A client that had been battling with chronic unknown health concerns for over 10 years and spent tens of thousands of dollars on supporting their health before coming to me, recently received the results of their organic acid profile. After extensive laboratory evaluation through conventional routes, I eventually encouraged this client to have an organic acid profile to better narrow down the cause of their chronic concerns. Organic acid testing is one of the best functional medicine assessment tools that I have.
It is important to note that most of my clients that battle severe health issues have been on strict diets and supplemental support way before coming to see me. This particular case was no different. They had tried many different diet strategies and came to me taking over $400 in supplements per month, which were helping, but barely.
Conventional blood work can only take an evaluation so far before we run out of options. In this case all that seemed to be showing up was a fairly significant protein deficiency. And since proteins are what make our entire body work, when they get to a critical low bad things start to happen. The liver stops working, the brain cannot function efficiently and the toxins that are produced in our body naturally cannot be removed as easily.
In this case it was determined that specific bacteria in the digestive system were munching up all of the protein that this particular client was eating, and producing organic acids that where making them sick. This particular client required special antibiotics to be treated properly but their symptoms resolved quite quickly. The most interesting thing about this case was that there was no apparent digestive issues.
I have provided my clients with hundreds of organic acid tests over the years and every test provides a unique piece of essential information to better help people take control of their health. The following article outlines a small but comprehensive list of different conditions that can be supported through organic acid testing. Take a look!
The benefits of an Organic Acid Test
Posted on Wednesday, February 05, 2014 by Dr. David Jockers
The organic acids test is a simple urine test that looks at biomarkers from various metabolic pathways. These biomarkers give an overview of several major systems in the body and an analysis of nutritional deficiencies in the body. Many functional medicine practitioners believe the organic acids test to provide the most useful data for dollars spent of any metabolic test.
The organic acid biomarkers are metabolic intermediates that are produced in pathways of central energy production, neurotransmitter breakdown, detoxification and intestinal microbial activity. When specific organic acids are found accumulating they often signal a metabolic insufficiency. These insufficiencies could be related to toxicity, a nutritional deficiency or an inherited enzyme deficit.
What health conditions would benefit
There are many health conditions that could be remedied or greatly improved through the specific information the organic acids test provides. For example, many individuals are unable to metabolize folate effectively due to a condition called 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency. The organic acid test can look at methylation rates and help understand if the individual is producing folate and other key B vitamin levels.
MTHFR deficiency is a disorder in folate metabolism and disrupts many key metabolic pathways including serotonin production. These individuals often struggle with depression, mood disorders, thyroid problems, sleep abnormalities and brain degenerative states. When someone has this disorder it is key that they use a supplement with a pre-methylated version of folate called L-methylfolate.
This test also can give a good clue as to what microbes are predominating the gut such as yeast, fungi, Clostridium or Giardia. They also look at glutathione synthesis levels and liver detoxification markers. Overall this test provides excellent information for a specific supplement protocol.
Conditions that could benefit from results of organic acids test
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What does the organic acid test measure
- Vitamin and mineral insufficiencies
- Amino acid insufficiencies like carnitine and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Oxidative damage and antioxidant sufficiency markers
- Indicators to assess detoxification sufficiency
- The best functional markers of B-complex deficiency
- Neurotransmitter metabolites to assess central nervous system (CNS) function
- Mitochondrial energy production assessment via citric acid cycle components
- Methylation sufficiency status
- Lipoic acid and CoQ10 sufficiency markers
- Specific dysbiosis markers for bacterial and yeast overgrowth
Where to get an organic acid test
Most traditional medical doctors are unfamiliar with this sort of testing. You will want to seek out a doctor who practices functional medicine for this sort of testing. The test can range from $300 – $500 depending upon how much information you are looking to ascertain. Most experts would agree that the cost is worth every penny for the valuable information the test provides.
This test is also non-invasive as it is a simple urine collection. This saves you time and money as there is no need for a lab or a medical practitioner to draw blood. You send it in the mail once you have completed the test appropriately.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043781_lab_tests_urine_testing_organic_acid_test.html#ixzz2sYGV4XPJ