Food Sensitivity
Uncover which foods and other substances trigger chronic inflammation and its related health issues such as digestive or metabolic disorders. Identifying and avoiding substances you are sensitive to can help relieve chronic inflammation so you feel your best.
The Alcat 40 Male Herbs panel tests for 40 of the commonly used herbs for men’s health, including:
To view all the foods/items tested on different panels, please go here.
*The Alcat tests for non-celiac reactions to gluten. To find out if your sensitivity is actually celiac disease, please see our Celiac, IBS, and Chrohn’s Arrays.
About the 50 Functional Foods and Medicinal Herbs Test Panel
The Alcat 40 Male Herbs test panel tests for reactions to 40 of the most common herbs used to support men’s health and wellness. The herbs included in this panel are used for a wide variety of health reasons such as improving prostate and reproductive health, protecting heart health, and managing stress and mental health. Herbs beneficial for men’s health such as saw palmetto, Siberian ginseng, horny goat weed, and stinging nettle root are all tested for.
About the Alcat Food and Chemical Sensitivity Test
The Alcat Food and Chemical Sensitivity Test measures personalized nutrition at the cellular level. The Alcat is a blood test that tests for your body’s innate immune system response to a wide array of substances, including foods, additives, colorings, and chemicals.
Your blood sample is exposed to these substances and measured against your baseline control to determine sensitivity. Substances are then sorted into high reactivity, moderate activity, mild reactivity, and no reactivity.
The Alcat is a food screening test, it does not diagnose a disease, but it may help with many chronic conditions associated with, or influenced by, food such as:
To view a sample report, please go here.
To view the latest Alcat study on weight loss benefits, click here.
Food Sensitivity
Uncover which foods and other substances trigger chronic inflammation and its related health issues such as digestive or metabolic disorders. Identifying and avoiding substances you are sensitive to can help relieve chronic inflammation so you feel your best.
No. Fasting is not required. However, we recommend NOT taking any medications or supplements at least 4 hours prior to the blood draw.
It is not necessary to postpone testing if, despite medication use, inflammatory symptoms persist. However, to the extent medication can be reduced prior to testing, the patient should do so, under the supervision of a healthcare provider. If the individual is taking a medication on a long-term basis without the possibility of discontinuing it, the results would be reflective of his/her current status while taking that medication. If a medication is taken short term and the individual has been advised by his/her practitioner to discontinue it, it would be best to wait two weeks after the medication is discontinued.
It is generally necessary to have a white blood cell (WBC) count to be greater than 3500 per microliter in order to have enough cells to test. If a sufficient WBC quantity is a concern, it might be best to have an extra tube or two of blood drawn. If possible, do not take any medications at least 4 hours before blood draw.
No, you may test directly through our website or one of our program advisors at PreviMedica. We do require a blood draw provided by a medical professional that we can assist in arranging. You may also take part in our additional support programs.
Insurance plans do not reimburse for this test, currently. If you have an HSA account or FSA account, you may be able to use that for reimbursement.
Each tube must be filled to capacity. Failure to do so may require recollection.
You can expect your test kit to arrive in 3-5 business days, depending on where you reside.
All foods known to elicit a true IgE allergic response (not detected by the Alcat Test) should be avoided at all costs.
Numerous pathways may provoke the cellular response detected by the Alcat Food and Chemical Sensitivity Test. Some may require exposure, others do not.
For suspected food offenders (not allergies) that have been avoided previous to testing, priming the system by consuming those foods two to three times within the week prior to testing would be best. For patients who do not wish to consume the suspected “problem foods” prior to testing, it is important to be aware that the cellular response measured by the Alcat Test, may or may not occur for those suspected foods, depending on the pathway responsible for the response.
Specimens must be shipped via UPS/FedEx the same day blood is drawn. Check with UPS/FedEx prior to your draw for express delivery cutoff times. When using a blood draw company through us for the blood draw, they will return the kit to us. A return shipping label will be inside the kit.
BEFORE YOU SEND YOUR SPECIMEN!
IMPORTANT: “Lab Requisition Form” inside your kit REQUIRES YOUR SIGNATURE on the FRONT of the document so we may provide services.
Alcat Food and Chemical Sensitivity results are available online within 5-7 business days after the specimen is received in the laboratory.
You will be notified via email when your specimen arrives at the laboratory with notification of when to expect your results. Once your results are ready, they will be uploaded to our secure portal and you will receive an email notification indicating your results are ready for you to view. Please follow the instructions to start your account on the PreviMedica portal.
Because the immune system is a dynamic and changing system in the body and the sensitivity to foods may differ in a few months, we suggest you don’t delay. The sooner you understand what foods to avoid and what foods to consume within a varied pattern, the sooner you can get started and start to feel your best.
The Alcat Test is NOT a food allergy test. It is designed to test for sensitivities, which involve a delayed, not necessarily an immediate, response. If you have true food allergies, continue to avoid those foods at all costs, regardless of the reaction or nonreaction determined by the Alcat Test.
Each food sensitivity test (of 150 foods or more) purchased through PreviMedica includes a complimentary one-month membership with PreviMedica, providing access to nutrition experts and educational resources. Your membership includes two 1:1 video sessions with the nutrition practitioner assigned to you.
PreviMedica’s nutrition advisors are eager to be on your health care team for as long as you need. To continue benefiting from monthly memberships, please contact us.
If you have decided not to proceed with testing, please inform your program advisor, in writing, within 30 days of your purchase. Please return the test kit at your expense to:
Cell Science Systems/PreviMedica
852 South Military Trail
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Once we receive the returned kit, a refund will be processed less the $75.00 cancellation fee and shipping if applicable.
Please DO NOT use the FedEx shipping bag to return the kit. If the bag/label is used, an additional fee of $28.00 will also be deducted from your refund amount. For cancellations after a specimen has shipped to the lab, the cancellation fee is $125.00 to be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
No refund will be issued if a request to cancel is received after 90 days from the test order date. You have the option to use credit toward another test or to transfer the original test ordered to a family member or friend as a gift. Specimens for new or gifted tests must be received within 30 days of this request.
Disclaimer: It is important to note that food sensitivity testing is distinct from food allergy testing. While both tests share the objective of identifying potential food reactions, they vary in their diagnostic methodology and the types of reactions they detect. Food allergy testing commonly focuses on immediate, life-threatening reactions to foods, while food sensitivity testing aims to detect delayed responses that can be less severe but still affect one's health. Therefore, we strongly advise consulting with a qualified healthcare professional to determine which testing approach is most suitable for your particular situation.
