The Technology behind ALCAT testing
The ROBOCat II instrument, the basis of The ALCAT Test, is an automated liquid handling system designed to measure white blood cells using the electronic principle of particle counting and sizing (measuring changes in electrical resistance produced by a blood cell suspended in a conductive liquid traversing a small aperture). This method is also referred to as the “Coulter” method, which is used in routine hematological evaluations. It has demonstrated a high degree of correlation with clinical manifestations as confirmed through a rigorous double blind trial. Drs. Peter Fell and Jonathon Brostoff reported an 83.4% correlation with ALCAT test results and double blind oral challenges with foods.1
The instrument is manufactured using Good Manufacturing Practices in an FDA Registered Medical Device Establishment (facility registration number: 1051901).
Food allergy is an IgE immune system response that is typically characterized by hives, shortness of breath, upset stomach and in some cases anaphylaxis. The most common food allergies are to nuts, shellfish, wheat and dairy. According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, only about 4% of the United States population has a food allergy.The ALCAT Test does not detect Food Allergy.
Food intolerance, on the other hand, is much more common than food allergies and is characterized by digestive disorders, migraines, obesity, chronic fatigue, aching joints, skin disorders and behavioral issues. It has been stated that upwards of 70-80% of the US population has food intolerance. Unfortunately for many, those food intolerance symptoms are often identified as individual problems and treated as such, thus treating the symptoms and not the cause. The Alcat Test is now considered the, “gold standard” laboratory method for identification of non-IgE mediated reactions to foods, chemicals, and other substances.