Functional Testing
Specific laboratory tests aim to evaluate the health status of an individual, by measuring the functionality of organs and various systems in the body, in addition to simply looking at indications of disease, which many regular tests carried out through the NHS and conventional practice are restricted to.
Many health professionals and Naturopaths believe that a healthy gut is the foundation to good health. A variety of tests are available to assess the health and function of your digestion. These range from looking at levels of digestive enzymes, the balance of ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ gut bacteria, the presence of parasites or fungal infections, and gut permeability (how well your gut wall is functioning as a barrier). Tests are also available for H-Pylori infection.
Allergy & Antibody Profiles
These tests assess you body’s reaction to a wide range of foods, food additives and other potential allergens in the environment, which may be causing you health problems. Food intolerances are thought to play a part in many digestive and chronic health conditions, with symptoms ranging from bloating, diarrhoea & constipation to joint pain, headaches and skin conditions. Food Allergy Cellular Tests (FACT) measure immunological responses in your blood (sample taken) when food or other substances are introduced to the sample in the lab. This test is used to identify food intolerances. For more acute reactions such as peanut allergies and for environmental allergens, IgE tests can also be conducted. Antibody profiles are also available for assessing problems with candida albicans and gluten.
Practically all systems in the body are controlled by our hormones. However, poor diet, stressful lifestyles and exposure to toxins can disrupt hormonal levels, meaning they become too high or too low and no longer do their jobs efficiently. Hormones commonly tested include those produced by the thyroid (which regulate our metabolism), the adrenals (stress hormones) and female and male sex hormones (influence menstrual cycles in women and fertility and mood in both sexes). Disruption of these hormones can have profound effects on our health. If an imbalance is found, following assessment of these substances in our blood or saliva, nutritional and lifestyle intervention can frequently balance these out over the following months.
The levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and toxic metal elements can be measured either in your hair or blood. Inadequate levels of nutrients or excessive levels of heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium or lead can lead to vast array of health complaints, from arthritis, infertility and osteoporosis to fatigue, depression and behavioural disorders to name but a few. Long-term imbalances in these substances is also associated with many serious diseases such cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Assessment enables nutritional programmes to be very specific and for treatment success to be monitored.
Many other more specialised tests are available and all assess how well you body is functioning. These include:
- Liver Detoxification Profile
- Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
- Chronic Fatigue Screen
- Insulin Resistance Profile
- Fatty Acid Profile
- Osteoporosis Risk Assessment
- Amino Acid Profile
- Homocysteine Level Assessment
- Cholesterol
- Anaemia Profile
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