Is There Such a Thing As a Food Intolerance or Allergy Dietitian?

By Kayley George, RDN, LD

A registered dietitian can absolutely help with food intolerances or allergies - after all, we are experts on all things food! Food intolerance dietitians can help you to incorporate foods that are safe for you to eat into your diet, while also teaching you how to steer clear from the foods that will give you a reaction.

When foods, or an entire food group, needs to be avoided, your diet may be lacking in important micronutrients, like certain vitamins and minerals. A dietitian’s job is to help ensure that you get the nutrition you need, while tailoring it to your lifestyle.

What Is Food Intolerance?

A food intolerance - also known as food sensitivity - is when certain foods lead to problems in the digestive system that can then lead to uncomfortable and unwanted symptoms. Some people confuse food sensitivity with food allergy but they are two completely different things.

Food sensitivity relates to the digestive system where food allergy relates to the immune system. When you eat foods you are intolerant or sensitive to, the digestive system reacts and causes symptoms.

What Is the Difference Between Food Intolerance Vs Food Allergies?

There are antibodies in our bodies also known as immunoglobulins. Immunoglobulins are proteins used by the immune system to shield and protect our body from harmful substances including bacteria.

These immunoglobulins can be tested and observed to see what our body projects as dangerous. The test identifies food sensitivities by looking for high levels of IgG.

In contrast, another common immunoglobulin is immunoglobulin E. IgE is the mediator tested when trying to diagnose a food allergy. IgE leads to more severe reactions than IgG which explains why food allergies are more immediate and fatal than food sensitivities.

Can a Dietitian Diagnose a Food Intolerance?

Dietitians are able to identify food intolerances through food intolerance tests, however, there is no formal food intolerance diagnosis. Although there are many food intolerance kits that you can order yourself, certain ones can only be prescribed by physicians or dietitians.

Therefore, getting one done under the supervision of a reputable dietitian will ensure that you are receiving accurate results. In addition, trying to understand the results and come up with a plan for how to avoid certain foods can be difficult, and even dangerous to do without the help of a dietitian.

Can a Dietitian Diagnose Food Allergies?

Unlike food intolerance tests, food allergy tests are most often done in physician’s offices and require a skin prick test. Food allergies can be serious diagnoses and can often be fatal, so they require immediate medical attention.

Although dietitians can help you identify what foods may be potentially causing an allergic reaction - they cannot officially diagnose food allergies. Therefore, if a food allergy is suspected, it is recommended that a patient should see a physician.

What Is Food Intolerance Testing?

Food intolerances are not an immune system reaction, but instead, they relate to difficulties in digesting foods. Food intolerance tests measure the reactivity levels of a certain antibody called IgG for different kinds of food, using a sample of blood.

High IgG reactivity for a certain food indicates there's a possibility that food may be involved with causing your symptoms. These immunoglobulins can be tested and observed to see what our body projects as dangerous.

What Is MRT Vs IgG?

There are two main types of food sensitivity tests known as IgG and MRT. IgG food sensitivity testing tests one food pathway for IgG antibodies. IgG antibodies also are known as Immunoglobulin G and are the most common type of antibody in blood circulation.

The levels of IgG antibodies are used to measure what foods are triggering a food sensitivity. However, MRT is more reliable by testing the cellular reaction to food it comes in contact with.

One of the advantages of the MRT is that it will test more than one metabolic pathway. This is done by testing all types of food sensitivity reactions by measuring downstream mediators.

MRT is known to be a more accurate food sensitivity test because IgG antibodies have been criticized as inaccurate in measuring food sensitivities. This is because when someone eats a large amount of one food, IgG antibody levels can increase which result in a false positive food sensitivity.

On the other hand, MRT will test the reaction of food on the body on a cellular level. For example, white blood cells may shrink when they come in contact with a certain chemical or food which in turn leads to the release of inflammatory chemicals. The high level of inflammatory chemicals is interpreted as a food sensitivity.

On the left is an example MRT report depicting what foods are food sensitive (red), borderline food sensitive (yellow), and safe to eat (green). Results for the below image shows that green peas created an intense reaction in the digestive system and should be avoided. On the other hand, string beans are not reactive in the digestive system and are safe to eat with no symptoms. 

Food sensitivity tests are blood tests that can be ordered by your doctor or dietitian. The results take about 2 weeks to come around. In order to get your test ordered, book a discovery call with me today to determine what tests are most appropriate for your symptoms.

How Do Food Intolerances Affect Weight?

Food sensitivities can both indirectly and directly affect a person's weight. When the body is constantly being bombarded with intolerant foods, the gut balance will be disrupted.

It’s important to have a healthy balance of gut bacteria in order to regulate blood sugar and other weight-related hormones. At the same time, symptoms like bloating, nausea, and GI distress can lead to a drop in activity and energy. Comforting habits and foods may be used to feel better in hopes of finding relief while dealing with symptoms of food sensitivity.

How Registered Dietitians Help with Food Intolerance

A food intolerance occurs when your body is not able to digest a specific element of food, such as lactose, a sugar found in milk. Common symptoms of intolerances may include abdominal cramps or diarrhea, although they are uncomfortable, they are usually not life-threatening.

Working with a food intolerance dietitian can be really useful because he or she can help you avoid these symptoms by understanding how to read food labels and how to create a symptom-free diet plan that works for you.

Do Dietitians Administer Food Intolerance Tests?

Dietitians do administer food intolerance tests to patients that may be experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, stomach cramps, or vomiting. Although there are many at-home food sensitivity tests that can be taken, it is recommended that patients see a dietitian when taking a food intolerance test so that they can help them interpret the results.

Reasons To See a Dietitian For Food Intolerance Treatment

It is important to see a dietitian when seeking treatment for suspected food intolerances. Food intolerance dietitians can teach you how to read food labels and make sure that you are not eating foods with additives that can cause you to have symptoms.

In addition, when removing food groups due to intolerances, there may be nutritional deficiencies that arise. Therefore, a dietitian will help you to supplement those food groups, either with other foods that you are not intolerant to, or with actual supplements.

Dietitians are experts at making meal plans, so they can make sure that you are still eating a variety of foods and give you ideas for recipes and new foods to incorporate into your diet. Finally, when symptoms continue to persist, dietitians can guide you through an elimination diet to get to the root cause of your discomfort. 

Dietitian Guidance is Essential For an Elimination Diet

Food sensitivity test results will highlight which foods are causing issues in the digestive system and those results can be implemented with an elimination diet. By eliminating intolerant foods for a certain period of time, it allows the gut to heal from further damage.

Depending on the complexity of results, it’s recommended to work with a dietitian to receive help with creating meal plans and finding substitutions. For example, pumpkin is an easy food to avoid in one's diet but foods like eggs, butter, and dairy may be more difficult to remove.

Elimination diets are highly individualized to each person and they consist of two phases: the elimination phase and the reintroduction phase. In the elimination phase, you may be told to eliminate one food group at a time and make notes on whether your symptoms improve or worsen. During the reintroduction phase, foods that were restricted are introduced again to test whether they will cause symptoms or not.

Sample Dietitian Meal Plan For Gluten Intolerance

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease in which a person is not able to consume gluten because it will cause harm to their small intestine. Although Celiac disease is the most well known form of gluten intolerance, gluten generally can cause inflammation in people with any type of autoimmune disease.

Gluten is a protein that's found in grains such as pasta, bread, and beer. Avoiding gluten can be challenging at times, but the right meal plan can definitely help. 

Breakfast

Go for high protein foods like egg muffins with sausage veggies, Greek yogurt with berries, or a protein smoothie. If you are craving foods like pancakes or bagels, gluten-free options are widely accessible at most stores, and they can also be made at home with gluten-free flour. 

Lunch

For lunch I recommend something quick and easy like a chicken or tuna salad with some gluten-free crackers on the side. You can also make a sandwich, but just make sure you are using gluten-free bread, whole wheat bread still has gluten in it! 

Dinner

Ideas for dinner include salmon with some roasted veggies and potatoes, chili, tacos on corn tortillas, or spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash or zoodles can be a great gluten-free alternative to pasta, but there are also pasta brands in stores that make their noodles with chickpea or lentil flour that are also good alternatives to wheat flour pasta. 

Snacks

If you need a little pick me up throughout the day, go for snacks that incorporate healthy fats in them such as apples with peanut butter or some trail mix. 

If you have food intolerance or suspect you might have a food allergy or intolerance seeing a dietitian is very likely to help you with your struggles. 

Dietitians are nutrition experts, therefore, if you are experiencing any kind of discomfort from the food you are eating, consulting a food intolerance dietitian would be a good idea. There is a big difference between food intolerances and food allergies.

Food intolerances occur when the digestive system has a difficult time digesting a certain component in food and result in uncomfortable symptoms. On the other hand, food allergies happen when the immune system reacts to certain foods.

Food allergies are diagnosed by physicians by skin prick tests and sometimes require immediate medical attention. Dietitians can help in a variety of ways when it comes to food intolerances and can provide you with the support you need on your journey to becoming symptom free. If you are suffering from symptoms and need this kind of support, setup a discovery call today to work with me.

Published on Sep 9, 2020 at 3:30 pm