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Functional Health Tests

Mary Ann Copson

Certified Licensed Nutritionist

Certified Holistic Health Practitioner

Brain Chemistry Profile Clinician

Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle Coach

Intuitive/Energy Healer

MA - Psychology & Counseling

MA - Human Development

Testing for Dysbiosis

Simple to order. Take the test at home. Mail to the lab.

What is Dysbiosis?

The microecology of the human gastrointestinal tract is an incredibly complex ecosystem. There are at least 500 different species of microflora that are part of the "normal" intestinal flora. There are nine times as many bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract as there are cells in the human body. The type and number of gut bacteria play an important role in determining health and disease.

Dysbiosis is the state of altered microbial ecology that causes disease. In may exist in the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract or vaginal cavity. In dysbiosis, organisms of low intrinsic value, including bacteria, yeasts, and protozoa, induce disease by altering the nutrition or immune responses of the host.

Research has implicated intestinal dysbiosis as contributing to vitamin B12 deficiency, steatorrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune arthropathies, colon and breast cancer, psoriasis, eczema, cystic acne, and chronic fatigue.

A recent type of dysbiosis results from fermentation in the small intestine. In the large intestine, some fermentation is desirable because it produces butyrate and other short chain fatty acids that nourish the cells in the intestinal wall. In the small intestine, however, proliferation of yeast, fungi and /or fermentative bacteria can result in damage to muscosal epithelium, absorption of toxic by-products, and impaired absorption of nutrients.

The major causes of intestinal dysbiosis include:

• Dietary disturbances
  • High protein
  • High sugar
  • High fat
  • Low fiber
  • Food allergies
  • Simple carbohydrates
• Lack of digestive enzymes
• Poor nutritional status
• Stress
• Decreased gut motility
• Presence of xenobiotics
• Antibiotic/drug therapy
• Decreased immune function
• Malabsorption
• Intestinal infection
• Altered pH

Repeated assault on the body from toxic chemicals yields a range of effects. Dysbiosis can produce the obvious intestinal symptoms of

• diarrhea
• burning
• bloating
• cramps
• constipation

Equally important, however, are the effects on tissues far from the intestinal site, such as the brain, joints, and muscles. Effects can be as diverse as:

• Headache
• Insomnia
• Behavioral disorders
• Joint pain
• Learning disorders
• Immune dysfunction
• Chronic fatigue
• Nutritional deficiencies

The most common symptoms of intestinal dysbiosis are bloating, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. Toxic neuromuscular and hormonal interference may be present and nutritional deficiencies are more likely when these markers are elevated. Lactose intolerance, increased gut permeability, food intolerances, fatigue, and immune suppression frequently accompany intestinal dysbiosis.

Yeast overgrowth causes multiple problems with the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. A variety of symptoms, including behavioral disorders and autism in children and mental and emotional disorders in adults, have been associated with overgrowth of these microbes.

Why test for Dysbiosis?

Dybiosis can be a significant factor in many health problems. The Dysbiosis Metabolic Marker Test, because it measures the by-products of microbial metabolism which are excreted in the urine, is particularly useful in detecting the presence of pathogenic microbial overgrowth and in guiding and monitoring therapy.

Treatments for dysbiosis may involve removal of the offending organisms with anti-microbials. Dietary changes and food supplements are used for replacement of beneficial bacteria, restoration of digestive function, and mucosal repair.

A repeat test should show improvement within 90 days.

Urine vs. Stool

When pathogens are distributed throughout the small and large intestines due to chronic infestation, their identification in stool is possible. Stool testing does not reveal the situation in the small intestine, however, and there is increasing evidence that the fecal microbiota does not mirror the colonic situation. Consequently, the major limitations of stool testing are its high degree of false negatives and the greater potential of missing a significant dysbiotic clinical situation. A client with negative stool specimen can have dysbiosis markers in urine, revealing metabolic by-products of pathogenic microbiota growing in the small intestine.

Dysbiosis Metabolic Markers

The Dysbiosis Metabolic Marker Test measures the following:

• Creatinine
• Bacterial/Protozoal
• Benzoate
• Hippurate
• Phenylpropionate
• p-Cresol
• p-Hydroxyphenylacetate
• Tricarballylate
• Clostridial
• Dihydroxyphenylpropionate
• Yeast/Fungal
• Tartarate
• Citramalate
• B-Ketoglutarate

All of the above compounds reported are produced by bacteria, yeast, fungi and protozoa that may colonize or grow in the small intestines. Dysbiosis involves overgrowth of one or more species leading to increased production of these compounds that are absorbed and excreted in the urine.

How to Get the Test

Your test is ordered through me in my capacity as a Certified Nutritionist.

Call the number below or use our secure online shopping cart.

I'll have the test sent directly to you within a few days. A small shipping and handling fee applies.

You send the necessary specimen to an independent laboratory.

The test results are sent to me and I forward a copy to you.

We schedule a time to discuss the interpretations and implications of the results and possible nutritional and longevity wellness programs appropriate for you based on the information.

The main value of these tests is to enable us to more accurately and precisely implement preventive and wellness measures to increase your health and well-being and reduce your future risks of illness and degenerative conditions. These tests have a practical advantage because the test kit is sent directly to your home. Samples are collected at your convenience and mailed back to the lab.

To Your Health,

The fee for the
Dysbiosis Metabolic Marker Test
functional test is
$340