Gastro Intestinal Disorders
Although overlooked by many doctors, the gastrointestinal system, is an area that can deliver crucial information about whether your body is functioning properly. Specialty testing provides detailed information about whether your gut operates effectively to deliver the nutrients you need to thrive. The cellular function of every organ in your body is dependent on nourishing substances obtained through digestion.
Before discomfort or disease develops, it is possible to determine whether food breaks down into usable substances, whether you absorb certain nutrients, and whether you properly eliminate waste. A healthy body also has beneficial bacteria to counteract the impact of “bad” bacteria, and produces and secretes enzymes, hormones and digestive chemicals.
Food allergies, toxins, sugar, antibiotics, parasites and stress can wreak havoc with your gastrointestinal system, upsetting the balance in your intestine as well as allowing harmful substances to enter the system. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal discomfort may be the first clue that something is wrong with the digestive tract, but did you know allergies or simple lack of energy and fatigue can often be traced to digestive problems as well?
Chronic vaginal infections may result from similar flora imbalances as in the intestine. Laboratory examination of vaginal secretions can help you to identify the exact cause of chronic itching, discomfort, or discharge, and establish a treatment program to get you back on track.
Probiotics and Antibiotics
The intestinal tract contains large amounts of beneficial bacteria that produce some B vitamins and provide stimulus for proper immune function. However, if your stomach acid is not adequate, if you fail to digest protein, or if your diet does not supply sufficient fiber, the resulting overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria can release toxic products that your body must remove. These toxic products include: benzoate, hippurate, phenylacetate, phenylpropionate, p-hydroxybenzoate, p-hydroxyphenylacetate, indican, and tricarballylate. Your potential to benefit from consuming extra sources of favorable organisms (called probiotics) may go up as the number of toxic compounds and their concentrations increase.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
D-Lactate elevation is an exception to the use of probiotics just described. Lactobacillus acidophilus is widely considered a favorable bacterium to colonize the human gut. It has beneficial effects in many individuals. However, if you have any tendency for carbohydrate malabsorption, even favorable organisms (i.e., L. acidophilus) can grow so fast that your blood becomes highly acidic due to the formation of D-lactate. This condition is revealed by high D-lactate in urine.
Saccharomyces Boulardii
It is difficult to know the exact identification of organisms that may be producing the compounds found in your urine. However, one specific compound, dihydroxyphenylpropionate seems to be strongly associated with a particularly troublesome type of bacteria called Clostridia. This organism is frequently the cause of travelers diarrhea, but its by-products may produce other symptoms. Species of Clostridia are particularly susceptible to displacement by the favorable organism called Saccharomyces boulardii that is available in capsules.
Antifungals
Yeast is another class of microbes that can chronically grow in the intestinal tract and cause health effects through the release of toxic metabolites. Because of the multiple, non-specific symptoms they can produce, doctors have searched for ways to know when yeast overgrowth is a problem. D-Arabinitol is uniquely produced by intestinal yeast, and the degree of elevation is a useful marker of its growth. Favorable organisms and herbal or pharmaceutical antifungal agents suppress
Specialty Gastro-Intestinal testing can reveal clinical information...See Also Information on Leaky Gut