Food Sensitivity Testing & Restrictive Diets

We receive many calls from people interested in food allergy or food sensitivity testing. This continues despite negative media attention about every 5 years claiming that there is no scientific evidence to support food sensitivity testing. In these media articles, patients claim that the test results caused them to fear food or make lifestyle changes that were unhealthy. And in my 18 years of clinical practice, I see this harm too. But I still requisition food sensitivity testing for my patients and find these results, at times, invaluable. Here’s why.

Food Sensitivity Testing Isn’t Allergy Testing

First, we need to clarify our definitions, as media sources often exploit the confusion around medical terms to argue against food sensitivity blood testing. Critics argue that because “IgG food sensitivity testing” (also known as food intolerance testing) is not “food allergy testing”, it’s invalid. Technically speaking, the word “allergy” is reserved for items that trigger the IgE immune pathway, resulting in swelling like hives or breathing difficulty. However, we have many immune pathways (e.g., IgG, IgG4, IgA) and foods can trigger inflammation here too. The real debate is whether identifying foods that trigger these other immune pathways, is beneficial.

Abusing Food Sensitivity Test Results

More than ever, the natural health industry is marketing test kits directly to patients (i.e. you don’t need the signature of a healthcare provider who knows your medical history). These are relatively inexpensive test options that guide users to eliminate all the offending foods highlighted on the test. This mistake is where much of the potential harm comes from: People on such restrictive diets often end up feeling more stress, risk developing nutrient deficiencies, and overall are less healthy than where they started.

Just because a food triggers an immune pathway doesn’t automatically mean that the healthiest response is to remove that food. We cannot apply a conventional cause-and-effect medical model to a test that reflects very complex interactions between food and the whole body.

Interpreting Your Food Sensitivity Test Results

When interpreting your test results, it’s important to take a whole-body or “functional medicine” perspective, in which we view the body as an integrated unit. These tests point to system imbalances that can be treated, rather than to foods that must be eliminated. In other words, the food often isn’t the problem – it’s the body’s response to the food. Food sensitivity testing helps us understand where this problem is – whether in the immune system, digestive tract, microbiome, nervous system, or elsewhere. As a Naturopathic Doctor, my job is to identify those patterns, apply them in the context of your medical history and symptoms, and use this information to help you heal your body.

At times, I’ve witnessed incredible results with simple food elimination based on food sensitivity test results. I’ve seen panic attacks and acid reflux resolve, back surgeries no longer required, and chronic Lyme symptoms improve significantly – when single foods or food categories are restricted temporarily. However, these experiences rarely involve restricting all the foods highlighted on a test and almost never involve restricting local, seasonal, whole foods.

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” – Ayurvedic Proverb