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A Guide to Food Intolerance Testing, SIBO Testing, Stool Testing and DUTCH Hormone Testing One of the most common things I hear is: "I know something isn't right but I don't know where to start." Perhaps you've been struggling with bloating, digestive issues, headaches, skin problems, fatigue, hormonal symptoms or unexplained health concerns for months or even years. Maybe you've tried changing your diet, taking supplements or searching online but you're still left wondering why you feel the way you do. Testing can often provide the missing pieces of the puzzle.
Food Allergy and Food Intolerance Testing - for Bloating, IBS and Skin Problems Do you ever feel like your body is reacting to something you're eating but you can't work out what? Food related symptoms can be surprisingly varied. Some people experience bloating and digestive discomfort. Others struggle with eczema, headaches, sinus issues, fatigue, joint pain or brain fog.  The challenge is that food intolerances are often delayed. You might eat something today and not experience symptoms until tomorrow or even the next day. That can make it almost impossible to identify trigger foods through observation alone. The test I offer measures IgG antibodies using a simple finger prick blood sample that is collected at home and posted to the laboratory. Your blood is analysed against a wide range of foods and the report highlights any foods that may be triggering an immune response. Many people ask about hair testing for food intolerances because they have seen these tests advertised online. Hair testing can be a useful tool for assessing mineral imbalances and toxic metal exposure but it is not considered a reliable method of identifying food intolerances. For food intolerance testing, a blood sample provides a much more relevant assessment. This test may be worth considering if you experience: • Bloating after meals • IBS symptoms • Eczema or skin flare ups • Headaches and migraines • Sinus congestion • Fatigue • Brain fog • Joint aches • Symptoms that seem to worsen after particular foods If you frequently find yourself wondering whether food is contributing to your symptoms, this can be a very useful place to start. SIBO Lactulose Breath Testing - for Bloating, Wind and IBS Symptoms If your main complaint is bloating, this is often the test people wish they had discovered sooner. Many people with SIBO tell me they wake up with a fairly flat stomach but look six months pregnant by the evening. Others experience excessive wind, belching, constipation, diarrhoea or ongoing IBS symptoms that never seem to fully resolve.
The test uses lactulose, a non digestible sugar solution. After drinking the lactulose solution you collect a series of breath samples over a few hours. The laboratory then measures hydrogen and methane gases within each sample. If bacteria are fermenting the lactulose within the small intestine, the gases produced can be detected in your breath. The pattern of those gases helps determine whether SIBO may be present.
This test is particularly useful if you experience: • Significant bloating • Excessive wind • Belching • Constipation • Diarrhoea • IBS symptoms • Abdominal discomfort • Food sensitivities Whilst stool testing looks mainly at what is happening within the large intestine, SIBO testing focuses on the small intestine. If bloating is your biggest complaint, this is often the more appropriate place to start. Comprehensive Stool Testing- for Gut Health, Digestive Problems and Parasites Sometimes digestive symptoms need a deeper investigation. Perhaps you've been diagnosed with IBS but have never really understood why. Maybe you experience reflux, indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain or ongoing digestive symptoms that don't seem to fit neatly into a box. Comprehensive stool testing provides a detailed picture of what is happening within the gut. The collection process is straightforward and completed at home before being returned directly to the laboratory.  Unlike basic stool tests that look for only a handful of things, comprehensive testing examines multiple aspects of digestive health including: • Beneficial bacteria • Gut microbiome balance • Pathogenic bacteria • Parasites • Yeasts and fungal overgrowth • Digestive function • Pancreatic enzyme production • Inflammation markers • Gut immune activity • Short chain fatty acids • Intestinal health markers
DUTCH Hormone Testing - for hormone imbalances, PMS, Fertility issues, Irregular Periods and Fatigue Hormones influence far more than most people realise. They affect mood, energy, sleep, weight, skin health, libido, fertility and how well we cope with stress. Many people assume hormone testing is only relevant during menopause but hormonal imbalances can affect women at any stage of life.  The DUTCH Test stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. The samples are collected at home using specially designed collection strips which are then sent to the laboratory for analysis. One of the most popular options available through Thrive is DUTCH Complete combined with Cycle Mapping. One of the limitations of many hormone tests is that they provide a snapshot of a single moment in time. Cycle Mapping allows us to see what hormones are doing throughout the menstrual cycle rather than on just one day. The DUTCH Complete assesses: • Oestrogen • Progesterone • Testosterone • DHEA • Cortisol • Cortisone • Hormone metabolites Cycle Mapping tracks hormone patterns throughout the month and can be particularly useful for women experiencing: • PMS • Painful periods • Heavy periods • Irregular periods • Missing periods • Fertility concerns • Mood changes • Fatigue • Sleep problems • Hormonal acne • Breast tenderness • Low libido • Stress related symptoms These two tests can be combined with the DUTCH complete with Cycle mapping. One of the things I particularly like about DUTCH testing is that it doesn't simply tell us how much hormone is present. It also looks at how hormones are being broken down and metabolised within the body which can provide valuable information that is often missed by standard testing. Which Test Should You Choose? If your symptoms seem connected to foods, food allergy and intolerance testing is often a sensible first step. If your biggest complaint is painful and excessive bloating, wind and IBS type symptoms, SIBO testing may be the better option. If you have long standing digestive problems and want a detailed assessment of gut health, parasites, inflammation and microbiome balance, comprehensive stool testing is usually the most informative. If your concerns revolve around periods, fertility, mood, energy, sleep, stress or hormone balance, DUTCH hormone testing may provide the answers you have been looking for. Testing Hub All tests can be purchased directly through the Thrive Testing Hub without booking a consultation. If you would like help interpreting your results and creating a personalised plan, consultations are available separately. If you are unsure which test is right for you, feel free to get in touch and I will happily point you in the right direction. 
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WelcomeThe contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, dietary supplement, exercise, or other health program. Categories
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Thrive Clinical Nutrition and Naturopathic Health Eve Morley NT NNA. mGNC. Soc Nat. NAP [email protected] Subscribe to my emails GDPR Privacy policy Data Protection Policy Disclaimer |
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