Feeling bloated, experiencing indigestion, and falling sick often can be more than just an inconvenience. If you’ve been struggling with such symptoms without any relief, it’s time to look at the possibility of food sensitivities. Functional medicine has recognized the complexity of food sensitivity conditions and offers tailor-made testing and treatment options. In this blog post, we will discuss how functional medicine practitioners diagnose and treat food sensitivities using elimination diets and testing.
Functional medicine practitioners begin with a comprehensive evaluation of your medical history, lifestyle, and dietary intake. This information is essential in understanding factors that may be contributing to the symptoms. Based on this information, the practitioner may suggest an elimination diet, which involves removing certain foods from your diet to identify trigger foods.
Elimination diets can be of different types, such as the low FODMAP diet, which has been found to help in identifying trigger foods for digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition to this, your practitioner may include functional medicine tests to gather information about the way your body is responding to certain dietary components.
Food sensitivity testing involves laboratory tests that measure your immune or other physiological responses to various foods. There are different types of tests available, but it’s important to note that none of them can identify every food that you may be sensitive to. However, testing can be helpful in exploring the possibility of food sensitivities and gaining insights into which foods to eliminate.
Another type of test that’s becoming popular is called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) test. This test identifies genetic variants that may increase the risk of an autoimmune disease or a sensitivity to certain foods. Based on the test’s result, an elimination diet may be suggested or a tailored treatment plan developed.
Once trigger foods have been identified, a functional medicine practitioner may work with you to develop a personalized diet and lifestyle plan. This plan should be unique to you based on the foods you tolerate well and those that trigger your symptoms. And it should consider other dietary needs like nutrient deficiencies, gastrointestinal health, and supporting your immune system.
Food sensitivities can be hard to diagnose on your own, and many conventional medical practitioners may not even investigate the possibility of food sensitivities. However, by working with a functional medicine practitioner, you can receive the testing and support you need to identify your triggers, reduce your symptoms, and improve your overall health. Remember, if you’re experiencing unexplained bloating, indigestion, or just feeling unwell, it may be due to your food choices, and the key to feeling better may be in unraveling your food sensitivities.