Understanding the MRT 176 Panel: A Complete Guide to Food Sensitivity Testing

Have you been dealing with chronic migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, or unexplained inflammatory symptoms? Your practitioner might have recommended the Mediator Release Test (MRT). This blood test is the clinical backbone of the LEAP (Lifestyle, Eating, and Performance) dietary protocol. It is also the foundation of every product assessment in the Wellbloom directory.

This guide explains what the MRT 176 panel tests, how it differs from standard allergy testing, and how to read your results.

What Is the MRT 176 Panel?

The MRT 176 is a patented blood test from Oxford Biomedical Technologies that measures your immune system’s mediator release response to 176 different foods and chemicals. IgE allergy tests detect immediate allergic reactions, and IgG panels measure antibody levels. The MRT is different. It measures the volumetric changes in white blood cells when they come in contact with specific substances.

When your immune system reacts to a food or chemical, your white blood cells release inflammatory mediators like histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins. These mediators are what cause your symptoms. The MRT quantifies this release, giving your practitioner a precise map of which substances trigger the strongest inflammatory response in your body.

What Does the Panel Test?

The MRT 176 panel screens two categories of substances:

149 Foods

The food panel covers a cross-section of the typical Western diet, including:

• Proteins: Beef, chicken, pork, turkey, lamb, duck, venison, egg white, egg yolk
• Seafood: Salmon, tuna, cod, shrimp, crab, lobster, scallop, sardine, tilapia, and 10 others
• Dairy: Cow’s milk, cottage cheese, American cheese, whey, yogurt
• Grains: Wheat, corn, rice, oat, barley, rye, spelt, millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum
• Legumes: Soybean, peanut, lentil, kidney bean, pinto bean, navy bean, lima bean, green bean, green pea
• Fruits: Apple, banana, blueberry, strawberry, grape, orange, lemon, mango, pineapple, watermelon, and 15+ others
• Vegetables: Tomato, potato, spinach, broccoli, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, mushroom, sweet potato, and 15+ others
• Nuts & Seeds: Almond, walnut, pecan, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio, coconut, sesame, sunflower
• Herbs & Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, basil, oregano, cumin, black pepper, mint, vanilla, and others
• Sweeteners: Cane sugar, honey, maple sugar, fructose
• Oils: Olive, canola/rapeseed, safflower

27 Chemicals

This is where MRT stands apart from other food sensitivity tests. The chemical panel includes additives, preservatives, and compounds commonly found in processed foods:

• Artificial colors: FD&C Blue #1, Blue #2, Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, Yellow #6
• Sweeteners: Aspartame, Saccharin, Fructose
• Preservatives: Benzoic acid, Sodium metabisulfite, Potassium nitrate
• Emulsifiers: Lecithin (soy), Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan
• Flavor compounds: MSG, Coumarin/Vanillin, Capsaicin
• Biogenic amines: Tyramine, Phenylethylamine
• Medications: Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Caffeine
• Other: Citric acid, Glycerin/Glycerol, Salicylic acid, Solanine, Candida albicans

How Is the MRT Different from Other Food Sensitivity Tests?

How to Read Your MRT Results

Your MRT results are presented as a color-coded bar chart:

• Green (Low Reactive) These foods produced minimal mediator release. They are your safest options and form the foundation of your Phase 1 elimination diet.
• Yellow (Moderate Reactive) These foods triggered a moderate response. You will typically reintroduce these during Phase 2 under practitioner guidance.
• Red (High Reactive) These foods caused significant mediator release. You should strictly avoid them during the initial protocol phases and reintroduce them last, if at all.

It is important to know that MRT results are unique to each individual. A food that tests green for one person could be red for another. This is why working with a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT) is so important. They can interpret your specific pattern and build a dietary plan that fits your exact needs.

Where Wellbloom Fits In

The Wellbloom product directory cross-references the MRT 176 panel against the ingredient lists of over 20,000 grocery products. For each product, our system:

1. Scans every ingredient against all 176 tested substances
2. Identifies direct matches, derivative matches, and chemical matches
3. Assigns a risk classification (Low Risk, Moderate Risk, High Risk, or Requires Testing)
4. Determines LEAP phase compatibility
5. Generates a clinical narrative explaining the assessment

This means you can search for any product and instantly see which MRT triggers it contains. This saves you hours of reading labels and cross-referencing ingredients.

Getting Tested

The MRT requires a blood draw that is sent to Oxford Biomedical Technologies for analysis. You can get your blood drawn at:

• A Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT) Many practitioners can order the test and coordinate the blood draw
• A blood draw lab near you Search our directory of partner labs
• A mobile phlebotomist Convenient in-home blood draws available in many areas