The Gut is far more than a filter. It is our wall of defense and acceptance between the outside world and everything we are exposed to. Reactions that happen in our gut wall program our immune system to resist pathogens from the outside world. If our gut defense is confused, our immune system is confused and the stage is set for allergies, auto-immune conditions, and even certain cancers. Our gut determines our immune surveillance. Our gut is also responsible for making things like serotonin, a neurotransmitter that gives us a sense of well-being and prevents depression. So much from heart disease to depression starts in the gut. By testing markers such as Zonulin, Diamine Oxidase, and Lipopolysaccharides we can see how healthy our gut is, how it is triggering our immune system, and gain the upper hand on treatments that are best suited to calm our gut and sharpen our wall of defense!So how are these markers tested? Progressive Medical Center uses functional medical testing provided by Precision Point Diagnostics, a laboratory that has pioneered gut testing panels along with food allergy and sensitivity testing among other tests. Their Advanced Intestinal Barrier Assessment profile takes a deep dive into intestinal barrier function. Using a collection of innovative biomarkers, this test helps clinicians determine if their patients have intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.” Intestinal permeability has been suggested as a root cause of autoimmune diseases, systemic inflammation, and food sensitivities. Healing the gut barrier is so pivotal for resolving chronic disease that if it isn’t addressed, other treatments will have little to no effect.The Gut & Detox Assessment Profile by PPD is designed for the functional medicine practitioner as a way to help screen for the most common processes that are often at the root cause of disease. It looks at Zonulin, DAO, Histamine, LPS, IgG, IgA and IgM, 8-OHdG, % Reduced Glutathione, Total Glutathione, F2 Isoprostane, Oxidized LDL, HgA1c, hsCRP, & Vitamin D.Their P88-DIY Dietary Antigen Test is the only report to combine IgE, IgG, IgG4 and complement (C3d) reactions to 88 foods all with the convenience of a finger stick but better, a powerful micro-sampling device! Traditional finger sticks typically have you stick your finger, and then collect on a card or piece of paper. While this is a start, there is not nearly enough blood extracted to run tests with many markers. The P88-DIY looks at 4 ways the body reacts to 88 foods, which means enough sample must be obtained to run 352 independent tests. Looking at food sensitivities and allergies can be important for gut health, because repeated exposure to food that the body rejects can lead to immune confusion and certain autoimmune diseases.
