Food Sensitivity Testing in Houston, Texas

Food sensitivity sometimes referred to as delayed hypersensitivity, is a harmful response of the immune system which puts an additional burden on the body, causing underlying inflammation.

This condition is usually less severe than immediate allergies, and its symptoms often take longer to appear – sometimes up to several days. And the symptoms are difficult to relate to food sensitivity. 

People with food sensitivities can consume the offending foods without immediate severe consequences. Larger quantities might cause symptoms like runny nose, migraines, stomach pain, fatigue, or irritability.

Food sensitivities involve a part of the immune system that is different from immediate food allergies.

A food sensitivity test can help to identify specific foods that may be contributing to nagging health symptoms or even severe chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and more.

An immediate food allergy is a more serious condition characterized by a quick and often severe immune system response to certain foods.

Immediate food allergies occur when the body’s immune system has a hyperresponse that is harmful to the body. A protein in the food triggers a defensive reaction by releasing chemicals such as histamine. This reaction can cause various symptoms, which may include hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis.

Those with an immediate food allergy will likely react with even a trace amount of the offending food. This is unlike food sensitivities, where symptoms are delayed, and the harm to the body may go unnoticed.

Immediate food allergies are often already known or can be identified by an allergy test such as a skin or RAST test.

The main difference between food sensitivities and immediate food allergies is how the body reacts.

In food sensitivities, the digestive system is unable to properly break down a certain type of food, often due to a lack of specific enzymes, leading to discomfort or digestive symptoms. These symptoms may take longer to appear and can be triggered by larger quantities of the offending food.

On the other hand, an immediate food allergy involves an immune reaction in minutes. Even small amounts of the food allergen can trigger this reaction. These reactions are more severe and potentially life-threatening, resulting from the body’s identification of a food protein as harmful.

While a food intolerance test helps pinpoint specific triggers causing discomfort, an allergy test is vital in diagnosing food allergies and preventing serious health complications.

The table below shows a further comparison between food intolerance and food allergy.

Five of the most common types of food sensitivities are listed below.

• Milk (Cow): This is a common food sensitivity, likely caused by the chemicals used in milk processing. 
• Gluten: This is a common food sensitivity likely because of the additives and preservatives used in bread and the chemicals used while growing and farming the grains.
• Sugar (Cane): This is a common food/chemical sensitivity likely because it is the most commonly used of all sweeteners and is often used in combination with other toxic chemical flavorings and food colorings. 
• Food colorings: This is a common food/chemical sensitivity likely because it is often used in combination with cereals and sweet snacks that are commonly consumed.
• Food additives & preservatives: These are common food/chemical sensitivities, likely because they are used in most processed foods in a box, bag, or wrapper.

Food sensitivities are usually detected using a food sensitivity test, which involves a blood test that measures the body’s immune response to different foods. 

Another common method is an elimination diet followed by a food challenge. An elimination diet involves removing suspected foods from the diet for a couple of weeks and then reintroducing them one at a time while monitoring for symptoms. Elimination diets are very difficult to perform as they require extreme diet changes. These are usually unsuccessful because they are not often followed properly, and it is hard to know what foods are the problem.  

At the Nutrition and Health Center, we use US BioTek Food Sensitivity Testing as a tool to help guide us in identifying delayed sensitivities.