Do you have a niggling sense that something isn’t quite right, but you’re not sure where to go
for help? Do you suffer from painful periods (with worsening mood swings) or creeping weight gain and constant fatigue? Functional Medicine Tests are a great place to start!

The best way to find the answers you’re looking for is through testing. Most doctors (unless they are trained in functional medicine) only offer basic pathology tests, which often reveal that everything is ‘normal’. Yet your body might be telling you a different story!

Functional medical testing won’t just give you a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. It will provide reams of very personal information on your digestion or hormones, which can help you, once and for all, get to the bottom of your symptoms.

These new functional tests also provide insight into where your body is heading so you can start making changes to steer yourself towards optimal health.

Here is a little more information on the two tests I run most frequently with clients.

DUTCH HORMONE TEST

The Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH) is a one-stop-shop to look at your stress and sex hormones. Forget endless spitting for saliva tests and unpleasant blood work.

This renowned test is very simple to do and only requires 4 easy to collect dried urine samples.

Your in-depth report will reveal your:

Balance between oestrogen and progesterone which can shed light on fertility issues, PMS and perimenopausal symptoms.

Oestrogen metabolites. These reveal how your body is detoxifying oestrogen. If your oestrogen is not being metabolised down the healthy pathway it can increase your risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, cysts and fibroids.

Testosterone adequate amounts are important for both men and women. If you’re suffering from low sex drive, mood and fatigue, your levels might be low. The test also looks at whether the hormone is being processed down the 5a-DHT pathway it can cause skin problems, hair loss and PCOS symptoms in women.

IN ADDITION the DUTCH provides information on:

Cortisol. We need this hormone to wake us up in the morning but too much can leave us in a
chronic state of stress, causing inflammation, weight gain and disrupted sleep.

Vitamin B12 which is vital for energy and brain function

Melatonin. Low melatonin can affect sleep quality making it difficult to fall or stay asleep.

GI MAP COMPREHENSIVE STOOL TEST 

This stool test allows us to see what’s going on in the gastrointestinal system. It provides a comprehensive picture of the microbiome (both your levels of ‘beneficial’ and pathogenic bacteria) as well as many other markers.

Here are just some of the areas it covers:

ENZYME OUTPUT: A client’s levels of Elastase-1 give an indication of their enzyme output. This is crucial for being able to efficiently digest food (without gas and bloating) as well as for absorption of nutrients. 

CALPROTECTIN: This is an inflammatory marker and if it’s raised we focus on supplements and diet to drive down inflammation. This is particularly important to look at for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s. 

ZONULIN: This provides an indication of intestinal permeability (leaky gut).  Under typical conditions, the small intestinal barrier permits the entry of small, digested proteins, nutrients, and water into the bloodstream while blocking larger, undigested molecules. Leaky gut is a state characterised by increased permeability and can lead to a whole host of symptoms including headache and fatigue – as well as contribute to systemic inflammation.

Interested in getting a Functional Medicine Test to see what’s going on for you? Please get in touch!