Mediator Release Test

MRT has helped thousands of sensitive individuals to substantially improve and even eliminate chronic health conditions. Food 4 Life has used MRT testing for over 8 years and has experienced these same successes.

THIS IS NOT AN AVOIDANCE DIET. MRT tests your blood against 150 foods and food additives that may cause adverse reactions. Once the reactive foods and/ or additives are determined, an individualized elimination diet can be planned, where such foods are removed and your diet is then designed around your lowest reactive foods.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is MRT an IgE Allergy Test?

No. IgE mediated Food Allergies, often called Type I Allergies, are an abnormal immune response to IgE antibodies causing life threatening reactions within minutes to an hour after exposure. Tests for Type 1 allergies are best done by an allergist, who can perform radioallergosorbent testing (RAST) and food challenge testing. Unlike food sensitivities, IgE food allergies are not well correlated with chronic health conditions such as migraines, digestives problems and other chronic conditions.

WHY MRT?

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), unlike IgE mediated allergies, can result in symptoms as soon as minutes, but more often hours or even 3 days after exposure to the offending food or chemicals. This can make identification of the specific DTH difficult. It is the DTH also known as Type III and Type IV hypersensitivities that have been recognized as contributing to migraines, digestive problems, joint and muscle pain and other painful symptoms. Avoiding these substances has been demonstrated to be very helpful for improvement in such conditions.

The MRT also known as LEAP (Life Style Eating and Performance) is a reproducible end point test measuring non-IgE mediated delayed hypersensitivities to food and food chemicals.

This blood test is patented and demonstrates a sensitivity of 94.5% specificity of 91.7% and has a reproducibility of 90%. In addition MRT provides a higher effective starting point for helping determine reactive foods.

MRT offers a new dimension to food and chemical sensitivities offering new insights compared to other blood testing technologies, such as IgG and ALCA, which do not correlate as well with clinical symptoms.

Food 4 Life will work with you through the entire testing and diet process. Together we will plan satisfying meals that nourish your body, helping you to maintain good health and feel your best!

MRT Animation




How is MRT different from the FODMAP diet?

Short chain carbohydrates can be difficult for some people to digest. A common treatment is the FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharide, Monosaccharide and Polyls-- types of carbohydrates known for their high osmotic activity and rapid fermentation, which can lead to distention, bloating and digestive pain for certain individuals. The FODMAP diet is highly restrictive. In an attempt to eliminate/reduce these forms of carbohydrate, one must also limit many fruits, vegetables and grains. Unlike FODMAP, MRT testing goes beyond the digestive process of food and is looking at cellular reactivity of foods and food chemicals. Therefore, with MRT, one can identify systemic reactions to the food or food chemicals beyond what is happening in the gut alone.

Will MRT tell me if I have Celiac Disease?

MRT will not diagnose Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease can only be diagnosed through a specific antibody blood test specific to celiac disease.

Can MRT help me even if I have Celiac Disease?

Yes! Often with Celiac Disease and other autoimmune diseases, such as Type I Diabetes and Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease you can experience a number of alterations in digestive cellular sensitivity, contributing to other adverse reactions to food and food chemicals.6 Even though gluten has been identified as a food component to which you may have an antibody-antigen reaction, other sensitivities to food and food chemicals can also arise. In our clinic, using MRT testing, we have helped a number of people with Celiac Disease better determine other foods or food chemicals that remain a problem despite gluten removal.

When should I consider MRT testing?

Adverse food reactions and MRT testing should be considered if:

  • Your symptoms are frequent and persistent
  • More than one medical problem is present
  • You are not getting the relief you want from standard medical treatment

If you suspect symptoms are related to your diet, then you should consider food sensitivity testing. Not only will MRT tell you which foods to avoid, but more importantly, MRT tells you which foods to eat to maximize your health.

The success of MRT testing is dependent on specifically trained registered dietitians to interpret and implement the results of the testing.

  1. Brostoff J, Gamlin L. Food Allergies and Food Intolerances. 3rd ed. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Art Press 2000.
  2. Mahan LK E-SSe. Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy, 12th ed. 12 ed. St Louis, MO: Saunders; 2008.
  3. Williams J. The Patented Mediator Release Test (MRT); A Comprehensive Blood Test for Inflammation Caused by Food and Food-Chemical Sensitivities. Townsend Letter. 2014;January(January):62-66.
  4. F W. Use of the LEAP Mediator Release Test to Identify Non-IgE Mediated Immunologic Food Reactions that Trigger Diarrhea Predominant IBS Symptoms Results in Marked Improvement of Symptoms Through Use of an Elimination Diet, American College of Gastroenterology, Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting; Orlando, FL. 2004.
  5. Wachholz PA DS. Mechanisms of immunotherapy: IgG revisited. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004;4(4)(Aug):313 - 318.
  6. Tan EK CE, Fook-Chong SM, Teo YY, Yuen Y, Tan L, Zhao Y. Association between caffeine intake and risk of Parkinson's disease among fast and slow metabolizers. Pharmacogenetics and Genomics. 2007;17(11):1001-1005.