How Food Sensitivity Testing Can Help You Feel Your Best

Food sensitivities can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms, from digestive distress to chronic inflammation. Unlike food allergies, which trigger an immediate immune response, food sensitivities can be more subtle and difficult to pinpoint. If you suspect certain foods might be affecting your health, food sensitivity testing can help identify potential triggers and guide dietary adjustments. Balanced Body Health and Wellness offers food sensitivity testing in Omaha to help individuals take control of their health and feel their best.

What Is Food Sensitivity vs Allergy?

A food sensitivity and a food allergy are both adverse reactions to food, but they differ in their mechanisms and severity:

1. Food Sensitivity:
   
   • Mechanism: Involves the digestive system. It’s typically a non-immune response where the body has difficulty digesting or processing a certain food.
     
   • Symptoms: Symptoms can include bloating, gas, stomach cramps, diarrhea, or headaches. These reactions are usually less severe, but their chronic nature means they can affect quality of life over time.
     
2. Food Allergy:
   
   • Mechanism: Involves the immune system. The body mistakes certain food proteins as harmful and launches an inflammatory immune response. It produces specific antibodies, known as IgE antibodies, which bind to the allergen. Once they do this, they release histamines and other chemicals that cause a range of symptoms, from mild to severe (see below).
     
   • Symptoms: Symptoms can be more severe and include hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, anaphylaxis, and even death if not treated promptly.

Can A Food Allergy Cause Stomach Issues As Well?

Yes, food allergies can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, although it’s more common for food allergies to cause symptoms related to the skin, respiratory system, or overall body (such as anaphylaxis). However, gastrointestinal symptoms can occur as part of an allergic reaction. The difference is in their timing and severity. GI upset from an allergy usually happens more quickly and is more severe. For example: 

1. Nausea or Vomiting: After consuming an allergenic food, some people may feel nauseous or vomit almost immediately.
   
2. Abdominal Pain or Cramps: The digestive tract can react to the allergen, leading to discomfort, pain, or severe cramping in the stomach area.
   
3. Diarrhea: Food allergies can trigger diarrhea or loose stools as part of the body’s immune response to the allergen.

What Causes Food Sensitivity?

Unlike food allergies, food sensitivities are often linked to digestive or metabolic issues. These issues can be caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Some of the primary culprits behind a food sensitivity include:

1. Enzyme Deficiencies:

• Lactose intolerance is a common example, where the body lacks enough lactase enzyme to break down lactose (the sugar found in milk and dairy). Without this enzyme, undigested lactose ferments in the gut, causing gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
  
• Other enzyme deficiencies can affect the digestion of specific foods, such as fructose or certain carbohydrates.

2. Food Additives or Preservatives:

• Certain food additives or preservatives, like sulfites (found in wine and dried fruits), MSG (monosodium glutamate), or artificial sweeteners, can trigger sensitivities in some individuals, causing symptoms like headaches, stomach upset, or skin irritation.
  

3. Gastrointestinal Disorders:

• Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can make the gut more sensitive to certain foods, triggering symptoms like bloating, cramps, and diarrhea.

4. Gut Microbiome Imbalance:

• The balance of bacteria in the gut plays a role in how well foods are digested and processed. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can contribute to food sensitivities by impairing digestion or immune function.

5. Overactive Immune Response (Non-IgE):

• In some cases, a food sensitivity may be linked to an immune response that does not involve IgE antibodies (as in food allergies). This might involve the activation of other immune cells or the production of inflammatory molecules in response to certain foods, leading to discomfort.

6. Stress or Emotional Factors:

• Stress can impact gut function and contribute to food sensitivities. Some people may notice that their symptoms worsen during stressful periods.

7. Genetics:

• Some food sensitivities, like lactose intolerance, have a genetic component, and people from certain ethnic backgrounds (e.g., East Asian or Native American) are more likely to experience lactose intolerance or other digestive issues.

What Are the Symptoms Of A Food Sensitivity?

The symptoms of a food sensitivity can vary from person to person and tend to be less immediate and less severe than those of food allergies. The symptoms can also occur hours or even days after consuming the offending food, which makes it harder to identify the cause. To further complicate things, food sensitivity symptoms are not limited to the digestive system. Aside from bloating, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and other GI issues, food sensitivities can manifest in one or more of the following:

Headaches or Migraines

Some people experience headaches or migraines after consuming certain foods, such as those containing additives (like MSG) or food high in tyramine (like aged cheese or processed meats).

Fatigue or Low Energy

Chronic fatigue or feeling sluggish after eating certain foods is another common symptom of food sensitivities. This is because your body has to work harder to process these foods.

Skin Issues

Certain food sensitivities are known to trigger or worsen skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and eczema. 

Joint Pain or Muscle Aches

Some people report joint pain, stiffness, or muscle aches after consuming foods they are sensitive to. This is because food intolerance can cause chronic systemic inflammation. 

Mood Changes

Food sensitivities can lead to irritability, anxiety, or mood swings. This may be especially noticeable with certain food triggers, such as those containing gluten or sugar.

Brain Fog

A feeling of mental fog, lack of focus, or difficulty concentrating is a common symptom for some individuals with food sensitivities.

Acid Reflux or Heartburn

Food sensitivities can sometimes cause or worsen acid reflux (GERD) or heartburn symptoms, particularly with trigger foods like spicy foods, citrus, or caffeine.

Swelling or Puffiness

Some individuals may experience swelling in areas like the hands, feet, or face as a response to certain foods, especially those that cause fluid retention (soy, eggs, and dairy are big culprits for this).

What Should I Do If I Think I Have A Food Sensitivity?

If you’re having symptoms of a food sensitivity, you have a couple options. You can take a food sensitivity blood or fecal test, you can do an elimination diet, or you can do both. Let’s take a look at what’s involved with each:

1. Food Sensitivity Testing (Blood/Fecal Tests):

• How it works: Blood tests typically measure specific antibodies (such as IgG) or markers that are believed to indicate a sensitivity to certain foods. Fecal tests can assess how well your gut handles specific foods, looking for markers of inflammation or digestion issues.
  
• Pros:
  
  • Quick results: Blood or fecal tests can provide answers relatively quickly, usually within a few days or weeks.
    
  • Non-invasive: Blood tests are relatively simple, and fecal tests don’t require a major change in your routine.
    
  • Broad scope: These tests can assess sensitivities to a wide range of foods in one go.
    
• Cons:
  
  • False positives/negatives: There is always a chance for a false positive or negative with laboratory testing, which may lead you to treat a sensitivity that doesn’t actually exist or ignore one that does.
    
  • Doesn’t account for timing: Food sensitivities may be delayed by hours or days, and tests may not always pinpoint the exact timing of reactions.
    
  • Expensive: Some tests can be costly, and insurance may not cover them.
    

2. Elimination Diet:

• How it works: An elimination diet involves removing suspected food triggers from your diet for a set period (usually 3-6 weeks). After this period, you slowly reintroduce the foods one at a time while monitoring for symptoms.
  
• Pros:
  
  • Highly accurate: By removing and then reintroducing foods, you can directly observe the effects of each food on your body.
    
  • No need for special tests: It’s a straightforward, low-cost method that doesn’t require lab work.
    
  • Holistic: The elimination diet helps you identify multiple potential food sensitivities and assess your body’s true reaction to them over time.
    
• Cons:
  
  • Time-consuming: It can take several weeks to see the full results, especially with longer reintroduction phases.
    
  • Requires discipline: The elimination diet requires careful attention to detail and may be challenging to follow, especially if you have a wide range of foods to eliminate.
    
  • Potential for incomplete testing: If you don’t reintroduce all relevant foods or do it in the wrong order, it might lead to inaccurate conclusions.

Combining Both: Is it Helpful?

Yes. In fact, this is what we recommend at our clinic. Laboratory testing can provide a starting point by identifying potential food triggers. This can help guide the elimination phase by narrowing down which foods to eliminate first (the list of potential intolerances can be a bit daunting!). Even if you start with the elimination diet, lab testing down the road can confirm your suspicions and give you the confidence to make permanent changes.

In the event you decide to forgo formal testing in favor of the elimination diet on its own, it is still very important to consult a healthcare professional. He or she can guide you through the process and offer advice about re-introduction strategies, supportive lifestyle changes, and alternatives to the foods you are reacting to. 

Food Sensitivity Testing in Omaha

If you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms and suspect food sensitivities, our clinic is here to help. As a holistic provider, we utilize a combination of comprehensive laboratory testing and sustainable diet and lifestyle changes to help you regain your quality of life. Contact us to learn more about our testing options and personalized nutritional guidance and start feeling better today!

Sherri Griggs

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