Food Intolerance Dietary Assessment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is a food intolerance dietary assessment?
A food intolerance dietary assessment is a way of finding out, with evidence from your own body, whether a particular food causes your symptoms. Food intolerance means the gut reacts to a food, usually with bloating, wind, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or loose stools, often hours after eating. The reaction depends on the amount eaten, so a small portion may be comfortable while a large one brings symptoms.
Food intolerance is different from food allergy. An allergy involves the immune system and can cause hives, swelling of the lips or face, wheeze or collapse, often within minutes, even from a trace of the food. The two are handled differently, so telling them apart is the first step of the assessment.
A fact that surprises many people: the most reliable test for a food intolerance is a carefully planned diet trial. Removing a suspect food and then bringing it back under supervision shows clearly whether that food is responsible.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the assessment is carried out by the dietitian in the Nutrition and Dietetics service, with doctors involved when symptoms point to allergy or another condition.
Who needs it
A food intolerance dietary assessment helps people who:
- Have bloating, wind, cramps or loose stools that seem linked to certain meals
- Suspect a reaction to milk, wheat, onions, pulses, certain fruits, caffeine or artificial sweeteners
- Have already cut out several foods and are unsure which ones matter
- Have irritable bowel syndrome and want to identify personal triggers
- Were told by an unregulated test that they are intolerant to a long list of foods
- Have a child or family member on a restricted diet that needs checking
Symptoms of allergy, such as hives, lip swelling or wheeze after eating, are assessed by a doctor with tests such as skin allergy testing. Coeliac disease is checked with a blood test while gluten is still in the diet.
What happens
The assessment runs in clear steps, and the dietitian guides each one:
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| History | Symptoms, timing, foods involved, medicines, and any red-flag signs that need a doctor first |
| Diary | A food and symptom diary to spot patterns between meals and symptoms |
| Elimination | One suspect food, or a small group, is removed for a set trial period with safe replacements |
| Reintroduction | The food returns in planned amounts to confirm or clear it, and to find how much you tolerate |
| Plan | A final diet that limits only confirmed triggers and replaces any lost nutrients |
Lactose intolerance is a common example. Many adults in the region produce less lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, as they get older. The dietitian may find that laban, yoghurt and hard cheese sit comfortably while a large glass of milk brings symptoms, because fermented dairy contains less lactose. Lactose-free milk keeps calcium in the diet.
Other common triggers include large amounts of onion, garlic, pulses and wheat, sugar alcohols in sugar-free sweets and chewing gum, and caffeine in strong coffee and energy drinks. The diary often shows that the timing and size of a meal matter as much as the food itself.
Each elimination is planned so the diet stays balanced. If milk is removed, calcium comes from other sources. If wheat is tested, the dietitian suggests rice, oats, corn and potatoes to replace it.
Preparing for it
- Keep eating your usual diet, including suspect foods, until the first appointment, so the history and any tests stay accurate
- Start a food and symptom diary for a week, noting times, portions and symptoms
- Bring results of any previous allergy or intolerance tests
- Bring a list of medicines and supplements, since some cause gut symptoms
- Note any foods you have already stopped eating and when
Afterwards
At the end of the assessment you have a clear answer for each food tested and a written diet plan. Confirmed triggers are limited to the amount you tolerate, and every food that tested clear returns to your diet.
During Ramadan, the dietitian can plan reintroductions for iftar or suhoor, or schedule them after the fasting month so symptoms are easier to track.
Contact the hospital if symptoms worsen during an elimination or reintroduction, or if you lose weight. Call for emergency help or go to the emergency department straight away for lip or tongue swelling, difficulty breathing, wheeze or faintness after eating.
Cost and insurance
Some UAE insurance plans cover a dietitian assessment when it relates to a diagnosed digestive condition, while others treat it as outside cover. Commercial food intolerance kits are rarely covered. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
What are the risks and limits of a food intolerance assessment?
The main risk of a food intolerance assessment is nutritional: removing foods for too long can cause gaps in calcium, fibre, iron or other nutrients, and repeated restriction can make eating anxious. A diet trial also relies on careful diary keeping, and symptoms can vary for other reasons such as stress, so results are interpreted with care. The assessment identifies intolerances; it does not diagnose allergy or coeliac disease.
Are blood tests for food intolerance reliable?
Commercial IgG blood tests for food intolerance are not considered reliable for diagnosing intolerance, because IgG antibodies to foods are a normal response to eating them. Following their results often leads to unnecessary restriction. A supervised elimination and reintroduction gives a more trustworthy answer.
What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
A food allergy is an immune reaction that can happen within minutes and can be dangerous, while a food intolerance is a digestive reaction that depends on the amount eaten and is uncomfortable rather than life-threatening. Allergy needs medical testing; intolerance is usually confirmed with a diet trial.
Can I test for food intolerance at home by cutting foods out?
Cutting several foods out at once at home makes it hard to tell which one mattered and can leave gaps in your diet. A dietitian plans one change at a time and ensures foods are reintroduced.
Is lactose intolerance permanent?
Lactose intolerance in adults is usually long-lasting, but most people tolerate some lactose, especially in laban, yoghurt and cheese. Intolerance after a stomach infection is often temporary.
Should I stop eating gluten if bread makes me bloated?
Keep eating gluten until you have been tested for coeliac disease, because the blood test becomes unreliable once gluten is removed. After coeliac disease is ruled out, the dietitian can assess whether wheat is a trigger.
Departments
Book an appointment
Tell us your preferred day and time. Our team calls you back to confirm.