Things to know before I test for Food Sensitivity

Everlywell offers two food sensitivity test options: the Food Sensitivity Test & the Comprehensive Food Sensitivity Test, which tests for additional foods.

Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies and Other Allergies

The Everlywell food sensitivity test is not an allergy test. Food allergies and food sensitivities involve different immune pathways: allergies are typically mediated by IgE antibodies, while sensitivities are associated with IgG antibodies.

Food allergies can be serious or even life-threatening and may cause symptoms such as swelling, hives, trouble breathing, or anaphylaxis.

Food sensitivities, as measured by IgG antibodies, are generally associated with non–life-threatening, delayed symptoms such as bloating, stomach discomfort, or headaches.

Testing methods also differ:

Allergy testing is usually performed with blood tests that measure IgE antibodies or with skin prick testing.
Food sensitivity testing is performed by measuring IgG responses when your blood is exposed to a variety of foods.

If you have a known food allergy, always follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for managing that allergy, regardless of your food sensitivity results.

Lactose Intolerance

Our test is designed to identify immune responses (IgG antibodies) to specific proteins found in dairy products, not sugars. Lactose is a sugar naturally present in milk, and lactose intolerance occurs when the body lacks sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest lactose. Because our test specifically detects IgG reactions to dairy proteins, it cannot identify or confirm lactose intolerance. These two conditions differ fundamentally: lactose intolerance is related to sugar digestion, whereas an IgG response indicates an immune reaction to proteins.

Celiac Disease

If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and have removed gluten from your diet, this test should not be used to confirm your diagnosis. Typically, this test is performed to screen for foods your immune system may be reacting to. When foods are eliminated from your diet, your body does not generate those antibodies.

Please note that our food sensitivity test is not intended to aid in the diagnosis of Celiac Disease or to diagnose any other disease or condition. A Celiac diagnosis is complex and usually requires a combination of blood tests and other procedures. The antibodies that are usually tested for Celiac Disease are not the same antibodies we measure in our Food Sensitivity Test.

Fasting

It is not necessary to fast prior to your food sensitivity test. It is also not necessary to adjust your diet in any way prior to your test. The food sensitivity test involves taking your blood and exposing it to various foods to assess for an immune reaction generating certain types of antibodies.

The antibodies being tested are called IgG. As long as you have eaten a certain food within the past 4 weeks, the test should be able to detect those IgG levels. Conversely, if someone has removed a food from their diet for long periods of time, they may or may not still have IgG reactivity detected. In general, your body will clear specific IgG antibodies not being triggered by certain foods 18 to 24 months after last exposure; however, people have been known to clear IgG both sooner and longer than those time intervals.

Wanting to “test out” foods that have been previously eliminated

If you are looking to add a potentially ‘problematic’ food back into your diet to see if you’re still sensitive to it on your test results, it’s recommended to consume that food 1-3 times per week for about 4-6 weeks prior to testing. Please be advised that if you experience symptoms while eating this food, you’ve already identified a sensitivity.

Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

It’s okay to do the Food Sensitivity test while pregnant or breastfeeding. Hormones themselves will not directly impact the IgG antibody results. However, pregnancy and breastfeeding naturally involve changes in your immune response and diet, which can influence your results. If your dietary patterns have significantly shifted during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or you suspect immune system changes are affecting how you tolerate certain foods, it may be more insightful to take the test once your diet and body return to their typical state.

Steroid Medications

Steroid medications may affect your immune system and the capability to form an antibody response. Testing can be performed, but the results should be interpreted in the appropriate clinical context by your health care provider.

You should not discontinue any of your current medications or supplements without discussing this with your health care provider. If you have questions, please email our Customer Experience Team and we'll gladly help you.