerance & Post-Meal Bloating FAQs
Clinical guidance from QXL Diagnostics regarding food allergy, IgG sensitivities, IBS, lactose intolerance, and celiac testing.
What is the difference between food allergy, food intolerance and food sensitivity?
Food allergy, food intolerance and food sensitivity are not the same diagnosis. IgE-mediated food allergy is an immune reaction that can occur rapidly and may cause hives, swelling, wheeze or anaphylaxis. Food intolerance usually reflects impaired digestion or absorption, while IBS and other gut disorders can mimic food-triggered symptoms. IgE-mediated food allergy involves allergen-specific IgE against food proteins. Food intolerance generally does not involve the classic IgE pathway; lactose intolerance, for example, results from inadequate intestinal lactase activity. Food sensitivity is a broad consumer term that may include IBS, dyspepsia, constipation, FODMAP-related symptoms or non-celiac wheat sensitivity.
How can I tell whether bloating after meals is IBS, food intolerance or SIBO?
Bloating after meals can occur with IBS, lactose or other carbohydrate malabsorption, SIBO, dyspepsia, constipation and several other conditions. IBS is identified from a characteristic symptom pattern, whereas SIBO and specific intolerances require selective testing when clinically appropriate. No single blood test can reliably distinguish all of these causes. IBS may involve recurrent abdominal pain with altered bowel habits. Food intolerance is more likely when symptoms reproducibly follow a particular food or carbohydrate. SIBO should be considered selectively in an appropriate clinical context and may be evaluated using glucose or lactulose breath testing.
Is lactose intolerance the same as milk allergy?
Lactose intolerance is caused by reduced lactase activity, so unabsorbed lactose draws water into the intestine and is fermented by bacteria, producing gas, bloating, pain or diarrhoea. Milk allergy is an immune reaction to milk proteins, not lactose, and may cause hives, swelling, wheeze, vomiting or, rarely, anaphylaxis. Lactose intolerance is therefore a digestive problem, while milk allergy follows an immune-allergy pathway. A2 milk still contains lactose and does not eliminate lactose exposure.
What is the difference between gluten intolerance, celiac disease and wheat allergy?
Celiac disease, wheat allergy and non-celiac wheat sensitivity are different conditions. Celiac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by gluten; wheat allergy is usually IgE-mediated; and non-celiac wheat or gluten sensitivity is considered only after celiac disease and wheat allergy have been excluded. A gluten-free diet should not replace proper evaluation. Initial celiac testing commonly includes tissue transglutaminase IgA together with total IgA. There is no single validated blood test that independently proves non-celiac wheat sensitivity.
Can food sensitivity cause only bloating and gas without a rash or allergy symptoms?
Yes. Bloating, gas, abdominal pain or loose stools can occur after particular foods without hives or breathing symptoms, but this does not automatically mean a food allergy. Lactose or FODMAP malabsorption, IBS, constipation, dyspepsia and other gastrointestinal disorders are often more plausible explanations for isolated, recurrent digestive symptoms. Immediate allergy becomes more concerning when symptoms are accompanied by hives, facial swelling, wheezing, throat tightness or faintness.
Why am I still bloated when my endoscopy, ultrasound and routine blood tests are normal?
Normal endoscopy, ultrasound or routine blood tests do not rule out all causes of chronic bloating. IBS and other disorders of gut-brain interaction can produce real symptoms through altered motility, visceral hypersensitivity and impaired handling of intestinal gas even when structural tests are normal. Persistent or changing symptoms still require clinical review. Other possibilities include constipation, lactose or fructose malabsorption, functional dyspepsia, selected cases of SIBO, medication effects and dietary triggers.
Which symptoms after eating need medical assessment instead of a food sensitivity test?
Seek prompt medical assessment rather than relying on a food-sensitivity panel if post-meal symptoms include gastrointestinal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, persistent vomiting, fever, progressive swallowing difficulty, significant anaemia, nocturnal symptoms, a new persistent change in bowel habits or features of anaphylaxis such as breathing difficulty, throat swelling or faintness. Severe or progressively worsening abdominal pain and marked nutritional deficiency also require appropriate clinical assessment.
Can irregular work hours and late-night meals cause bloating in Bengaluru professionals?
Irregular hybrid-work schedules, skipped meals, late-night eating, poor sleep, stress and inconsistent hydration can aggravate reflux, constipation, dyspepsia and IBS symptoms. These habits do not create a new food allergy by themselves, but they can change gut motility and symptom perception, making ordinary meals seem increasingly difficult to tolerate. Lifestyle factors can therefore amplify an underlying functional or gastrointestinal problem without proving food allergy.
Can sitting all day at a desk cause post-meal bloating or constipation?
A desk-bound lifestyle does not directly cause food allergy or food intolerance, but prolonged inactivity can contribute to constipation, reduced bowel regularity and post-meal discomfort in susceptible people. When bloating is driven by slow transit or IBS, regular movement, hydration and appropriate dietary adjustments may improve symptoms without unnecessary food exclusions. Tracking stool frequency, stool form, activity, hydration, meal size and symptom timing can help identify patterns.
Can frequent Swiggy or Zomato meals cause food intolerance or bloating?
Frequent Swiggy or Zomato meals do not themselves cause food intolerance. However, restaurant and delivery foods can vary in portion size, fat, spice, fermentable carbohydrates, dairy, onion, garlic, sweeteners and additives. In someone with IBS, lactose intolerance, reflux or another gastrointestinal disorder, these meal characteristics can reproducibly trigger symptoms. A structured food-and-symptom diary is generally more informative than randomly excluding many foods.
Why does a high-protein diet or protein powder make me bloated?
High-protein diets can cause bloating when protein powders or packaged foods also contain lactose, sugar alcohols, inulin, gums or other fermentable ingredients. Large portions, rapid dietary changes and reduced carbohydrate or fibre balance can also alter bowel habits. Symptoms should be linked to ingredients and timing rather than assuming that protein itself is an allergy. Mixing protein powder with milk can also increase lactose exposure.
Can millets or gluten-free foods actually make bloating worse?
Millets and gluten-free foods are not automatically easier to digest. A sudden rise in fibre, large portions, legumes, resistant starches or fermentable carbohydrates can increase gas and bloating in susceptible people. Millets are naturally gluten-free, but improvement after switching grains does not by itself prove celiac disease, wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. Celiac disease should ideally be evaluated before starting a strict gluten-free diet when clinically suspected.
Should I try a low-FODMAP diet, elimination diet or probiotics for bloating?
A low-FODMAP diet can improve global IBS symptoms for selected patients, but it should usually be a limited, structured trial followed by systematic food reintroduction rather than a permanent highly restrictive diet. Probiotics and elimination diets should also be individualized because benefits vary and unnecessary restriction can reduce nutritional quality and dietary diversity. Indian meal planning should account for foods such as idli, dosa, sambar, dal, rajma, chole, milk, curd, paneer, chapati and millet preparations.
What tests should I do if I am bloated after almost every meal?
The right test for persistent bloating depends on the clinical pattern rather than the symptom alone. A clinician may consider celiac serology, lactose breath testing, targeted evaluation for SIBO, inflammatory markers, stool tests or other investigations depending on diarrhoea, constipation, weight loss, anaemia, food-specific reactions and alarm features. Routine broad testing is rarely appropriate. Rapid allergy-like reactions require a different pathway from chronic digestive symptoms.
Are IgG food sensitivity or food intolerance blood tests accurate?
Food-specific IgG panels should not be treated as a diagnostic test for food allergy or food intolerance. Major allergy organizations state that IgG to foods commonly reflects exposure and may be associated with tolerance. A positive result does not prove that a food causes symptoms, so large exclusion diets based only on IgG can be misleading. Immediate food allergy, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, IBS and SIBO each require different diagnostic approaches. The QXL 287 Food Sensitivity Test should therefore be interpreted in clinical context and should not be presented as a stand-alone test proving food allergy, intolerance or the cause of bloating.
When is a hydrogen or methane breath test useful for lactose intolerance or SIBO?
Hydrogen and methane breath tests are non-invasive tools used selectively for carbohydrate malabsorption and suspected SIBO. For lactose intolerance, symptoms are interpreted alongside gas production after a lactose load. For SIBO, glucose or lactulose may be used, but false positives and false negatives occur, so results must be interpreted within the clinical context. Preparation, recent antibiotics, bowel transit, altered anatomy and substrate choice can influence results.
What blood tests diagnose celiac disease, and should I stop gluten before testing?
Celiac disease is usually screened with tissue transglutaminase IgA together with assessment of total IgA; IgG-based tests are used when IgA deficiency is present. Most adults with positive serology still require gastroenterology evaluation and small-bowel biopsy confirmation. Do not start a gluten-free diet before testing, because it can reduce diagnostic sensitivity. Removing gluten can lower antibody levels and reduce intestinal inflammatory findings.
Can food intolerance or gut tests be done through home sample collection in Bengaluru?
Home blood collection can improve convenience for tests that are valid on venous samples, such as celiac serology or clinically selected allergen-specific IgE, but convenience does not make an inappropriate test clinically useful. Breath tests require standardized preparation and timed samples. Digital gastroenterology consultations can support triage, but alarm symptoms may require in-person assessment. QXL Diagnostics provides information about laboratory testing and home sample collection in Bengaluru at https://www.qxldiagnostics.com/.
Is a gut microbiome test useful for diagnosing food intolerance, IBS or chronic bloating?
Commercial gut microbiome tests can describe microbial patterns, but they are not currently a validated stand-alone diagnostic test for food intolerance, IBS or the cause of bloating. Results may vary with diet, medications and laboratory methods. Clinically established tests should guide diagnosis first, while microbiome reports should be interpreted cautiously and not used to justify extensive restriction. Microbiome profiles should not independently diagnose food allergy, SIBO, leaky gut or the exact cause of abdominal bloating.