1. Is fasting required befre taking the Alcat Test? N. It is recmmended t drink water and t avid stimulants like caffeine prir t the test. 2. With regard t testing children, must a child be a certain age t take the Alcat Test? The minimum age fr testing is 4-6 mnths fr babies wh are ill r symptmatic. If the baby is thriving and des nt exhibit delays in grwth and develpment, n clic, n sleep issues, etc. it wuld be best t wait t cnduct the test after the baby is cnsuming slid fds. Pediatric Patients Maximum bld Weight lbs ml *Daytn Children's Hspital, Phlebtmy Manual, Vlume guidelines fr bld cllectin [The fllwing guidelines were taken frm Prcedure fr the Cllectin f Diagnstic Bld Specimens by Venipuncture: Apprved Standard-4 th editin 6/98, NCCLS, Dc. N.:H3-A4, Vl 18 N. 7] 2.0-2.4 0.9 2.4-2.9 1.1 2.9-3.6 1.3 3.6-4.7 1.6 4.7-6.0 2.1 6.0-8.0 2.5 8-10 3.5 10-15 5.0 16-20 10 21-25 10 26-30 10 31-35 10 36-40 10 41-45 20 46-50 20 51-55 20 56-60 20 61-65 25 66-70 30 71-75 30 76-80 30
Pediatric Patients Maximum bld Weight lbs ml 81-85 30 86-90 30 91-95 30 96-100 30 3. Shuld reactive fds/ingredients als be avided in persnal care prducts and supplements? Yes. Any prduct cntaining reactive ingredients, that is ingested r in cntact with, shuld be avided as much as pssible. 4. Can I have the test dne while I am pregnant? The benefit f knwing fds that are nt prvking an adverse reactin wuld be the same fr bth a pregnant and a nn-pregnant female. Althugh the test can be cnducted any time during the pregnancy it is best t cnsider the fllwing: Due t integrated fetal-placental-maternal respnse during pregnancy, the ptential differing respnse after delivery, and the duratin f time t avid reactive fds, it is recmmended t test during the first r secnd trimester r wait until 8-12 weeks after delivery (if already int the third trimester). 5. I knw I have symptms after cnsuming but the Alcat Test des nt reveal a reactin t it. Why? There are many different adverse reactins t fds. There are a number f pssibilities fr "nn-reactins" when smene feels very certain that the Alcat Test shuld have shwn certain fds t be reactive. Examples include: The symptms culd be related t an intlerance -the insufficient availability f an enzyme respnsible fr the breakdwn f the fd (nt a sensitivity). Example - lactse intlerance The reactin culd be an IgE mediated respnse (true allergy). The Alcat Test des nt test fr true allergies, the IgE respnse, which is immediate. The immune system is a dynamic system in the bdy. What was reactive years r even mnths ag might n lnger be reactive. It is pssible that the persn is nt actually reactive t the suspected fd but smething else nrmally cnsumed with it
The suspected fd may n lnger be a sensitivity after the avidance perid (sensitivities are nt necessarily a lifelng situatin. Again, the immune system is a dynamic system in the bdy). GI symptms culd be related t the type/amunt f fiber in the ffending fd, r a fructse intlerance, r FODMAPs intlerance, etc. N expsure prir t test? If the suspected fds are still prblematic fr yu, regardless f the Alcat Test results, ur suggestin wuld be that yu cntinue t avid them. Hwever, fds that have been avided fr a significant perid f time may cme up nnreactive n the Alcat Test. S the suggestin is t "prime the system" befre having the test, s lng as there are n true allergies t the fd in questin (r CD if gluten is in questin). With retesting, after the 3-6 mnth avidance perid, the suggestin is t have all the fds reintrduced and rtated befre getting the test again. Yu may nt have reintrduced the fd r fds yu suspect are prblematic prir t the test and that is understandable. Hwever, if in fact, a sensitivity t these fds/cmpnents exists, and if the pathway respnsible fr the reactin happens t rely n expsure, but there was n expsure prir t the test, this culd be why they did nt cme up as reactive. It's als imprtant t be aware that even if the persn cnsumed the fds that he/she suspects are ffenders, a reactivity t them still might nt ccur. Reasns abve. 6. Is the ALCAT test an allergy test? N. Allergy tests evaluate fr IgE and/r IgG. True allergy, causing rash, swelling, breathing difficulty, r anaphylaxis is mediated by IgE. Other labs prmte s-called "allergy" tests and these lk at IgG antibdies against fds. The literature, in my pinin, des nt supprt the validity f using IgG t reduce immune system inflammatin t fds. Furthermre, research frm the field f immunlgy suggests that a persn is PROTECTED against allergy type symptms when their IgG levels are HIGHER. Allergy shts wrk because, with repeat injectins, they cause an increase in IgG t the allergen. As the IgG levels increase, symptms decrease. 7. Will I lse weight ding an ALCAT test? Prbably. Frm my persnal experience, even thugh I nly weighed 136 punds at the beginning f my ALCAT directed diet, I lst abut 6 punds during my first 10 days eliminating reactive fds. This weight reductin is likely due t an verall reductin f inflammatin in the bdy which nrmalizes the metablic functin f the bdy, reducing fat and water weight. 8. D I need t wrk with my dctr if I get an ALCAT test? Yur dctr will prbably nt be familiar with the ALCAT test. An pen-minded dctr may express interest and supprt yu in yur effrts t imprve yur health using fd. A
traditinal-minded dctr might call the validity f the test int questin, withut the actual knwledge t d s. I suggest yu educate yur healthcare team abut what yu're ding t imprve yur health. Dctrs need t knw that there is tremendus pwer in using fd t heal the bdy! 9. Hw hard is it t implement the ALCAT directed diet? The ALCAT directed diet is NOT hard. What is hard is changing habits! S, allw yurself time t make changes. When yu "fall ff the wagn" and eat fds that are n yur reactive list, yu'll feel the effects f inflammatry fds in yur diet. This is very imprtant t learn and will strengthen yur new fd habits! 10. I dn't think I have any fd reactins r sensitivity... Hw can an ALCAT test help me? In this case, I'd say that yu'll nly knw if yu're reacting t fds AFTER yu implement the ALCAT directed eating plan. Persnally, I did nt knw hw certain "healthy" fds were affecting my bdy until I used the ALCAT test t eliminate thse fds... and discvered hw bad certain items n my mderate and severe list made me feel! 11. Is an ALCAT-directed eating plan still useful even if I dn't fllw the diet perfectly? I'd give a definite YES t this questin. In fact, yu dn't need t d anything perfectly t get results. In my experience, peple wh even partially fllw the ALCAT directed eating plan realize results imprvement that helps them t cntinue t make prgress! 12. What if the ALCAT directed eating plan desn't wrk fr me? Althugh this is pssible, in my prfessinal experience the nly peple wh claim zer results frm the ALCAT directed eating plan have nt made the cmmitment t use it. I think these few individuals were hping fr a quick fix fr weight lss r ther symptms. There are n quick fixes fr anything meaningful, especially ur health! 13. Is the ALCAT test wrth the investment? In shrt, ONLY IF YOU USE IT! If yu use the test t help yu learn hw fd related inflammatin feels, then yu'll be able t use this experience fr the rest f yur life! 14. Will my insurance cmpany pay fr the ALCAT test? Prbably nt srry. 15. D I need t have bld drawn fr the ALCAT test?
Yes. The ALCAT test requires several tubes f bld t be cllected. It is similar t the amunt f bld required during a typical screening panel f labs with yur dctr. The draw can be perfrmed in yur hme r ffice and takes abut 10 minutes. We will schedule the Mbile Bld Draw fr yu.