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Allergy
Advisor as a Professional Resource for Current Knowledge
and Research
For a number of
years now, Allergy
Advisor* has been an unprecedented source of
information for those interested in the current status
of research into food allergies and intolerances.
As we said earlier, research into the biochemical
mechanisms and potentially elusive relationships between
problematic foods and symptoms is continually
growing and evolving, but few professionals have the
time to keep themselves fully up-to-date by tracking and
monitoring relevant literature on a regular basis.
Allergy
Advisor's journal abstract database provides a
central point of reference for the latest food allergy
and intolerance research, being updated three times
per year with references, and whenever possible,
abstracts.
The bullet
points below summarize some of the key features that
make Allergy
Advisor* an invaluable resource for current
knowledge and research into food allergies and
intolerances. Click on any of the links to view a
screenshot of the feature.
- The first
choice ("Foods
and Substances") on Allergy Advisor's Main
Menu is logically the focal point of the
program. Most users would start their search
for foods and other allergenic substances through
the substance
search and information window. As users
tap into other features throughout the program, they
will frequently find that this window also opens to
display further details about a substance. The
substance search and information window has six tabs
beyond the first-displayed "Substance"
screen, including:
- The
types of food a substance is (or may be) found
in. An extremely valuable feature of
this tab, if the user is connected to the
Internet, is a button that performs and displays
the results for a PubMed search about the
substance in question.
- Valuable
background
information about the food/substance and the
allergens contained within it.
- Clinically
documented adverse
reactions to the food or substance.
This feature can also be accessed through a
button on Allergy Advisor's Main
Menu screen.
- Summaries
(with references) of possible cross-reactions
with other foods or substances. This
feature can also be accessed through a button on
Allergy Advisor's Main
Menu screen.
- Listing
of substances found within the same biological
family, including pop-up windows that allow
the user to explore botanical
relationships and family-genus
relationships between substances. A
similar feature can also be accessed through a
button on Allergy Advisor's Main
Menu screen.
- A
listing of journal
references, and where possible abstracts,
related to the food or substance in question.
- Information
about other "subcomponent" substances can
be found through the Substances
Menu, including:
- The Search
& Internet Menu allows users to easily
search the entire Allergy Advisor database, its
sub-database of journal abstracts, or even relevant
professional web sites.
- Users can
even network and share information with other
Allergy Advisor users and Allergy Resources
International through the Advisor
Forum feature. This form of networking is
always a valuable way of keeping fellow
professionals abreast of new developments and ideas.
* Formerly
known as the Food Additives and Preservatives Allergy
and Intolerance Database, or "FAP AID" for
short.
Click
on the links below to move to other sections of this
article.
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