Gastrointestinal
Digestion and Gut Function Analysis
A healthy gut is the foundation to good health whereby your gut is the central hub of your whole body. Indeed, digestive disorders are associated with many conditions that manifest far from the gastrointestinal tract.
Digestive complaints are very common and often a prime motivator for consulting a nutritional therapist. Fortunately, a variety of non-invasive tests are available to assess specific gastrointestinal imbalances, as well as evaluate your digestive health and function. These include measuring the balance of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ gut bacteria, digestive enzyme levels, the presence of parasites, H. pylori infection, bacterial or fungal overgrowths, and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract.
Tests are also available to assess the status of, and differentiate between, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD). Intestinal permeability can also be measured whereby increased permeability is associated with many systemic disorders, the malabsorption of nutrients, and a number of chronic gastrointestinal imbalances.
Immunology
Immunology Tests: Allergy and Antibody Profiles
Food and environmental allergens have been implicated in a wide variety of conditions affecting virtually every part of the body. Symptoms can range from the discomfort of bloating and diarrhoea/constipation, to more severe illnesses such as arthritis and coeliac disease.
A number of antibody profiles are available to assess your body’s reaction to a wide range of foods and food additives. Your reaction to other potential allergens in the environment such as pollen, animals, and house dust mites can also be evaluated. Some lab tests target the causes of immediate (IgE) allergic reactions, while others measure the sources of delayed (IgG) reactions. These ‘delayed’ reactions are frequently referred to as ‘intolerances’, which may not appear for days after exposure to an antigenic or allergic substance.
Functional laboratory tests are also available for assessing problems with Candida albicans, gluten (coeliac profiles), and lactose intolerance.
Endocrine
Hormone Profiles
Practically all systems in the body are controlled by hormones, which are chemical messengers that regulate the activity of certain cells or organs. A poor diet, stressful lifestyle and exposure to toxins may disrupt our hormonal levels, resulting in profound adverse effects on health. A range of functional tests are available to evaluate our different hormones, including:
- Adrenal Stress Hormone Profile: Evaluates our levels of cortisol and DHEA, thereby serving as a critical tool for uncovering biochemical imbalances underlying anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, and a host of other conditions. Please see our article: ‘Testing Your Adrenal Stress Levels’ for further information.
- Thyroid Hormone Profile: Analyses thyroid hormone production and metabolism, the disruption of which affects virtually every metabolic process in the body, including digestion, energy production, and weight management. Thyroid hormone underlies a broad spectrum of chronic illnesses and has a significant effect on our mood, energy levels, weight, and sex drive.
- Sex Hormones Profile: Assesses a range of female sex hormones whereby imbalances can reveal the root causes of issues such as infertility, PMS, menstrual irregularity, and menopausal symptoms. Systemic disorders may also be highlighted.
A nutritional and lifestyle can subsequently be devised to help rebalance your hormones.
Nutrition and Toxins
Nutritional and Toxin Status Assessment
Nutrient deficiencies or excessive levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury or cadmium can instigate a vast array of health complaints, including fatigue, depression, arthritis, osteoporosis, infertility, and behavioural disorders. Long-term imbalances in these substances is also associated with many serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
A number of comprehensive nutritional assessments are available, ranging from basic measurements to more sophisticated evaluations. Examples include organic and amino acids to assess your vitamin and mineral status, protein adequacy, cellular energy production, and neurotransmitter processing.
These tests inform individual dietary and supplementation requirements, and they underpin very specific nutritional programmes with subsequent monitoring of treatment success.
Metabolic
Metabolic Assessment
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in developed countries, and the association between cardiovascular disease and certain metabolic disorders has been recognised since the 1940s.
The clustering of metabolic risk factors in a single individual is now referred to as Metabolic Syndrome, and it is now thought to affect 20-30% of the population in industrialised countries.
The main clinical features include:
- Cholesterol abnormalities
- Elevated fasting glucose
- Elevated fasting insulin
- Elevated triglycerides
- High blood pressure
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
These features can pave the way to diabetes and heart disease, and are associated with other problems such as fatty liver, kidney disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and cognitive decline in the elderly.Genetics and environmental conditions such as diet, sedentary lifestyles and progressive weight gain, play an important role in the development of these conditions. For many years elevated cholesterol was the main focal point of treatment and prevention.
Recent research, however, has revealed new biochemical makers which function as major modifiable determinants of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk. A number of tests are available to measure these significant indicators of risk, meaning that dietary and lifestyle changes may be adopted to decrease the risk of incidence, as well as slow the progression of these diseases.
Associated Laboratories
