|
Many people wrongly believe that hundreds of different substances must be tested in order to understand where a food intolerance originates. This could be useful (although not always) in the case of specific allergies, but when faced with an intolerance whose inflammatory reaction actually derives from the summation of the inflammation produced by the various substances, we especially need to know which of the Great Food Groups are involved.
In the classic European diet, an intolerance to wheat will have greater value than one to peppers, because (excluding rare exceptions) by the end of a typical day, the majority of Europeans have usually introduced more flour (or milk, or bread) into their intestines than peppers or Cola nuts.
The "specific weight" of any food in an average diet greatly depends on the habits of the population in question. As a matter of fact, the origin of food hypersensitivities is linked to the repetition of the stimulus, and we can be sure that, for example in the average European population, the use of wheat and related cereals has more impact than "Nutmeg" or "Mandarin oranges". As we often illustrate, while Europeans are mostly intolerant to Milk, Wheat and Yeast, the Japanese are often intolerant to Rice and Soy. Therefore a delayed food allergy is often attributed to those foods that are most abundantly used in one's diet.
A possible allergy to a substance that is rarely used (the spice pepper, for example), is usually reported by the patient to the doctor, who will then investigate the diagnosis. The problem that arises from delayed allergies, on the other hand, depends on the fact that the perception of discomfort induced by the food is often distorted and it's difficult to identify the responsible food. The ALCAT test, like the DRIA test, is specifically used to identify those foods that create the specific discomfort, but their interpretation will be focused on identifying the specific great food group and not the specific substance.
The identification of the single substance can be useful for evaluating IgE mediated allergies, for studying the reactivity to chemical substances, additives and preservatives (as in the ALCAT KIT) and in the second level analysis of food intolerances.
The Great food groups related to the European population are:
- Wheat and related cereals (barley, malt, spelt, kamut, etc.)
- Milk and dairy products (derived form cow's milk) (cheeses, yogurt, etc.)
- Fermented foods and those with a high salt content (yeast related, salt, fermentation, presence of fungi or yeasts, from bread to tea, from wine to vinegar and even matzo bread and bakery products without added yeast)
- Nickel, hydrogenated fats and related products (from cacao to tomato, from kiwi to industrially prepared foods or cooked oils)
- Natural salycilates (often the cause of urticaria, polyps, rhinitis, eczema)
The first diagnosis of intolerance, in keeping with the most modern and scientifically up to date approach, must serve as a guide for identifying only the great food groups involved ion the inflammatory reaction, the formulation of a diet for aiding tolerance recovery and the re-integration of these substances within a varied and enjoyable diet.
Therefore, a test must explore a minimum amount of substances in order to identify the Great Groups.
When too many substances are tested, confusion occurs and the patient receives false representations.
Alternatively, when we know the Groups, we can formulate effective rotational re-introduction diets that allow for a "weaning" process, that is, a return to tolerance of those foods and the ability to eat them once again without difficulty.
Doctor Attilio Speciani
Clinical Allergist and Immunologist
|
About us 
