ALCAT testing for food sensitivities can help pinpoint problem foods in your diet. Dr. Tina Marcantel is a naturopathic physician in Gold Canyon, Arizona. She also serves the East Valley cities of Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, and the greater Phoenix area.
To learn more about food sensitivity testing, read Dr. Marcantel’s article “Are Foods Making You Sick?”
What is food sensitivity?
The inability to tolerate foods and environmental factors, also known as sensitivity or intolerance, induces chronic activation of the innate immune system and gives rise to inflammatory processes, which includes excess production of reactive oxygen species and the release of preformed and newly synthesized mediators of inflammation. This inflammation has been linked to countless chronic conditions, including: digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, ADD, aching joints, skin disorders, arthritis and many more.
How does food sensitivity differ from classic food allergies?
True food allergies refer to foods that trigger the immune system to acutely produce massive amounts of the chemical histamine that leads to anaphylaxis. This potentially fatal condition causes the throat and esophagus to swell, cutting off air from the lungs, or may simply cause hives, skin rashes, and other non-life-threatening reactions. This type of reaction is called a type I hypersensitivity reaction, caused by the degranulation of mast cells or basophils that is mediated by Immunoglobulin E (IgE).
