Food Sensitivities vs Food Allergies: How Genetics Helps You Decode What Your Body Is Really Reacting T

Food Sensitivities vs Food Allergies: How Genetics Helps You Decode What Your Body Is Really Reacting T

Even with a clean diet, many people still experience bloating, fatigue, headaches, or skin irritation. Traditional elimination diets and allergy testing can provide partial insight—but genetics offers a deeper layer of understanding.

At Strata Wellness Labs, our Food Intolerance & Sensitivity Panel analyzes the genetic markers that influence how the body processes common dietary components like lactose, gluten, milk proteins, and caffeine.

Food Allergy vs Food Sensitivity: What’s the Difference?

Food Allergies
These reactions involve the immune system, typically IgE-mediated, and can trigger:

  • Hives

  • Swelling

  • Wheezing

  • Digestive distress

  • In severe cases, anaphylaxis

Genetic markers can reveal whether you have a predisposition to milk, peanut, or egg allergies—helping you avoid the foods most likely to create an immune reaction.

Food Sensitivities
These responses are non-immune-mediated, and symptoms often appear slowly over several hours or days:

  • Bloating

  • Gas

  • Brain fog

  • Fatigue

  • Headaches

  • Anxiety

  • Sleep disruption

Our panel evaluates genes involved in caffeine metabolism, gluten sensitivity, lactose digestion, and more.

Why Genetics Provides Missing Answers

Food reactions are often confusing because symptoms can be delayed or inconsistent. Genetics clarifies the “why” behind food-related discomfort by evaluating:

  • Enzyme production (like lactase for lactose digestion)

  • Immune regulation related to gluten

  • Inflammatory pathways

  • Neurological sensitivity to caffeine

  • Metabolic handling of food proteins

This allows individuals to make proactive dietary choices, instead of relying on restrictive diets or guessing what’s causing discomfort.

Personalized Nutrition Starts with Your DNA

Rather than broadly eliminating foods, genomic data helps determine:

✔ What you actually need to avoid
✔ What foods your body tolerates well
✔ Which intolerances may emerge under stress
✔ How to rotate foods to reduce symptoms
✔ Which supplements support better digestion

Food should fuel your body—not fight it. Genetic testing helps you understand exactly how to nourish your biology.