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Writer's pictureJennifer Keith

6 Functional Labs That Get to the Root Causes

Updated: Jun 26

Have you gone from doctor to doctor running all kinds of tests to try and find out what is going on with your body and why you're experiencing symptoms?


That's what I did. 


When my primary doctor couldn't figure out why my liver enzymes were elevated and why my hair fell out, she referred me to get an ultrasound.  When the ultrasound came back normal, I was sent from specialist to specialist.  I ended up doing a skin biopsy, liver biopsy, and multiple blood tests.  It turns out there was nothing physically wrong with my liver (or my skin).  There were however multiple imbalances going on with my body, not to mention pathogens, yeast, and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).  There were also genetic factors that were contributing to symptoms as well.  I now know that all of these things can be balanced and supported to allow for healing. 


Often times, doctors run tests to make sure there's nothing physically wrong with the body but are unable to get to the root causes of symptoms.  That's why running the proper tests is so important.  There are really just 6 essential tests that will get to the root causes for the majority of people.  There are a few more tests that some people may need to run, but the 6 tests I'm going to talk about will give you so much information as to what your body needs, what imbalances you have, and what is ultimately causing the symptoms you're experiencing.


The first test is a genetics test.  Genetics is super important because you can see what mutations you have.  For example, I have two mutations on my CBS enzyme (which is very common).  When active, it causes high sulfur levels which can cause symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, and more.  In looking at our genetics we can see how our phase one detox pathway is functioning as well.  The really cool thing is, there are supplements and herbs we can take to optimize the genetic mutations we have and steps we can take to help turn off those genetic mutations that are causing issues.

  

The next important test to run is an Organic Acids test.  Organic Acids tell us if we have high levels of yeast and bacteria; how our mitochondria are functioning; how we metabolize fats, carbs, and proteins; neurotransmitter metabolites; indicators of detoxification; and more.



The next test, which rounds out the 3 foundation tests, is a full panel bloodwork.  A full panel includes comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood count, lipid panel, complete iron panel, complete thyroid panel, homocysteine, and vitamins D3 and B12.


Some of the information we get from looking at the three foundations tests are: nutritional deficiencies, detox pathways function, thyroid function, kidney and liver function, and neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.


After the foundation protocols are on board for a few months I have clients run a DUTCH test which shows sex hormones and adrenals.  Most doctors don't run a DUTCH test which is unfortunate because it is the best test for hormones, since it shows how your body is metabolizing the hormones.  This gives us insight into fertility issues and hormonal conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) for women and prostate function for men.  The DUTCH test also shows adrenal function, nutritional markers, organic acids markers, and more.



The last two tests, the Parawellness test and the GI Map test, I run after all the other support is on board.  If you go to gut work too quickly it can actually do more harm than good to your body and often times will end up being counterproductive.  See my blog post titled What You Need to Know Before Addressing Your Gut Health.  The Parawellness tests for parasites and protozoa and the GI Map tests for yeast and bacteria.  Often times the symptoms we're experiencing are due in part to pathogens and poor gut health, so going on the correct protocol to take care of these things is an important part of healing.  It's important to prep properly for both of these tests.  If you don't break up the biofilm of these pathogens, they won't show up on the test results.


Running these 6 tests takes the guess work out of figuring out what's going on with your body and what's causing symptoms! 


Want more info about healing from health issues?  Click here to sign up for my free video series. If you're looking for a practitioner and want to contact me or sign up for a free 20-minute health assessment, click here to visit my website.

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