Did you know you could be suffering from a food sensitivity and not even know it? Many people do not realize that symptoms such as migraine headaches, IBS, fibromyalgia, and eczema might be a result of a food item or chemical that you are either consuming through your food or use of a personal care product, such as toothpaste or medication.

Therefore, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, keep in mind the following:

• Symptoms are often delayed. Symptoms of a food sensitivity are often delayed, sometimes up to several days. This can make it challenging to determine what food or chemical you might be sensitive to. As a result, food sensitivities often go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, making treatments prescribed by a doctor ineffective.
• The food or chemical you are sensitive to might be in your personal care products, such as mouthwash, toothpaste, cosmetics, and even medications and supplements. For example, coconut is not only used in many desserts but in soaps and lotions as well. The shells of some capsule medications contain food dyes that you could be sensitive to.
• Many food sensitivities are dose-related. If you do have a sensitivity to a food or chemical, the amount you can tolerate may vary. This means that consuming a small amount of the item you are sensitive to might not trigger a reaction, but a higher concentration of the item could trigger a reaction. You may have to experiment with different dosages and in some cases, you won’t have to give up the food item – you’ll just have to watch the amount you are consuming.
• Cross-contamination can easily occur, making your meal unsafe. Even though there are strict rules in place for food establishments in regards to food safety, cross-contamination still occurs unfortunately. As a result, even though you might think your meal is safe to eat, this may not be the case if there was cross-contamination in the kitchen with a food item or chemical you are sensitive to.
• Healthy food can trigger symptoms. Even healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables can trigger your immune system to react against your body. The food item may provide health benefits for others but not for you.

If you think you might have a food sensitivity, you should consider getting tested. The Mediator Release Test (MRT) tests for 150 different common food and chemicals. Learn more!