What should you know about MRT food intolerance test?

MRT, or mediator release testing, is marketed as a blood test for reactions to foods. A sample is exposed to selected substances and the reported cell changes are used to produce dietary recommendations. The result can be difficult to interpret because a food-related symptom may have several causes, and a laboratory response does not necessarily match what happens when you eat the food.

Food intolerance is different from an immediate food allergy, which involves the immune system and can cause rapid symptoms. Bloating and diarrhoea may occur with food intolerance, but they can also reflect infection, bowel conditions, medication effects, or another dietary issue.

Keep a brief diary of meals, symptoms, timing, medicines, and bowel changes. Take it to a clinician before removing several foods. A structured assessment may consider your history, examination, and an appropriate elimination-and-reintroduction plan rather than relying on one commercial result.

A registered dietitian can help protect fibre, protein, and other nutritional needs while testing a suspected trigger. See Food Intolerance Testing and Nutrition Counselling for related guidance.

Arrange medical assessment for persistent or worsening symptoms, unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, repeated vomiting, fever, or symptoms that wake you from sleep. Seek urgent help for swelling of the lips or tongue, breathing difficulty, faintness, or a rapidly spreading rash after eating, because these can indicate a severe allergic reaction.

Ask which diagnoses fit your pattern, whether testing is needed, how long an elimination trial should last, and how foods will be reintroduced safely. Ask what symptoms should prompt urgent review and how to maintain a balanced diet.