“What tests are used to diagnose food allergies?”

Hi! There are two most common approaches to food allergy testing; in both cases they draw your blood and test the blood. One test is called an IgE test which is the type of allergy reaction that’s referred to as immediate or anaphylactic. This is like when a person eats, say peanuts, and immediately has a serious reaction like swelling or trouble breathing. Then there is one called IgG test which is considered a delayed reaction. This is like when a person eats something like wheat and a day or two later gets an eczema type rash.

Most tests are done through blood work looking at your own immune responses to foods. There are many test groups available. Check out Dunwoody Labs, Alcat, US Biotek or KMBO for more info.

Scratch tests and blood tests

You can have a blood draw and do immunocap testing or scratch testing on your skin to test for allergies. 

There are several tests that can be done to test for food allergies. Easiest one is a simple blood test you can get done with orders from your doctor or allergist. If you need more detailed tests, then you will need an actual pin prick on the skin (called the patch test).

It’s both complicated and expensive—get the family doctor to recommend an allergist.

Food allergy testing is usually composed of minute food ingredients that are injected under the skin. If you are allergic, your body’s immune system will defend your body by causing a localized rash. Usually, a big variety of ingredients are separately injected into a pattern on the back. One can bypass the need for this test by first going on an Elimination Diet. It eliminates everything most people are allergic to, like eggs and dairy. For this reason, I regularly recommend the Whole 30 Diet for allergies; you do it for just 30 days. At the end of the 30 days of whole food, you add back one food at a time. If you subsequently get bloated, nauseated or have a rash, guess what? You’re allergic. Millions have done the Whole 30 Diet, they have books and a Facebook group too. It is a 12-step program you should research before going on it. Set your start date, do not break the diet, and be well in the way to avoid triggering allergies and inflammation with food!

All the best!

4 approaches to testing for food allergies:

1) Skin tests (scratch testing done by an allergist)
2) Blood tests looking for elevated IgE levels to suspect foods
3) Elimination diets
4) Re-Challenge tests - restarting foods one by one AFTER elimination diets are instituted - and seeing if symptoms recur