As a Nutritional Therapist, my work sometimes requires the interpretation of test
results brought to me by clients. These tests may have been ordered by other
Nutritional Therapists or a General Practitioner or other clinician. The results of the
tests help me to better understand the unique nutritional needs of my clients.
I am able to organise functional tests. These are chosen to add useful
information to my decision making process concerning current and future food,
food substrate and lifestyle suggestions. A number of laboratories make these tests
available to nutritional therapists, and my role is to relate the test results to my
patient and find out if there are any specific nutritional deficiencies. The aim is
always to help each client achieve an optimal level of wellness through the use of
careful and individualised dietary and lifestyle modification.
The functional tests that are used by Nutritional Therapists may include:
- Digestive profiles
- Hormonal imbalances
- Immune imbalances
- fatty acid profiles
- cardiovascular profiles
- mineral / vitamin profiles
- food allergies and intolerances
- Stress profiles
Food intolerance testing
There are a number of tests available relating to food sensitivities and indeed there may be multiple causes of food sensitivity. In some cases a digestive stool analysis may be more appropriate.
Adrenal Stress Profile
This is a useful test for measuring the body’s response to stress. The test evaluates levels of the body’s important stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA. This profile is a tool for uncovering biochemical imbalances underlying fatigue, anxiety, depression, obesity, dysglycaemia, and a range of other clinical conditions.
Digestive Stool Analysis
An all round assessment of the health of your digestive system. The CDSA includes analyses of digestion, absorption, metabolic makers, immunology, bacteriology, and mycology. This profile is recommended for patients with diffuse and non-specific GI-related symptoms, such as indigestion, dysbiosis, constipation, and diarrhoea.
ONE (Optimal Nutritional Evaluation)™
This panel includes key organic acids to evaluate gastrointestinal function and functional need for vitamins, minerals, and co-factors. In addition, amino acids are measured to assess digestion, absorption, metabolic impairments, and nutritional deficits. Anti-oxidant reserves and the presence of oxidative injury are analyzed.
Rhythm™
This test analyzes 11 saliva samples over a 28-day period for the levels of ß-estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, providing clues about menstrual irregularities, infertility, endometriosis, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.
Candida Antibody Profile
Candida is a yeast that is part of our digestive flora, however in some individuals the natural balance of the gut is disrupted leading to a pathogenic form of the organism. This results in many symptoms ranging from fatigue, bloating, diarrhoea/constipation, muscle aches and headaches, to name but a few. This test is used not only for detecting the presence of the infection but also as an indicator of the stage of the condition.
