Lesson aim
Listen to this excellent discussion between Laura Stirling and Robyn Puglia on what test to consider when investigating the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. For patients with GI symptoms, it is obvious to do GI testing. However, there are also symptoms and conditions when it isn’t. This webinar delves into when to consider GI testing and which GI test to do, and why.
Learning objectives
- When should consider GI testing?
- Guidance on what test to choose stool, SIBO or OAT test
- Advantages and limitations of stool, SIBO and OAT when investigating the GI tract
Watch the webinar
Learn more about our range of advanced gut tests
SIBO Glucose by Breath Trackers: The 3-hour glucose SIBO breath test measures hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) gas levels in response to ingesting glucose. Both hydrogen and methane are expelled during respiration making breath testing a non-invasive way of identifying SIBO. Thorough test preparation as per instructions is crucial to test outcome viability. Breath samples are collected every 20 minutes for 3 hours (1 baseline/control sample & 9 breath samples after ingesting the glucose solution) If SIBO is present, bacteria will metabolise glucose within the small intestine resulting in an early increase in gas production.
The Comprehensive Stool Analysis with PCR: The Comprehensive Stool Analysis with PCR evaluates the status of beneficial bacteria, imbalanced commensal bacteria, pathogenic bacteria and yeasts. If pathogenic cultures are identified, a sensitivity panel is provided to facilitate the selection of pharmaceutical or natural treatment agents. The efficiency of digestion and absorption is measured via faecal elastase, fat, carbohydrate, muscle and vegetable fibres whilst the biomarkers of calprotectin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, white blood cells and mucous can be used to assess inflammation. This can help to differentiate inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from that noted in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Humoral immune status of the gut is measured by secretory IgA (sIgA) while the assessment of short-chain fatty acids reflects overall gut health and microbiome balance. This profile is indicated for gastrointestinal symptoms, autoimmune disease, joint pain, IBD, IBS, inflammation, food sensitivities, nutritional deficiencies and skin conditions.
OAT by Great Plains Lab: Great Plains organic acid test includes 76 urinary metabolites that provide a comprehensive snapshot of a patient’s overall health as the initial screening test and is useful for discovering underlying causes for chronic illness.
Includes biomarkers for:
- Intestinal Microbial Overgrowth
- Oxalate Metabolites
- Glycolytic Cycle Metabolites
- Mitochondrial Makers (Kreb Cycle)
- Neurotransmitter Metabolites
- Folate Metabolism
- Ketone and Fatty Acid Oxidation
- Nutritional Markers
- Indicators of Detoxification
- Amino Acid Metabolites
