Understanding Food Sensitivities: Testing, Treatment, and Why It Matters

Food sensitivities are a complex and often misunderstood topic in the world of nutrition and health. As a registered dietitian and CEO of Grounded Root Nutrition, I’ve seen firsthand how identifying and addressing food sensitivities can dramatically improve a person’s quality of life. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the world of food sensitivities, exploring what they are, how they differ from other food reactions, and why understanding them is crucial for your overall health.

Decoding Food Reactions: Intolerance vs. Allergy vs. Sensitivity

Before we delve into food sensitivity testing, it’s essential to understand the differences between various types of food reactions. These distinctions are crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Food Intolerance

• Definition: A food intolerance does not involve the immune system.
• Example: Lactose intolerance occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough enzymes to digest lactose.
• Mechanism: The issue lies in the digestive process, not in an immune response.

Food Allergy

• Definition: A food allergy involves the immune system, specifically IgE antibodies.
• Characteristics:
  • Can cause anaphylactic reactions such as throat swelling, respiratory distress, and rashes.
  • Severity and timing of reactions can vary
• Mechanism: IgE antibodies create an allergic reaction to specific foods.

Food Sensitivity

• Definition: Food sensitivities also involve the immune system but do not involve IgE antibodies.
• Characteristics:
  • Reactions can be delayed and can be anything from weight gain to nasal drippage to stomach cramps to name a few.
  • Potentially dose-dependent with some tolerance level
• Mechanism: Circulating white blood cells (like lymphocytes or granulocytes) react to food or food chemicals, releasing pro-inflammatory mediators. These mediators cause inflammation, which drives the reaction you experience.

The Importance of Understanding Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. Here’s why they matter:

1. Immune System Activation: Food sensitivities trigger an immune response, leading to inflammation in the body.
2. Chronic Inflammation: Ongoing food sensitivity reactions can result in chronic inflammation, which is detrimental to overall health.
3. Weight Management: Chronic inflammation can contribute to weight loss resistance.
4. Chemical Sensitivities: Foods contain various compounds, and there are sometimes trends across foods with certain compounds. The most widely known group is often referred to as nightshades.
   
5. Oxidative Stress: Increased oxidative stress, also known as “human rusting,” can increase as a result of food sensitivities.

Food Sensitivities and Gut Health

As a GI dietitian, I often see the profound impact food sensitivities can have on gut health. Here’s how food sensitivities can cause pain and discomfort in your digestive system:

1. Pathogen Attraction: Harmful or opportunistic pathogens in the gut can attract defense cells, most often near nerve endings. These cells then trigger nerve pain in the abdominal area.
   
2. Histamine Response: Histamines released during food sensitivity reactions can cause a process called degranulation, essentially where the cell breaks down and spills it’s contents. This most frequently occurs near nerve endings, resulting in abdominal pain.

Understanding these mechanisms helps us see why addressing food sensitivities is crucial for overall gut health and comfort.

Who Needs Food Sensitivity Testing?

Food sensitivity testing can be beneficial for a wide range of individuals. Here are some symptoms and conditions that might indicate a need for testing:

Common Symptoms

• Abdominal pain
• Brain fog
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Edema (swelling)
• Excessive gas and bloating
• Fatigue
• Headaches or migraines
• Joint pain
• Mood swings
• Nausea
• Runny nose
• Sinus or ear congestion
• Skin rashes or itchiness
• Unexplained weight changes (gain or loss)
• Water retention
• Weight loss resistance

Health Conditions Linked to Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities and chronic inflammation have been associated with numerous health conditions including:

• Acne
• ADHD
• Autism
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic sinus headaches
• Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome
• Depression
• Ear infections
• Eczema
• Fibromyalgia
• GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease)
• Interstitial cystitis
• IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)
• Migraines
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rosacea

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or conditions, food sensitivity testing might provide valuable insights into your health.

The LEAP Protocol: A Comprehensive Approach to Food Sensitivity Testing

At Grounded Root Nutrition, we use the LEAP (Lifestyle Eating and Performance) protocol for food sensitivity testing. Here’s what makes this approach unique:

• Comprehensive Testing: LEAP tests for reactions to 176 foods and chemicals.
• Immune System Focus: Unlike some other tests, LEAP doesn’t rely on IgG antibodies, which can be unreliable indicators of food sensitivities. Instead, it focuses on the other cells that regulate the immune system.
• Personalized Results: The test provides a score and coordinating color-code for each food, allowing for a highly individualized approach to treatment.

The Food Sensitivity Testing Process

If you’re considering food sensitivity testing, here’s what you can expect at Grounded Root Nutrition:

1. Initial Consultation: We’ll conduct a thorough evaluation to ensure you’re a good candidate for testing.
2. Test Kit: A test kit will be mailed to your home.
3. Lab Work: You’ll visit a specialty lab for blood draw (note: this can’t be done at standard labs like LabCorp or Quest).
4. Results: Within 7-10 days, you’ll receive a comprehensive packet of information.
5. Follow-up Consultation: We’ll meet to review your results and develop a personalized protocol.
6. Meal Planning: We’ll create a meal plan to ensure your success with the new diet.
7. Integration Planning: We’ll discuss how to integrate the protocol into your lifestyle, considering factors like upcoming travel or events.

The LEAP Protocol: What to Expect

The LEAP protocol is a comprehensive approach to addressing food sensitivities, and it requires both time and dedication for patients to experience the highest level of success. Here’s what it involves:

1. Initial Elimination: For the first two weeks, you’ll eat only agreed upon foods that showed very low reactivity on your test.
2. Gradual Expansion: We’ll slowly introduce new foods, carefully monitoring your reactions.
3. Personalized Approach: The expansion process is unique for each individual, based on their test results and personal experiences.
4. Timeline: The full process typically takes 6-9 months to complete.
5. Long-term Results: The ultimate goal is to get all foods back in the diet (excluding those with true IgE allergy). Every individual is different, and there is always the potential for a small handful of foods to remain limited.

Conclusion

Understanding and addressing food sensitivities can be a game-changer for your health. While the process requires commitment and patience, the potential benefits – from reduced inflammation to improved digestion and overall well-being – are significant.

If you’re struggling with unexplained symptoms or chronic health issues, food sensitivity testing might provide the answers you’ve been seeking. Remember, every person’s journey is unique, and what works for one individual may not work for another. That’s why personalized, professional guidance is crucial in navigating the world of food sensitivities.

Are you ready to take control of your health and discover how food sensitivities might be impacting your well-being? Visit our website to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation. Together, we can develop a personalized plan to optimize your nutrition and improve your quality of life.

Resources

Brierley SM. Food for thought about the immune drivers of gut pain. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03661-y Accessed August 18, 2024. Published 2021.

Julson E, Richter A. Food Sensitivity Testing - Which Test is Best? https://www.functionalnutritionanswers.com/what-is-the-best-food-sensitivity-test/. Accessed August 18, 2024. Published November 7, 2018.

Oxford Biomedical Technologies. Clinical Indications for LEAP Testing handout. Accessed August 16, 2024.

Oxford Biomedical Technologies. How Foods Cause Inflammation handout. Accessed August 16, 2024.