Is your food making you sick?
Many of the foods we feed our families each day that we think are “healthy” can actually be harmful, causing an immune response that results in inflammation throughout our bodies. Food sensitivities can result in worsening health and a variety of chronic symptoms.
Medical conditions where inflammation caused by food sensitivities can play a role include but are not limited to:
- IBS/Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Crohns, Ulcerative Colitis
- Eczema/Rosacea/Psoriasis
- Depression/Anxiety
- Bloating and Weight Imbalances
- Migraine Headaches, Joint Pain
- Insomnia
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Autoimmune Disease (rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, celiac disease, hashimoto’s, lupus)
- FPIES
- ADHD/ADD
There are three categories of diet induced inflammatory reactions: Food allergies, food-induced autoimmune disease, and food sensitivities.
A Food Allergy is an IgE mediated, immune response known as a type 1 hypersensitivity and affects 4-6% of the population. This immune response to food is immediate and the reaction will start to occur within minutes to an hour of consumption. The 8 common allergens that cause 90% of food allergies in kids are: milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. About 26% of children will outgrow their allergy by the age of 5 years.
A Food Sensitivity is a delayed immune response, either a Type 3 or Type 4 hypersensitivity reaction and is the most prevalent, affecting 30-40% of the population. Most food sensitivities can occur 4-96 hours after the food is consumed, so it’s the most challenging one to diagnose and treat.
MRT – The Mediator Release Test
As a Certified LEAP Therapist, I use an advanced test called the Mediator Release Test (MRT) for food sensitivities. The MRT is a patented blood test from Oxford Biomedical Technologies, Inc. that indirectly quantifies how strongly the immune cells react to the foods and food chemicals tested. When released from immune cells, inflammatory chemical mediators such as histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins can produce damaging effects on body tissues, leading to the development of symptoms. MRT shows an individual’s inflammatory immune response to 170 common foods and food chemicals/additives. Results are presented in a graphic format showing low reactive, moderately reactive, and highly reactive foods and chemicals/additives. Unlike other food sensitivity tests, the MRT accounts for both type 3 and the more common type 4 pathways. The Elisa IgG, another common test for food sensitivities, can only detect the Type 3, which covers only about 25% of food sensitivity reactions.
Learn more about the MRT test here.
Why use LEAP? (Lifestyle, Eating, And Performance)
It’s a protocol tailored specifically for each unique person and provides individualized test results. A Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT) has received advanced clinical training in adverse food reactions, including food allergies, food sensitivities, and food intolerance. CLTs can assist clients with the LEAP Immunocalm Diet Protocols, based on the Mediator Release Test (MRT) blood test and assist with ruling out food intolerances. No two people’s food sensitivities are the same and therefore no one’s elimination diet should be the same.
Book your initial MRT/LEAP screening visit today!
If you or someone in your family is suffering from any of the conditions listed above and you want to know if the MRT and diet changes to eliminate food sensitivities could be a solution, let’s talk. Use my Online scheduler to book your initial LEAP visit for Food Sensitivities. The initial 45-minute appointment is offered at a reduced rate where we’ll go through the symptom survey and determine if the MRT is the best option for you or your family member. If you prefer, schedule a free 15 minute phone appointment to get any questions you may have answered.