WHY MRT IS SUPERIOR AND HOW IT CAN START YOUR JOURNEY?
The most common blood test used to help identify sensitive foods (ELISA IgG) can detect a single type of sensitivity reaction (Type 3, which covers only 25% of reactions). IgG testing also does not identify reactions to food-chemicals and can have a high false positive leading to daunting results. MRT (Mediator Release Test) accounts for both Type 3 and the more common Type 4 pathways. MRT also identifies reactions to food chemicals. Independent studies confirm MRT is the most accurate and comprehensive blood test available for food and food-chemical reactions. MRT can serve as your jump-start to improved wellbeing and systemic balance. With the results from MRT, you will be able to identify your triggers to begin a path with a systematic process in determining your optimal diet.
Why We Feel Sick… Frequently
Millions of Americans suffer from food sensitivities and many are unaware that their symptoms are related to diet and digestive function. Conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, migraine and other chronic headaches, weight imbalances, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, skin eruptions, brain fog, cramping, bloating, and many chronic health problems are related to inflammatory immune reactions to foods or chemicals we ingest. Symptoms provoked by food sensitivities occur when our immune system begins perceiving foods in the same way it perceives things which are truly harmful such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc. There are many reasons why this can happen, but this mistaken identity leads to the release of toxic chemicals called “mediators” (such as histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins) from our immune cells. It’s the inflammatory and pain-inducing effects of the mediators that give rise to symptoms, which ends up making us feel sick.
Research has shown that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic depression, and many other conditions have higher than normal levels of these mediators circulating throughout their bodies. For many, the “trigger” that causes the mediators to be released can be linked to foods or chemicals in their diet
IDENTIFYING THE IRRITANT: A KEY STEP IN SUCCESSFUL ELIMINATION DIET
Food sensitivity symptoms are often chronic because the mediators that make us feel sick are released every time you eat your reactive foods. And the impact may be dose-dependent or interact when two trigger foods are eaten together. To make things worse, some reactions occur 72-hours after ingestion which makes determining trends or patterns difficult. Using a lab test to determine a starting point for identification of dietary and chemical irritants allows for an elimination diet to reset the system allowing your immune system and inflammatory pathways to cool and reset. Once you have removed irritants and focus on rebalancing optimal digestive function, you will work with a functional medicine practitioner to systematically reintroduce foods tracking reactions or undesired symptoms.