- Digestive discomfort: Bloating, gas, abdominal pain or changes in bowel habits that may relate to specific foods.
- Skin symptoms: Eczema, rashes or itching that fluctuate with dietary patterns.
- Headaches or low energy: Recurrent headaches, migraines or unexplained fatigue that may vary after eating.
- Sleep disturbances: Difficulty falling asleep or disrupted sleep potentially linked with food intake.
- Behavioural or focus concerns: Symptoms sometimes noted in ADD/ADHD or autism where food reactions are being explored.
- Respiratory or ENT symptoms: Chronic congestion or recurrent ear or sinus irritation that may have dietary influences.
- Joint or inflammatory discomfort: Intermittent aching or stiffness that appears to shift with certain foods.
- Irritable bowel-type symptoms: Bloating, irregular stools or abdominal discomfort where food sensitivities are suspected.
- Environmental or lifestyle contributors: Interest in how additives, antibiotics, preservatives or stress may interact with dietary reactions.
Overview
The Nordic Food Panel 184 IgG Bloodspot assesses IgG antibodies to 184 foods, including common staples, substitutes and items often used in rotation or elimination diets. It offers a broad view of delayed immune responses that may appear hours or days after eating, helping to highlight foods that could be contributing to digestive, skin, energy or behavioural symptoms.
This test may be clinically useful when exploring symptoms that fluctuate with diet, particularly when reactions are difficult to link with specific foods. By reviewing IgG reactivity across a wide range of food groups, the profile helps illustrate which items may be contributing to digestive changes, headaches, skin irritation or variable energy. Patterns of broader immune load can also be observed when several related foods show elevated responses.
The 184-food format provides a comprehensive overview that can support clinical interpretation and help guide tailored dietary adjustments. When combined with symptom history and lifestyle factors, it can help practitioners create structured plans for identifying and reducing potential food-related triggers.
Practical
Specimen
Dried bloodspot sample
Container
- Bloodspot Card (Only requires a shallow finger prick)
Patient preparation
- Requires a sample collected from pricking a finger and dropping blood on to a collection card.
- No phlebotomy service required.
- Patient can collect the sample themselves
Research
- Hodsdon W, Zwickey H. NMJ original research: Reproducibility and reliability of two food allergy testing methods. Natural Medicine Journal 2010;2:8-13.