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difference between Allergy, intolerance, & sensitivity
FOOD ALLERGY:
Most people know if they have an allergy as it's an immediate response, often times needing immediate action with an epi-pen or ER visit. Food allergies have an IgE immunoglobulin response. Some people can be tested and have nothing show up. Allergies and sensitivities are different, and they require different types of testing. Food sensitivities have an IgG immunoglobulin response. In most cases, conditions like IBS, migraine, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid athritis, etc are not caused by allergic reactions, but by delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions.
FOOD SENSITIVITIES:
Unlike food allergies, which have a single mechanism triggering inflammation (IgE), sensitivities are much more complex, involving multiple inflammatory pathways. Food sensitivities are types III and IV hypersensitivities and are strictly non-IgE pathways. Food sensitivities have unique characteristics such as delayed reactions and dose dependency. For example, although some reactions occur shortly after consumption, you can also react to a food up to 96 hours after eating it, which makes it hard to pin-point cause and effect. Additionally, unlike allergies, food sensitivities are dose dependent. Take for example you eating 2 eggs for breakfast and feel fine, but if you ate 2 eggs for 3 consecutive days you may not. When you eat a reactive food, the immune system sends out special “chemicals” called immune mediators throughout the body. These mediators can affect any organ or tissue including the brain. Reactions can be different with everyone, meaning no 2 people produce the same symptoms with a specific reactive food. Some people notice a runny nose, headache or trouble concentrating, while others have joint pain, fatigue, insomnia, eczema or become irritated. The list of symptoms is never-ending. Although some complain that they experience symptoms when eating certain foods, I see it as a blessing. Ideally, if you know something is hurting you, you'll make some changes. It's the unfortunate ones who have no symptoms who can get into trouble. Not everyone can feel internal inflammation which can lead to different chronic inflammatory conditions like Celiac, thyroditis, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Heart Disease and many more.
FOOD INTOLERANCE:
Food intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting a particular food and involves the digestive system. It can cause a variety of symptoms like gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Dairy is a typical food intolerance. The body lacks sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase to digest the lactose in diary.
What is LEAP/MRT?
LEAP stands for Lifestyle, Eating, And Performance. It is an effective protocol that combines the Mediator Release Test (MRT) with the skills of a Certified LEAP Therapist to produce a patient-specific anti-inflammatory diet designed to lower inflammation, and by doing so, reduce or eliminate your symptoms.
The patented Mediator Release Test (MRT) is a blood test that measures your immune reaction to 140 foods and 30 chemicals. We use those results to identify a safe list of foods to eat that will not trigger inflammation, so your symptoms can improve.
Is your food making you sick? Are you suffering from a chronic health condition with little relief? Are you using medications to merely mask the symptoms verses addressing the underlying cause? Do others believe it's in your head?
Food Sensitivities are an under-diagnosed source of inflammation & symptoms. Approximately 70% of your immune system is in your gut. Each person's immune system is unique in determining what foods and chemicals are friend or foe. You can have an immune reaction to just about anything. Even so called "anti-inflammatory" foods such as salmon, blueberries, parsley, garlic, lettuce, even turmeric and ginger, and virtually every other "healthy" food can trigger inflammatory reactions that contribute to illness. You can even react to chemicals found naturally in foods - like tyramine (which is formed from the breakdown of protein as food ages - (as in aged, fermented, or spoiled foods); or to stabilizers like carrageenan or guar gums; or laboratory produced chemicals like nitrates and citric acid. I was able to discover tapioca starch was a trigger ingredient for me through food sensitivity testing. Prior to testing, which is done via blood work, I had a hard time discovering tapioca starch as the source of my stomach issues as it's found in many gluten free items. I'm happy to say after avoiding tapioca for a period of time, I am now able to consume it without issues.
Food-Chemical Reactions are Clinically Significant
Inflammatory reactions to naturally occurring or artificial food-chemicals are an area of consideration. Conditions like migraine, ADD/ADHD, and others, in addition to food sensitivities, often have clinically significant reactions to food-chemicals. These reactions are not antibody mediated and thus cannot be identified with IgG IgA or IgE testing.
These inflammation-provoking and symptom-provoking reactions are as clinically relevant as reactions to gluten, and continued consumption of offending foods and food-chemicals is a major obstacle in achieving optimal outcomes.
Certain foods and beverages, such as aged cheese, alcoholic beverages, and food additives such as nitrates (in pepperoni, hot dogs, luncheon meats) and monosodium glutamate (MSG, commonly found in Chinese foods) may be responsible for triggering up to 30% of migraines.¹
Medical research has shown that sensitivities to foods and food-chemicals can produce inflammatory chemicals that, if not removed, can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions such as:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Migraines or chronic headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Crohn’s or Colitis
- Chronic diarrhea
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Eczema
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- FPIES
- GERD, reflux
- Chronic pain
- Chronic sinusitis
- Chronic fatigue
- ADD/ADHD
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Edema
Symptoms frequently caused by food sensitivities:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Thin stools
- Abdominal or intestinal pain
- Bloating, Distention, Gas
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Heartburn
- Headaches
- Muscle and joint pain
- Fatigue or sleepiness during the day
- Insomnia
- General malaise (feeling lousy)
- Irritability, Depression, Anxiety, Mood Swings
- Post Nasal Drip, Chronic Drainage
- Skin conditions such as Eczema and Dermatitis
- Fluctuating weight, water retention
- Brain fog
Why Chose MRT Testing?
MRT AccuracyA blinded peer reviewed scientific study showed MRT to have the highest level of accuracy of any food sensitivity blood test: 94.5% sensitivity and 91.8% specificity.Mediator Release Test – Principles and method
Click here to see sample test results. Foods from every category are tested (fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, legumes, spices, etc) so that you have a generous amount of safe foods from which to choose.LEAP Results-4Page-Sample Patient
How long does it take for someone to start seeing improvement in symptoms? Most patients experience significant improvement within the first 10-14 days on the program. Symptoms then continue improving during the next 4-6 weeks. It's like putting out the flames of a campfire in the initial days, then working on completely snuffing out the embers. If you deviate from the protocol, you can start the fire (inflammation) back up. Individual response may vary depending on:
- How closely you follow your LEAP protocol.
- How long-standing your condition has been and what other factors need to be addressed. Some have other underlying conditions that need to be addressed first or after LEAP protocol to get complete resolution of symptoms. For example, some may have vitamin or mineral deficiencies, celiac disease, parasites or an imbalance in gut bacteria, to name a few.
- The degree to which food sensitivity plays a role in your condition. Other factors can contribute to symptoms as well. For example, vitamin D deficiency can cause chronic pain. B12 deficiency can cause fatigue or numbness. Certain types of bacteria, such as Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff) can cause diarrhea.