Food Sensitivity Testing

FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTING IN HALIFAX & DARTMOUTH

Food Intolerance Test & Food Allergy Testing

What are food sensitivities?

Food sensitivities are fairly common and lead to a variety of reactions. They are different from severe food allergies, such as anaphylactic reactions to peanuts or bee stings, which are relatively rare. Food sensitivity symptoms can take up to 72 hours to appear after eating, so a low-grade food allergy or food sensitivity can be hard to spot.

When we eat foods we are sensitive to, the lining of our gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and small breaks in the gut’s ‘armour’ allow bacteria and partially digested food molecules to move into the bloodstream, where the immune system sees them as foreign invaders. IgG antibodies, cells produced by the immune system, attach themselves to these food particles (also known as food antigens), creating an antibody-antigen complex.

Normally, these complexes are removed by macrophages, the immune system’s scavenger cells. When they can’t be removed quickly enough, they deposit themselves in the tissues of the body. The immune system then attacks the complexes, causing white blood cells to rush in and stimulate systemic inflammation. This inflammation can happen over and over.

Common symptoms of food sensitivities include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, migraines, weight gain, skin rashes (eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc.), brain fog, and joint pain.

How is the IgG food sensitivity test done?

This blood test requires a small amount of blood drawn by a finger puncture.

Food sensitivity testing is administered by a naturopathic doctor, and is often covered by your private health care plan.

Naturopathic Team