It is still IBS Awareness Month and earlier this month my post “Thriving with IBS – How a Holistic Approach Can Keep You Moving Forward” talked about how you can support your IBS symptoms through a holistic approach. In that post, I touched on food sensitivities and how they can trigger symptoms, but I wanted to do a deep dive this week on how food sensitivities can impact your symptoms. Additionally, I’ll talk about the food sensitivity test I use and how I utilize it to create the most effective recommendations for my clients.¹

Food Allergy vs. Food Sensitivity vs. Food Intolerance

Fist, lets discuss food allergies vs sensitivities vs Intolerance. There is a lot of confusion around this and for good reason! Food allergies and sensitivities are both immune-mediated. Meaning, there is a reaction from the immune system that is triggered after eating (or sometimes just touching) these foods. However, a food intolerance is not immune-related. This just means that you cannot digest this food. A good example of a food intolerance is the lactose in dairy. Some people cannot make the enzyme to breakdown lactose in milk. This may cause digestive upset, but it doesn’t mean that they have an immune response.

There are 5 steps in an immune response as shown below. Food is ingested and then recognized as an “invader” or “non-self” and which activate antibodies or other immune “soldiers” (i.e. mast cells, basophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, t-cells…). Once activated, chemical mediators are released from the white blood cells to fight off what the body perceives as a threat. It is the mediators which start the inflammatory response and result in symptom manifestation.

Ingestion —> Recognition —> Defense —> Chemical Warfare —> Symptoms

There are 3 types of immune-mediated food reactions.

• Type 1 (true food allergy)
  • IgE antibodies released
  • Causes release of histamine and other mediators
  • Can create anaphylaxis
• Type 3 (food sensitivity)
  • IgM or IgG antibodies released
  • Is usually a delayed sensitivity with varied symptoms
• Type 4 (food sensitivity)
  • T-cell activation
  • Is longer delayed reaction (up to 3 days after ingestion)
  • There is a reaction with the food antigen on a cellular level
  • Does not involve antibodies

Mediator Release Test
(MRT)

As noted above, no matter what the mechanism of action (antibodies or t-cells), ultimately mediators are released. The MRT test measures changes in the ratio of liquids to solids after whole blood exposure to various antigens (foods and chemicals) and provides a quantitative result to show the severity of the reactions to what was tested. As seen from the sample chart below, each food and chemical tested will display a green, yellow or red bar with a quantitative number next to it. Based on the reactivity, Oxford recommends either removing the food or chemical for a specified amount of time or rotating it (not eaten every day).

The MRT test has been shown to be accurate and reliable (both >90%). What it cannot do is detect a Type 1 (IgE) food allergy because mast cells are not found in the blood, but in the tissues. Food allergies are best tested under the care of a doctor via oral tolerance testing or skin testing.

Not Just for IBS

The MRT is a tool that can be used to support many conditions. Oxford sites a number of studies on their website² that show the benefit of the MRT: IBS, depression and anxiety, Sinusitis, migraine, fibromyalgia and even PCOS. The list goes on. However, when I utilize the MRT it is far from just a way to tell a client “ok, here is a list of foods I recommend you never eat again”. This is NOT addressing the root cause. You didn’t suddenly develop a reaction to lettuce! Below I talk about how the 5R approach to identifying the root cause and the process of supporting a client through this 5 step process to resolve imbalances and food sensitivities.

How Do Food Sensitivities Develop?

The term “leaky gut” is pretty common these days but I want to discuss what it means because it is typically the reason that someone develops multiple food sensitivities. “Leaky gut occurs when there is damage to the lining of the intestinal tract making it more permeable to substances that should not cross the delicate lining.”³

The intestinal lining might become damaged for a number of reasons. Inflammation from consumption of too much ultra-processed food, an undiagnosed autoimmune reaction (i.e. celiac disease), a gut infection or parasite, or undiagnosed food sensitivities.

As shown in the diagram below, when the microvilli become damaged and the tight junctions of the intestinal lining start to open up due to damage from inflammation (shown on the right), it allows undigested food particles, bacteria and toxins directly into circulation. The body’s defense (immune) system responds by ‘attacking’ these invaders which cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms.

The 5R Approach To Gut Health

I always use the MRT test in combination with a GI-MAP Stool test. I talk more about the GI-MAP test in this previous blog post. The GI-MAP gives us a snap shot of your microbiome and what types of imbalances could be impacting your symptom burden. I then recommend a bio-individual protocol to rebalance your system. In order to support your body in rebalancing as quickly as possible, the most inflammatory foods and chemicals as identified on the MRT are temporarily removed to facilitate faster recovery.

The 5R approach is a 5 step process used by all functional and holistic practitioners to resolve gut imbalances and includes the following steps. ⁴

• Remove
  • Remove all inflammatory foods (MRT)
  • Remove all pathogens via the use of antimicrobials, antifungals, antiparasitic or antiviral agents (using herbs and synergistic supplements).
• Replace
  • Replace missing digestive agents like enzymes, hydrochloric acid, or bile through supplemental support.
• Reinoculate
  • Reinoculate the gut flora with supplementation of probiotics and prebiotics as well as live fermented foods (kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut).
  • Start reintroduction of foods that were removed.
• Repair
  • Repair and restore the integrity of the gut mucosa and also support the immune system through the use of gut healing agents and foods.
• Rebalance
  • Implement an ongoing healthy lifestyle habits to prevent future GI dysfunction.

During the Reinoculate phase of the 5R’s I guide you though reintroduction of the high reactivity foods that you removed from the MRT test. This must be done slowly and deliberately so you can identify anything you may still not have tolerance for. Ideally, once the gut is healed, you would be able to reintroduce most of your foods. It is important to reintroduce as many foods back into your diet as possible! It is in food diversity that we get the benefit of a variety of diverse micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.

It is important to reintroduce as many foods back into your diet as possible! It is in food diversity that we get the benefit of a variety of diverse micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

“The gut is the gateway to excellent health”
Vincent Pedre, MD

I hope you have learned more about food sensitivities and how they can impact your health. If you suspect you have some gut imbalances or are dealing with a health condition and don’t know where to start, always start with the gut! I have a package “Optimize Your Gut” which includes the MRT and GI-MAP testing as well as 6 month support.

If you want to learn more about how I work:
Click HERE to book a FREE Discovery Call Today!

If you aren’t ready to jump into a package but want to start making the small shifts to improve your health, check out my new offering:
Activate Your Wellness!
This session offers SO much for the price.

Doing everything right but still struggling with your digestion?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

1. Clinical and Subclinical Intestinal Inflammation Assessed by the Mucosal Patch Technique: Studies of Mucosal Neutrophil and Eosinophil Activation in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ↩︎
2. https://www.nowleap.com/research/PublicationsResearch/ ↩︎
3. https://www.nowleap.com/leaky-gut-and-food-reactivity/ ↩︎
4. https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/5r-framework-gut-health/ ↩︎