Chronic Disease, Health Matters, Immune Health, Mental Health,Microbiome, Prevention
Probiotics. They are an official health buzzword. For many people, they are the ONE supplement that has been tried to help with gas and bloating. From there, the online wormhole will throw you digestive enzymes, FODMAP diets and gluten-free meal plans. While not necessarily bad when used at the right time or place, what’s frustrating is when these best efforts make little difference to how you are feeling… This situation is soooo common. People frequently come into my office having tried so many things, often well intentioned, but with little outcome. Usually, when little or no progress has been made it is because the root of the problem has not been uncovered. Trial and error is one approach, but testing and deductive isolation is perhaps more efficacious.
When it comes to digestive symptoms, for many years, functional tests and evaluations have been inaccessible to many due to cost. This little test is an exception and can be done in the office, with just a small sample of urine.
Curious to narrow down ‘the cause’ of your digestive discomfort, check out the Indican test in action.
The Indican test can indicate dysbiosis (bad organisms in the gut, including Candida) and Leaky gut. Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, and occurs when inflammation creates swelling of the cells that line the digestive system. When these cells swell, the tight junctions, or barriers, between the cells can become broken, enabling large molecules, such as protein to cross the lining of the gut. The results are systemic symptoms or auto-immune reactions in the body.
The Indican test can be helpful, in particular, if any of the following apply to you:
- Gas and bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Auto-immune reactions such as Hashimoto’s
- Frequent anti-biotic use
- Ongoing use of a proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium or Prevacid for acid reflux
- Chronic sensitivities to foods, medications or supplements
While not specific, the Indican test is great way of assessing how the digestive system may be involved in your particular health concern.
If you think this may be helpful for you, reach out by email or come on in for a follow-up and we will assess whether this is something that makes sense for you.