Should I Throw Away My Food Sensitivity Test?

 Dr. Jon Repole 

A Personal Reflection: My Experience with Food Sensitivity Testing

For years, I incorporated food sensitivity tests into my practice and personal health journey. The promise was appealing—pinpointing food triggers that might be causing symptoms like bloating, fatigue, or inflammation. The results felt actionable: avoid these foods, feel better.

However, over time, I started noticing inconsistencies. Clients who avoided “sensitive” foods often didn’t experience the transformative results they were expecting. Worse, some began unnecessarily restrictive diets based on false positives or outdated results. The limitations became clear: food sensitivity tests offer static snapshots that don’t account for the dynamic nature of our bodies or the root causes of inflammation.

The Inaccuracy Problem: Why Food Sensitivity Tests Can Mislead

Food sensitivity tests, especially IgG-based panels, measure immune responses to specific foods, but these tests are far from precise. Here’s why:

• False Positives and Negatives: The immune response detected (IgG) often indicates exposure, not intolerance. You could react to a food simply because you eat it regularly, not because it’s causing harm.
• Changing Sensitivities: Our bodies are constantly evolving. Stress, hormones, gut health, and even sleep can influence how we tolerate certain foods. A test taken six months does not reflect your current reality.
• Symptom Overlap: Sensitivity symptoms—like bloating or fatigue—can be caused by numerous factors, from stress to poor metabolic health, making it difficult to pinpoint food as the true trigger.

These inaccuracies led me to question: Is there a better, more reliable way to guide people toward health and healing?

Real-Time Data: A Smarter Way to Understand Your Body

The answer came in the form of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Unlike static sensitivity tests, CGM provides dynamic, real-time insights into how your body responds to the foods you eat, hour by hour. Here’s why I’m moving toward real-time tracking:

1. Immediate Feedback: CGM shows how specific meals impact your blood sugar levels, giving you actionable data you can adjust right away.
2. Personalized Insights: Your response to food is unique—what spikes someone else’s glucose might be perfectly tolerable for you.
3. Tracking Patterns: Beyond individual meals, CGM reveals patterns in your diet and lifestyle that may be contributing to energy crashes, cravings, or poor sleep.

By focusing on metabolic responses, I can now help patients identify problem foods—not based on a generic test, but on how those foods impact their energy, mood, and overall health in real time.

Closing the Loop with Advanced Biomarkers

Once we’ve used CGM to fine-tune dietary habits, let's take it a step further by tracking key metabolic and inflammatory markers in the blood, such as:

• C-reactive protein (CRP): A reliable marker for systemic inflammation, indicating whether certain foods or lifestyle factors may be contributing to chronic inflammation.
• Insulin Levels: Helps assess how well your body is managing glucose, shedding light on insulin resistance or early signs of metabolic dysfunction.
• Lipid Profiles: Provides insights into heart health and how your diet impacts cholesterol and triglycerides - overall metabolic health. 

This combination of real-time tracking and periodic biomarker testing creates a more complete and actionable picture of health. Rather than guessing or relying on outdated tests, we’re now using cutting-edge tools to empower informed, effective decisions.

Why This Approach Works

By focusing on real-time glucose data and following up with advanced blood tests, you can:

• Target the root causes of inflammation and poor health.
• Avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions.
• Embrace a truly personalized approach to nutrition and lifestyle.

First Things First, Second Thing Second: A Philosophy of Priorities 

While continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) offers powerful insights and advanced data, it’s not always the first step for everyone.

In my practice, I emphasize the importance of starting with the basics—what I like to call “First Things First.”

For many people, the foundation of good health begins with a simple but powerful step: eliminating processed foods and embracing a whole, nutrient-dense plant-based diet. Processed foods, laden with sugar, refined oils, and additives, are often the first and most obvious culprits in poor health. For some, just making this foundational shift leads to significant improvements in energy, digestion, and overall well-being.

When Tracking Becomes Useful

Once the basics are addressed, the decision to incorporate tracking tools like CGM depends on the individual. Here’s how I see it:

1. For the Data-Driven Individual:
   Some people thrive on data. They want to see the numbers, graphs, and trends that explain how their choices impact their health. For these individuals, tracking becomes an empowering tool. Seeing how a particular meal spikes glucose or how stress affects blood sugar levels can provide the “aha moment” they need to commit to lasting change.

2. For the Healthy-Eater Who’s Still Struggling:
   Then, there’s the group of individuals who already eat a clean, whole-food diet yet feel stuck. Despite their best efforts, they struggle with issues like low energy, brain fog, or stubborn weight gain. For these individuals, CGM offers the potential to uncover hidden culprits—foods that are generally considered “healthy” but may not work for their unique body. For example, a food like oatmeal or bananas might be spiking their glucose in unexpected ways, or timing their meals differently could improve their metabolic flexibility.

3. For Those Who Are Easily Overwhelmed:
   However, tracking isn’t for everyone. For some individuals, especially those prone to anxiety or perfectionism, the constant monitoring of numbers can create more stress than it alleviates. In these cases, it’s better to keep things simple: focus on eating well, managing stress, and staying active. Advanced tracking can always come later if needed.

The Right Tool at the Right Time

The key is recognizing that CGM and other tracking tools are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They’re part of a hierarchy of approaches that should align with each person’s readiness, mindset, and health goals. By prioritizing First Things First, like eliminating processed foods and building a strong foundation, we ensure that individuals are set up for success before diving into more advanced strategies.

When the time is right, tools like CGM can serve as Second Things, adding precision and insight to fine-tune health strategies. This philosophy allows for a balanced approach, avoiding unnecessary overwhelm while empowering those who thrive on deeper understanding.

Takeaway?

Food sensitivity tests may have served a purpose in the past, but the future of health is real-time, dynamic, and backed by science.