Along with standard labs and Imaging Winter Wellness is well versed in specialty testing. Digging a little deeper to uncover hormone imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter dysfunction, digestive disorders, and food sensitivities and allergies.
The most in depth look at your sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites. It also includes the daily, free cortisol pattern, organic acids, and melatonin.
DUTCH vs. Saliva Testing
While the free cortisol pattern in saliva has clinical value, there is a significant missing piece to surveying a patient’s HPA-Axis function with saliva testing – measuring cortisol metabolites. To properly characterize a patient’s cortisol status, free and metabolized cortisol should be measured to avoid misleading results when cortisol clearance is abnormally high or low. Likewise with sex hormones, measuring estrogen and androgen metabolites gives a fuller picture for more precise clinical diagnosis of hormonal imbalances and HRT monitoring.
DUTCH vs. Serum Testing
While the most universally accepted testing method (due to the availability of FDA-cleared analyzers that are reliable and inexpensive), serum testing is lacking in some areas. Adrenal hormones cannot be effectively tested in serum because free cortisol cannot be tested throughout the day. There is also a lack of extensive metabolite testing (especially for cortisol and estrogens).
DUTCH vs. 24-Hour Urine Testing
There are two primary drawbacks to 24-hour urine testing of hormones. First, the collection is cumbersome, and as many as 40% of those who collect, do so in error (Tanaka, 2002). Secondly, dysfunction in the diurnal pattern of cortisol cannot be ascertained from a 24-hour collection. Some providers add saliva for daily free cortisol. DUTCH eliminates the need for two tests.
SpectraCell’s Micronutrient test measures 31 vitamins, minerals, amino/fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites – and how they affect cellular function in a person. Correlating micronutrient deficiencies not only slows aging and degenerative disease progression, it can also prevent as well as repair cellular dysfunction, and by extension, disease.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers used by the nervous system to relay information from one nerve to another.
Optimal neurotransmitter balance is required to maintain proper health. Imbalances can cause the brain and the body to be over- or under-stimulated, producing neurological or psychological symptoms.
The 5 most common scenarios indicating a neurotransmitter dysregulation are: anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue, impulsivity, insmona, and PMS/PMDD. It’s possible for individuals to present with similar symptoms yet have unique foundational imbalances. Testing helps clarify these root issues.
ZRT Neurotransmitter test includes a range of 14 neurotransmitters and metabolites in its testing including: serotonin, 5-HIAA, GABA, Glycine, Glutamate, Histamine, PEA, Dopamine, DOPAC, HVA, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Normetanephrine, and VMA.
SpectraCell’s Micronutrient test measures 31 vitamins, minerals, amino/fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites – and how they affect cellular function in a person. Correlating micronutrient deficiencies not only slows aging and degenerative disease progression, it can also prevent as well as repair cellular dysfunction, and by extension, disease.
The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile is a group of advanced stool tests that provide immediate, actionable clinical information for the management of gastrointestinal health. Utilizing cutting-edge technologies and biomarkers, this profile offers valuable insight into digestive function, intestinal inflammation, and the intestinal microbiome.
Methyl groups act like billions of switches which turn genes on or off, help regulate mood, detoxify hormones, produce energy, and promote healthy aging. Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from the diet are needed to keep this process running smoothly. There are also genetic factors and oxidative stressors which can affect how well this pathway works. The Methylation Panel can uncover needs for nutritional support such as amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Knowing this can help guide dietary and nutraceutical treatment plans. Additionally, knowing genetic predispositions can help focus supplementation to override potential methylation defects.
Food sensitivities are recognized to be correlated with many chronic health conditions, such as IBS, eczema, fatigue, and others – but with proper identification and elimination of offending foods, many experience relief from their symptoms. IgG, IgG4, and IgA antibody assessment panels can serve as useful tools in the identification of trigger foods in individuals.