Resource Direct to Consumer Testing sites - some local, some online

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Not dead yet! submitted a new resource:

Direct to Consumer Testing sites - some local, some online - It is now possible to request many important blood tests wihtout a doctor's prescription.

During my own research into my health I was surprised and pleased to find many online and local direct to consumer labs that willl perform blood tests and screenings for almost anything you can imagine. Hepatitis panels that include all 3 types, thyroid levels as detailed as you want, celiac tests including genetic testing, often for less than $100 each, although many of the tests I want cost around $400, for instance a 500-item allergy panel that uses ex-vivo blood responses to determine...

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ALCAT vs MRT food allergy testing:

Although the ALCAT test gets a lot of play in the direct to consumer labs, there is another one called MRT which is less popular mainly because you'd need an MD, ND, or Dietician to order it (still under patent). There's a lot of controversy around it (google "cytotoxic testing" for the mud-puddle), it does seen to be "peer reviewed" in the sense that its technology is published in an alternative magazine called the Townsend Letter and is therefore reviewed by alternative practitioners.

I'm not a huge fan of peer review. I think it kills good ideas before they can benefit anyone, and can be used as a weapon to destroy competition. But when I ended up on a dietician's website for a comparison of ALCAT vs MRT food sensitivity testing, I had a moment of doubt when I saw she had the pdf on her personal website. More googling showed me that the Townsend Letter didn't seem like total bs, and that these tests are distinct from "cytotoxic testing" which involves someone using a microscope to look at blood and making subjective judgements. So I'm fairly ok with it. If anyone has more information (pro or con) of MRT testing or ALCAT even, I'd like to know about it. I'm still leaning toward ALCAT because it's more available though.

https://getwellified.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Townsend-Letter-MRT-Pasula.pdf

I do wish that I could find the answer for why it isn't published in PLOS at least. I mean, was it tried and rejected? I imagine it was tried at least a few times and they gave up, but I'd like to know about it. I realize my neutral stance on peer review isn't the norm, but anyone who spends any time on twitter and uses #peerreview will find the deep concerns many researchers have about it.

That said, if anyone else is looking for information about ALCAT and MRT, this is a good place to start.