As a Clinical Nutritionist we have several independent laboratories such as Nutripath, RN Labs and Integrative Labratories available to us we can just about test anything in diagnostic pathology.

This can range from basic tests such as a full blood count, iron studies, vitamin D, inflammatory bowel screening, pathogenic infections, cholesterol and liver and kidney health to more comprehensive investigations of thyroid health, immune regulation and intestinal permeability.

If getting proper care and investigations has been a challenge for you in the past, we are here to help support your journey towards better health.

(Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones)

Unfortunately I see countless of women coming though the clinic that are at their wits end and are suffering from the symptoms of imbalanced hormones. This can be anything from migraines to PMS, heavy or irregular periods, anxiety/depression, severe pain and overall mood dysregulation. Not all cases require detailed diagnostic testing but for the more significant cases I utilise DUTCH hormone testing from Precision Analytical, as it is the most comprehensive way to analyse hormone metabolism.

It is absolutely an investment, with the cost at $499 (for the laboratory work itself) but one that will enable both you and I to accurately development proper treatment to regain hormone health. To see a sample report or gain more information please contact me directly.

When does a food allergy occur?

Food reactions can be divided into 3 categories:

1. Allergies IgE

2. Sensitivities

3. Intolerances

Food Allergy

When someone is allergic to an ingested food, the immune system sees this as potentially dangerous and produces the antibody against it and is known as an ‘IgE antibody response’. When antigens then bind to IgE on the surface of intestinal mast cells, they can cause a relatively immediate hypersensitivity reaction - often expressed as a large amount of histamine released into the body’s tissues.

IgE (Immunoglobulin E)

The IgE antibody response is the most commonly known food allergy response. This response usually occurs immediately and can create severe symptoms such as fluid retention, rashes, skin conditions, respiratory challenges, and even anaphylaxis.

IgE reactions can be permanent or can be influenced by working on your intestinal barrier function. About 8 foods account for 95% of food allergies - these include: soy, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and eggs.

IgG Subtype 4

IgG4 is important in relation to IgE because it can act as a blocking agent for an IgE reaction, reducing anaphylaxis and the symptoms mediated by IgE.

When the IgG4 reaction is greater than the IgE reaction for a particular antigen, IgG4 can block the IgE antibodies from binding to the receptor sites that would encourage the release of histamine, thereby reducing severity of the symptoms associated with the IgE reaction. This is referred to as the ‘blocking potential’. So not all IgE reactions are severe.

Food Sensitivity

The symptoms of food sensitivities are often milder than IgE allergy symptoms and the reaction can be delayed up to several days later. Antibodies (IgG) are still produced and cause a milder release of histamine from mast cells to help fight the intruder. This time however, the histamine is released into the bloodstream instead of into the body’s tissues, causing less severe symptoms. The blood can then carry the histamine to any part of the body, causing symptoms to be more widespread, making the sensitivities more difficult to diagnose. IgG reactions create inflammation that makes many health challenges worse.

Consistent exposure to the offending foods can cause trouble in the eyes, sinuses, airways and skin, but may also lead to chronic inflammation, pain, tissue damage and digestive disturbances. Symptoms like a constant runny nose, poor appetite, frequent headaches, mood changes, dark circles under the eyes and eczema are highly suspect of being a result of one or several food sensitivities because they don’t come on suddenly and tend to linger.

C3d (Complement component 3)

A dietary antigen test (IgG with Complement) measures the ‘complement activation’ for multiple foods. Complement activation is well-defined in the research as not only a cause of inflammation but one of the strongest causes. Reaction to the specified food will worsen if C3d activation is present along with an IgG antibody response.

When C3d is activated in response to an antigen, the C3 portion attaches to the antigen. This activation, even though it is independent, will amplify the reaction that occurs with total IgG greatly increasing inflammation and symptoms of sensitivity.

Thus all of the measurements (IgE, IgG (Subtypes 1-4) and C3d) are an important part of ascertaining how your body is responding to foods. This test needs to be sent to the USA for analysis (with an average of 3 weeks turn around for results) and costs $515 for the detailed lab work. For further enquiries, please contact me directly.

What Does a Microbiome Test tell you?

If you’ve had long standing digestive issues, have had all the conventional medical investigations (blood tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy etc) without getting a shift in your digestive health - it could be a deeper issue in an area that is hard to investigate without microbiome profiling.

By capturing a fecal sample, we are able to measure: PCR (quantitative) for parasites/worms, opportunistic bacteria, fungi/yeast, bacterial pathogens, viral pathogens, measure levels of beneficial bacteria; plus gastrointestinal markers that include faecal occult blood, calprotectin (for inflammatory bowel conditions), pancreatic elastase, sIgA, zonulin (measuring intestinal permeability), beta-glucoronidase and short chain fatty acids in the gut environment. Costs for testing are about $415, send me an email for more information.

The age of more personalised medecine has arrived with clinical DNA testing. The tailoring of treatment to patients has always been a fundamental feature of functional and complementary medecine. Now, with advances in genetic testing, we can identify underlying biochemistry and develop protocols to help optimise your wellbeing.

DNA testing highlights the relationship between your genes, nutition and lifestyle and shows specifically where you can improve your health. It can show your predispositions towards ill health and disease, why you may react to certain medications, why you are not absorbing/utilising particular supplements and why you may be more susceptable to anxiety/depression and inflammatory conditions.

It is important to remember that your genes do not determine your destiny. Having particular gene variations may include that certain functional aspects of your biochemistry may be altered, but knowing this provides you with the opportunity to be empowered to take targeted preventative measures. We may also request blood tests for additional information.

We offer individual testing panels that focus on specific biochemical processes such as:

• Methylation and transulfuration profile

• Hormones & fertility profile

• Neurotransmitter & cognition profile

• Detoxification profile

• Nutrigenomic/health profile

Prices will vary depending on what genetic panels you test for.