Alcat Test – A Test for “Food Sensitivity”

The Alcat Test is a diagnostic system that aims to determine the relative food sensitivities that are inherent in each individual human body.  It uses blood testing thus it is a minimally invasive procedure. Studies about the Alcat Test have found that it is more than 80% accurate in detecting sensitivities to food and more than 95% accurate in detecting sensitivities to food additives when it is compared to the Gold Standard.  Other tests, such as standard lgG diagnostics, rely on just a single immune pathway and detect only the exposure to sensitivities. The Alcat Test on the other hand measures the biological reactivity of the cells in the entire blood sample.

The Alcat Test works by objectively measuring the changes in the size and the number of the white blood cells in a given blood sample as they respond to different kinds of stimuli.  These stimuli can be food, food additives, or other chemicals that may be ingested.  The results are then recorded and compared to the individual’s white blood cell measurements before the different stimuli were injected.  The results of these comparisons, termed “scores”, are then evaluated and delegated to one of four categories of intolerance. These categories are:  Severe, Moderate, Mild, and Acceptable.  

Foods under the severe intolerance category need to be avoided – at whatever cost - for at least 6 months.  Moderate intolerance foods need to be avoided for a period of at least 3 months.  Mild intolerance foods only need to be avoided if it is possible.  If not, these foods should be eaten only once for every period of four days.  Indulging in foods under this category could exacerbate the situation until the body becomes severely intolerant to it.  Acceptable foods are the foods that can be eaten without fear of negative reaction.  It is still recommended though that these foods are included in a rotation diet.

Most practitioners can access these results easily via the internet but a hard copy may also be availed of.  The final report usually includes a rotation diet that is specifically designed for the patient.

Keep in mind though that the Alcat Test expressly suggests that it only tests for “food sensitivity” and not “food allergy”.  Food allergies are better dealt with in conjunction with your physician.  In cases where the Alcat Test identifies a particular food to be acceptable but you already know that you have an allergy to it, you should continue to avoid this food. 

Compared to traditional ways of determining food sensitivities though, the Alcat Test is so much easier and more efficient.  Without the Alcat Test, a common method for determining food intolerance is the so called elimination diet.  This requires the patient to start with a bare diet of foods that are acceptable to him.  Additional foods are then added to the diet on a weekly basis while the reaction of the patient’s body is continuously monitored.  Obviously, this method would require months to complete.  Not to mention the cost, effort, and time it would take to have a regular weekly check up.  The Alcat test on the other hand can be completed in a few days.