Description
We have now combined our “IAG and Dietary-Derived Peptide Test” with our “Intestinal Dysbiosis Markers Test”
The new “Combined Gut Health Test” gives a comprehensive picture of gut health issues. These include gut permeability, gut bacteria imbalance and uremic toxins.
The primary function of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract or gut is to keep our food in one place until it is properly digested, and the required nutrients extracted. The processes which maintain gut integrity and break down our foods to their basic constituents are numerous and often delicate; affected by many different things such as our genetic makeup, what we eat and the environment inside and outside the body.
Several problems can arise when food is not digested (metabolised) properly and/or allowed to leave the gut in an incompletely digested form. Many conditions are thought to be caused or aggravated because of one or both these factors including: food allergy, bowel problems and even conditions that might affect behaviour and mental wellbeing.
Drawing on our published work, we look for the presence of two sets of compounds:
IAG (trans-indolyl-3-acryloylglycine): a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is normally the starting point for several important compounds including serotonin (linked to mood) and melatonin (linked to the sleep-wake cycle). One of the more obscure routes for the metabolism of tryptophan is thought to end with the production of IAG. IAG is speculated to be a detoxified endpoint of other compounds whose primary effect might be to disrupt various biological membranes throughout the body. This effect may extend to leaky gut.
Dietary-derived peptides: compounds produced as food proteins are digested into their constituent amino acids. Short chains of these amino acids have various chemical activities depending on what amino acids are included. Analutos looks for the presence of several peptides derived from gluten (the major protein from various cereal crops) and casein (the protein of milk and dairy produce).
Evidence is accumulating on a role for dietary intervention excluding gluten and/or casein as a possible intervention option for some people with an autism spectrum and/or other conditions.
Humans are home to trillions of bacteria. A large proportion of these bacteria reside in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract or gut. Evidence is emerging to suggest that our gut bacteria might be implicated in numerous processes particularly those relevant to the digestion and proper absorption of nutrients from our food. Our body is constantly trying to maintain a balance between different types of bacteria. Evidence suggests that some health problems might be linked to different types of gut bacteria. Some bacteria may become more or less common, and these variations affect the body.
Gut dysbiosis refers to an imbalance of these bacteria in the GI tract. Bacteria such as Streptococcus and yeasts such as Candida outnumber more beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus and may adversely affect immunity and metabolism.
The combined gut health test looks at groups of compounds together, to see if there is an overall increase / decrease compared with other relevant components. These include:
Benzoate & Hippurate
Bacterial deamination of the amino acid phenylalanine forms benzoate, which is conjugated with another amino acid, glycine, to form hippurate. Elevated levels of benzoate compared to hippurate can indicate low levels of glycine and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5). Benzoate can be increased due to dietary intake of certain foods.
Phenylacetate & Phenylpropionate
Formed from bacterial action on phenylalanine. Should only be present at background levels.
p-Hydroxybenzoate, p-hydroxyphenylacetate, Tricarballyate
For individuals with normal, healthy intestinal function, these compounds should not appear at more than background concentrations in urine due to the efficient metabolic conservation or recycling of phenyl group compounds of which they are composed. They are produced by microbial action on tyrosine and phenylalanine and are markers of bacterial growth in the gut. Tricarballyate binds to magnesium in the blood which can result in magnesium deficiency.
Dihydroxyphenylpropionate
DHPPA is a byproduct of the bacterial metabolism of tryptophan, phenylalanine and or tyrosine. Confirmed overgrowth of Clostridium shows elevated levels of this compound. Raised levels of this compound indicate overgrowth of Clostridia and /or Pseudomonas.
Tartarate, Citramalate and Arabinitol
These compounds are produced by gut yeast and fungi. Tartarate (tartrate), Citramalate, b-Ketoglutarate are closely related to human metabolites and can block human metabolic pathways.
Urinary Indican
Produced by bacteria in the upper bowel. Normal population of bacteria will only produce low levels of this compound. Most of the indole (of which indican is a type) produced by bacterial action in the gut is eliminated in the faeces. The remainder is absorbed, metabolised and excreted in the urine. High levels of indican in the urine suggests overgrowth of poor bacteria producing more indican than can be broken down.
Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine
Precursors of the above compounds. High or low levels of these amino acids can affect the gut dysbiosis markers.
Creatinine
Used in conjunction with specific gravity to determine the concentration of the urine. The pH or acidity of the urine affects the results obtained from the analysis.
P-Creosol Sulphate
A microbial metabolite that is found in urine and likely derives from secondary metabolism of p-cresol. A uremic toxin (affecting kidney functions) it is thought to be derived from certain Clostridial bacteria acting on tyrosine. Possible links to autism, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and oxidative injury.