Online Food Sensitivity Tests Lead to Overwhelm and Delayed Healing… Here's Why

What actually works even if you can’t do testing?

I'm always seeing ads for Pinner, Everlywell, and about 10 other online food tests. I even used to order these tests for my clients, hoping it would help them navigate food irritants and build a healthy, less reactive diet. 

BUT they NEVER produced results. 

Why?

Because most of them are measuring an IgG immune response. 

Now come join me as we NERD out over the immune system. 🤓

Immunoglobulins (Ig) or antibodies, act as a link to bind potentially harmful compounds (pathogens) in the body with our own immune cells. Each Ig or link has different shapes to bind to different compounds. This is how we build an immune memory.

There are 5 different kinds of immunoglobulins: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgD.

Pinner, Everlywell, and most of the common food sensitivity tests focus on measuring an IgG response. Since you are only measuring the link between the pathogen and immune response, you aren’t able to fully understand if it's a harmful response. Sometimes our immune system is doing some clean-up and may bind to a food that is not actively creating a problematic response.  

Oftentimes with IgG testing we will see a large amount of reactive foods, mostly the ones you are frequently eating, but can’t actually understand which ones are burdening the body. 

This is why I use the MRT test, which measures the immune compounds, not the IgG antibodies or the link between the pathogen and the immune compounds.

Phew, hopefully that gives you a little more context and understanding of the world of food sensitivity testing. This is one of the more controversial areas, which is why it's important to really understand what you are testing for.

Also, if you are a more visual learner, check out this reel I did on Instagram for an even deeper look at food sensitivities.

Don't forget that your body is always giving you insights into the foods you eat. If you have a hunch about a problematic food, try eliminating it for 2-3 weeks and see how you feel.

Our intuition is strong, and when we listen to our bodies, it's amazing how much we can actually learn.

If you want to learn more about MRT testing, and if it's something that would aid in your healing journey, CLICK HERE.