Healthy eating can be complicated to navigate, from determining the what the best diet for you might be, to buying groceries without breaking the budget. And sometimes, even your best efforts to eat nutritious foods can result in health problems like an upset stomach, skin issues and more. This is why some people have turned to food sensitivity testing to determine whether a food ingredient might be causing a reaction or intolerance.
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Thanks to a variety of at-home food sensitivity tests that are available today, the process is easier than ever.
What Is Food Sensitivity?
Food allergies and food sensitivities are both terms that describe your body’s reaction to eating or drinking foods, but they’re not at all the same thing.
Allergies to food occur when the immune system recognizes a food component that it identifies as dangerous. Food allergies are an immediate response and can be fatal if a person experiences anaphylactic shock, says Gill Hart, the scientific director at YorkTest Laboratories in York, England. She says that if you’re experiencing a food allergy, you might experience “tingling in your mouth, swelling in your mouth or you might be really sick.” These symptoms, she says, come on relatively quickly.
“Food allergies in the U.S., for example, affect about 32 million people,” says Hart. “It might be things like shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or milk.”
“An allergy is very specifically an IgE (immunoglobulin E)-mediated reaction, which means that you have allergic antibodies to a certain food,” says Dr. Kristine Vanijcharoenkarn, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
[READ: Causes of Chronic Constipation.]
Food sensitivities vs. food allergies
With food allergies, patients typically have a history of symptoms. An allergy diagnosis may start with either a blood screening or a skin allergy test. These tests can confirm the presence of IgE antibodies, the antibodies which are typical in patients with food allergies. Vanijcharoenkarn says that the “gold standard” of truly diagnosing an allergy is called an “oral challenge,” a diagnostic test during which a patient will consume the food they believe they are allergic to in a monitored setting of a doctor’s office. The physician will monitor that person for symptoms to truly diagnose a food allergy.
On the other hand, food sensitivities and intolerances don’t have the same rigor of clinical diagnosis. Vanijcharoenkarn says that food sensitivity is sometimes characterized by a positive test without the clinical allergic response. She says “You have the presence of the antibody to have a positive test, but not necessarily the clinical response that we term allergy.”
Food sensitivities and intolerances often take place in the digestive system and are usually associated with inadequate digestive enzymes to digest food components like lactose or sensitivities to food additives.
Hart says that food sensitivities are characterized by a delayed response. “You might eat something on a Saturday but you might not get symptoms until maybe Tuesday. And those symptoms are usually long-term, chronic reactions.” These symptoms, she says, can range from headaches and low energy to skin problems, weight loss or gain and respiratory problems. They aren’t life-threatening, but can still be very impactful to peoples’ lives.
[READ: Everything You Need to Know About Common Food Allergies]
Food Sensitivity Testing
Over the past couple of years, food sensitivity tests like EverlyWell, YorkTest, Cerascreen and others have become increasingly popular, finding their way to holiday gift guides and retail shelves. According to estimates and predictions, the food sensitivity testing industry was valued at over $700 million in 2020 and will rise to over $1.3 billion by 2080.
These tests claim to help consumers better understand their own body, determining which foods or food groups may be causing those symptoms of food sensitivity, like skin problems, stomach and intestinal discomfort or even migraines. The tests can range from under $50 to over $300 and work in different ways.
Some tests require a hair or saliva sample, while others require a skin prick or breath test. A few companies — including TestMyAllergy and Everlywell — do offer at-home IgE testing for food allergies. But many of the most popular options for at-home food sensitivity tests measure IgG antibody levels, which are not the same antibodies that are tested in allergy tests. These antibodies have been linked in some studies to symptoms of food sensitivity, although some studies show that IgG antibodies might actually increase a person’s tolerance to foods. More research is needed to determine an exact relationship between IgG levels and food sensitivities.
With all of these different options, it can seem impossible to find the right one for you. Before you decide on a specific test, though, consider why you’re testing and what you’re hoping to get out of your results.
[See: Health Issues That Are Sometimes Mistaken for Gluten Sensitivity.]
Why Test?
Oftentimes, people who are considering purchasing an at-home food sensitivity test are experiencing unexplained health issues or symptoms like low energy, excessive tiredness, migraines or bloating, says Michelle Iona, the owner and founder of Healing Points Acupuncture & Wellness Center in Riverhead, New York. Even people who are eating “healthy” diets without many processed foods might be experiencing food-related symptoms.
“Just because the food is healthy doesn’t always mean that it’s healthy for you,” says Iona. “Everyone’s into avocado toast, but people that have SIBO or have high histamine (levels) don’t do well with avocados,” she says. It’s important to recognize that not all “healthy” foods will be right for every person, and that some foods might actually be causing you more problems than health benefits.
Why Not Test?
Natacha Montpellier, the founder of Montpellier Naturopathic Wellness and a registered naturopathic doctor in Ontario, says that food sensitivity symptoms like digestive issues, skin issues, headaches and sinus congestion aren’t exclusive to food sensitivities and might be related to other health issues. This makes it important to talk with your health care provider about at-home food sensitivity testing and whether it might truly help alleviate your symptoms.
Additionally, it might prove more helpful to start out by self-monitoring your food intake and symptoms using a food journal or other tracking method. Vanijcharoenkarn says that food diaries can be helpful in the process of identifying food allergies as well. “Keeping a food diary will help you pick out patterns. And that is very helpful to your provider, because then they know which (foods) to test for which ones they might not have to test for.”
Reach out to a registered dietitian or allergy and immunology specialist to see if they can help you identify the foods you might truly be sensitive to.
[See: Questions Doctors Wish Their Patients Would Ask]
What to Expect
Food sensitivity tests come in a variety of different formats and can require different samples. Some test hair or saliva samples, while others test blood samples. While it might be tempting to choose an “easier” method of testing like a simple mouth swab or hair test, Hart says those might not yield accurate results.
Hart explains that at YorkTest, the at-home testing kits provide all of the materials needed to do a simple blood collection. The testing kit “includes a little blood puncture lancet and a little blood collector.” She says that you collect a couple small drops of blood on the stick and ship the sample back to their accredited laboratory. At the lab, they use a scientific process called immunoassay to measure antibody reactions to different food in the blood. At YorkTest, the results come back through a health portal. Other blood tests like EverlyWell’s food sensitivity test work similarly, where blood samples are sent to a laboratory and results are sent back after processing that give each individual food a sensitivity rating.
The Best At-Home Food Sensitivity Tests
Montpellier says that the following are the most important things to look for when choosing an at-home food sensitivity test:
— Are my suspected food intolerances included in the test?
— Are the foods I regularly eat included in the test?
— Does the testing company explain how they test for food sensitivities? Are their methods based on the latest scientific evidence?
— Does the company offer any support to help me interpret the test results and take action (e.g., handouts, videos, consultations with medical professionals)?
— Does my insurance provider cover the cost of this test?
What’s included in the test?
At-home food sensitivity tests can test for hundreds of different foods – some that you eat on a regular basis and others that you’ve never tried or heard of. If you have a feeling that you might be sensitive to a particular food or food group, confirm that your test results will give you guidance on that food. And make sure that any foods you eat on a regular basis, whether or not you think you might be sensitive, are also included. Most tests include many different foods, but double-check before you invest in a test.
What type of support will I get?
Navigating a food intolerance can be difficult. Some foods that you’d never expect to contain the ingredient you’re sensitive to might surprise you, and it’s important to replace foods that you remove from your diet with equally nutritious foods to ensure you’re getting necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Some companies that sell testing kits provide professional support, including consultations with dietitians or doctors. Look into the support that’s offered by the company or determine whether your doctor might be able to guide you through the process.
Additionally, most food sensitivity tests are not covered by most insurance companies, but some tests may be eligible under an FSA or HSA plan. Your insurance provider should be able to provide more information about whether they cover these tests and which ones they may cover.
How does the test work?
Hart says that the most effective types of tests are the blood sample tests. According to a survey by YorkTest, 76% of people who were tested for food sensitivities and then rigorously followed a recommended diet based on elimination of sensitive foods had noticeable health improvements.
A 2019 review of scientific literature investigated the overall evidence about food sensitivity testing and its potential impact for migraine sufferers. They found that evidence points to a correlation between customized elimination diets based on IgG food sensitivity tests and improved migraine symptomatology.
However, scientific research has not yet reached an overwhelming consensus about the effectiveness of IgG testing for general food sensitivity. This is why the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology does not recommend using IgG testing to diagnose food allergies or sensitivities. Instead, they recommend taking the time to see an allergist or immunologist if you think you might be allergic or sensitive to particular foods.
What to Do With Your Test Results
Share your test results with your health care provider or a dietitian to determine the best — and safest — course of action.
Iona recommends starting by eliminating foods from your diet that are ranked highest on your sensitivity testing results. In her experience, “patients are more motivated by it because then they’re seeing good results right off the bat, as opposed to something that might be a minor sensitivity.” Once you’ve eliminated a food from your diet, it’s not as if you’ll never be able to eat that food again, she says. If it’s something you’re highly intolerant to, try removing it from your diet for three to six months and then slowly reintroducing it to your diet to see if you develop symptoms again.
Hart notes the importance of considering overall nutrition and health, not just the results of the food sensitivity test. “We need to ensure that if somebody is removing something from the diet, they’re replacing it with something that’s equally nutritious, particularly in children,” she says. This is why it’s important to try to work with a professional, in particular a dietitian, if you’re considering removing some foods from your diet. Removing an entire food group, or even just a food that is a usual part of your diet, can leave you with nutritional deficiencies that you might not recognize without the help of a professional.
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The Best Home Food Sensitivity Tests originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 07/07/23: The story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
