THE FOOD DOC   THE FOOD GUT DOC

This website is pending major upgrade/reconstruction but in interim this current site is an educational website providing useful information and resources for "Healthy Gut, Healthy Life".  Learn about links between food, microbes, digestive tract and health.   Sign up for periodic updates from The Food Doc at  http://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1452720107.htm    Follow The Food Doc on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Thefooddoc and Twitter http://twitter.com/thefoodgutdoc Sfor free Digestive Health Smartbrief to get latest breaking news from American College of Gastroenterologists and Dr. Scot Lewey. 

Food Allergies versus Food Intolerance Introduction

Foods, additives and chemicals in the diet are capable of triggering non-allergic immune reactions. Allergy to foods causes a specific type of immune response, the "allergic response", that is evaluated by skin tests and IgE RAST antibody testing. These tests will be negative if the food reaction is not allergic.

Chemical mediators released by the immune system are capable of producing a variety of body reactions and symptoms that can be triggered by foods or other ingested food additives or chemicals. Mediator release (MRT) testing measures the release of chemical mediators from white blood cells and platelets in response to specific foods, additives or chemicals. Such chemical reactions presumably indicate sensitivity to these foods or additives

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About Dr. Scot Lewey, the Food Doc

Dr. Lewey graduated from osteopathic medical school where he embraced the tradition of treating the whole person. He went on to complete his post-doctoral residency and fellowship training culminating in board certifications in the specialties of internal medicine, pediatrics, and the subspecialty of gastroenterology. For over two decades Dr. Lewey has practiced medicine and conducted clinical research.

Dr. Lewey is an adjunct clinical faculty of the Rocky Vista University-College of Osteopathic Medicine where he holds the position of Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine. His honors include being elected to Fellow Status of several professional societies including Fellow, American College of Gastroenterologists (FACG) and Fellow, and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (FASGE). He was selected by the Consumers Research Council of America as one of America's Top Gastroenterologists for 2010 and 2011 http://www.consumersresearchcncl.org/Healthcare/Gastroenterologists/gastroenterologists.html, for his expertise Celiac and Digestive Diseases, based on evaluations that included education and continuing education, number of years practicing in the medical profession, board certifications and affiliations with professional medical associations. allergy, intolerance and sensitivity. His interests expanded after his personal and family experiences with allergies, celiac disease, gluten and dairy sensitivity. He was selected for honor of Leading Physicians of the World for 2011-2012.

Dr. Lewey has wrote several chapters in Cereal Killers-Celiac Disease and Gluten from A to Z. Purchase a copy here at amazon.com.  

 Dr. Lewey was voted "Gluten Free Doctor of the Year" 
 http://www.foggyawards.com/gluten-free-doctor-of-the-year/ and for the second year in a row received honors of Leading Physicians of the World and Colorado Springs Style Magazine, Top Doctors recognitions.

Celiac Disease Diagnosis and Biopsy Introduction

The diagnosis of celiac disease is confirmed by a characteristic abnormal appearance of the small intestine under the microscope. Flattening of the normal finger like projections called villi accompanied by signs of inflammation is taken to indicate damage or injury from the storage protein gluten in wheat and similar proteins in barley and rye. The small intestine biopsy became the gold standard for the establishing the diagnosis of Celiac disease or gluten sensitive enteropathy though before 1960 gluten withdrawal followed by improvement and subsequent worsening upon rechallenge was the diagnostic criteria.

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 Blood tests are available to screen for bowel inflammation diseases known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), e.g. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Prometheus Laboratories has recently introduced an updated blood test panel for IBD, IBD sgi. This panel includes not only blood antibody tests that screen for UC and Crohn's disease but adds genetic testing for Crohn's disease and markers for active intestinal inflammation. An example of the new test is below. See the page on this site that reviews these tests and IBD in more detail.