Food Sensitivity Testing

What is Food Sensitivity?

When most people think of food sensitivity, they think of severe reactions such as hives or anaphylactic shock. However, these symptoms are more closely connected to food allergies than food sensitivities. Food sensitivities are adverse delayed reactions that are rarely life-threatening but can affect your overall health and mood with unwanted and unpleasant symptoms.

Common food sensitivity symptoms include:

• Migraines or headaches
• Feeling bloated
• GI distress
• Stomach pain

Many food sensitivities go undiagnosed, leaving many people confused as to what is causing their low mood and health issues. Thankfully, food sensitivity testing is now available to help identify which foods may be connected to symptoms.

Diagnosing Food Sensitivity

If you are living with any of the symptoms above and cannot pinpoint any factors that may be the cause, you may have food sensitivity. It can be helpful to keep a food journal and start an elimination diet, removing possible foods that may be causing symptoms one at a time over the period of 2-8 weeks. This process can be tedious but can be helpful for some to pinpoint their food allergy. Your doctor may also have you undergo food sensitivity testing to identify the problem foods.

What is Food Sensitivity Testing?

Your provider can test for food sensitivities through a blood test. This blood will be tested in a lab to measure the amount of IgG antibodies found for each food under consideration. This can help to specify the actual foods that are causing symptoms.