Verbatim response from Claude
Legitimate Food Sensitivity Testing Options
This is a great question because many food sensitivity tests are indeed unreliable or misleading. Here's an honest breakdown:
Most Reliable Options
For true food allergies (IgE-mediated):
- Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp (through your doctor) - blood allergy panels are clinically validated
- RAST testing / ImmunoCAP - the gold standard ordered by allergists
For celiac disease:
- Any accredited lab celiac panel (tTG-IgA test) ordered by your doctor
Important Honest Caveats
Most popular "food sensitivity" (IgE) tests sold directly to consumers have significant scientific problems:
- Everlywell - convenient but IgG testing has limited clinical validation
- Viome - interesting but still emerging science
- Most IgG-based tests - major allergy organizations (AAAAI) say IgG tests do not reliably diagnose food sensitivities
Best Practical Recommendation
- See a board-certified allergist for validated testing
- Try an elimination diet (medically supervised) - actually considered the gold standard for food sensitivities
- Work with a registered dietitian to interpret results
Bottom line: Skip the mail-order IgG panels and consult a doctor instead.