Food allergies are an immune system response generally
characterized by hives, shortness of breath, upset stomach and in some cases
anaphylaxis (a sudden severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction). Statistics show that only about 4% of the
U.S. population has a food allergy.
Food intolerance is much more common. In fact, 70-80% of the U.S. population may
have food intolerance. Symptoms include
digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, aching joints, skin
disorders, and behavioral issues.
Our office now offers the ALCAT Food Intolerance Test. After a 15 minute appointment with Dr. Laura
Kemps, the proper level of testing will be determined. Patients pick up a kit from our office, take
it to their family physician for a blood draw, and then send the blood to ALCAT
Lab for analysis. ALCAT also offers a
mobile draw services for $50. The actual
food intolerance testing ranges from $150 to $600 depending on the number of
items tested. Items that can be tested
for include foods, functional foods and medicinal herbs, food additives and
colorings, environmental chemicals, molds, and antibiotic/anti-inflammatory
agents. The test cost is typically not covered by insurance, and patients will
need to send payment information along with their blood test kit. If necessary,
a retest of reactive foods can be done nine months or more after the initial
test at a cost of $99.
Test results are available within 1-2 weeks once the blood
is received by the ALCAT lab. Once your test results have been received, you
can schedule an additional appointment with Dr. Kemps to determine how to
proceed. Recommendations may be limited
to eliminating the offending food(s), or may include more comprehensive
nutritional supplementation.
To read about Ashley Zachor’s success with the food
intolerance testing, see our blog post –
Ashley Zachor’s Story
