Food Sensitivities
Is your food making you sick?
About Food Sensitivity Tests
Are you suffering from a stubborn health problem that won’t go away no matter what you try? If so you may want to consider doing an MRT food sensitivity test and use the LEAP elimination diet to quickly reduce symptoms.
I use this testing for people that score high on a symptom survey with symptoms in many categories, especially if their blood test shows elevated C-Reactive Protein.
This informs me that food is likely contributing to a peripheral immunocyte response causing widespread symptoms. Otherwise for common digestive issues (such as SIBO or IBS) I have excellent success with Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and herbs.
Common Complications From Food Sensitivities
- Fatigue
- Gas/Bloating
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Heartburn/GERD
- Frequent Colds
- Autoimmune Deficiencies
- ADD/ADHD
- Anxiety or Depression
- Chronic Sinusitis
- Eczema
- Weight Imbalances
- Migraines
- Infertility
- GYN Issues
- Male Isses
- Hot Flashes
Food Sensitivities FAQs
Are Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities and Food Intolerances the same thing?
Food allergies, food sensitivities, and food intolerance are often used interchangeably and inappropriately. In fact, there is active debate in scientific and medical circles as to how to define and use these three terms. The general consensus is that food allergy can be defined as any adverse reaction to food that involves our immune system. This breaks down into two kinds of reactions: food allergy and food sensitivity. Food intolerance does not involve the immune system.
So what is a Food Allergy?
Perhaps the best known example of a food allergy is also its least common but most dangerous. Anaphylactic shock is a severe hyper-reaction of the immune system caused by a massive release of histamine and other chemical mediators from certain types of white blood cells called mast cells and basophils. Not everyone with food allergies experiences anaphylaxis though. The immunological triggering mechanism that causes the mast cells (and basophils) to release their chemicals is called IgE (immunoglobulin E) and is very well understood phenomenon. This underlying mechanism is considerably different from the triggering mechanisms found in food sensitivities. The most common foods implicated in IgE food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, egg whites, certain white fish, and sulfite containing foods. People with anaphylaxis can die within minutes if they ingest even one molecule of their allergic food.
Food allergy affects about 1-2% of the population and accounts for only a small percentage of all adverse food reactions. Most immediate reactions are not life threatening but do produce uncomfortable symptoms. I do not treat these conditions as people suffering from food allergy can often identify what foods they are allergic to without the help of a doctor or testing.
What is a Food Sensitivity vs Food Allergy?
| Food Sensitivities | Food Allergies | |
| Body organs involved | any organ system in the body can be affected | Usually limited to airways, skin, gastrointestinal tract |
| Symptom onset occurs | From 45 minutes to 72 hours after ingestion | From seconds to 1 hour after ingestion |
| Acute or Chronic?? | Usually chronic, sometimes acute for example in histamine response | Acute, rarely chronic |
| Percentage of Population affected | 20-30%+ | 1-2% |
| Immunologic Mechanism | White Blood Cells, IgG, IgM, C3,C4 | IgE |
| Non-Immunologic Mechanism | Toxicity, Pharmacologic | None |
| How much food is needed to trigger reaction? | From small amount to large. Dose dependent. | 1 molecule of food |
What is a Food Intolerance?
Food intolerance can produce some digestive symptoms that are similar to food sensitivity but it doesn’t involve the immune system. Instead, when the food in question is consumed, it is not properly digested and begins to ferment inside the gut. The best example of food intolerance is lactose intolerance. This condition is characterized by bloating, loose stools or diarrhea, and gas. Lactose intolerance is caused by an inability of the body to produce enough of the enzyme lactase which breaks down lactose, the primary sugar found in milk.