What does your gut say? Don’t guess, test.

Imbalances in your gut affect your digestive system and many areas of your health, from brain fog to pimples and depression. 

Your gut is home to around 100 trillion bacteria - some good, some bad and some neutral. It’s also where 70% of your immune system resides, and where 90% of serotonin is made - making it integral to immune function and your mental health. 

Your gut and brain talk to each other - influencing the others’ health. This is known as the gut / brain axis. Similarly, the gut and skin also have an axis and communicate with each other, which is why when your gut is out of balance, you might experience skin issues like pimples, or dry flaky skin. 

Do you think your gut is out of balance? Our approach at IMI is to determine the exact cause of your gut issues. To do this, our naturopaths may recommend industry-leading tests that will pinpoint the reasons you’re struggling. 

Food intolerances

Food intolerances mean it’s difficult for you to digest specific foods. The effect of this on your gut is probably palpable - causing constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, gas and gut pain.

You might also experience seemingly disconnected symptoms, including headaches, itchy skin, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog and anxiety. 

Food intolerances cause inflammation in your gut, disrupting the balance of good to bad bacteria in your gut - also known as dysbiosis, which can worsen gut health symptoms. 

Food intolerances can also lead to leaky gut, which causes intestinal permeability, allowing undigested food to leak into the bloodstream, triggering your immune response and more inflammation, which exacerbates dysbiosis.

As dysbiosis is one of the causes of food intolerance, undiagnosed food intolerances can cause a vicious cycle of worsening gut health and developing further food intolerances. 

Food intolerances are also a risk factor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), irritable bowel disease (IBD) and other chronic digestive conditions. 

It’s key that food intolerances are diagnosed for your digestive and overall health. 

IgG food intolerance test: Different to food allergy testing, this simple dry blood test can identify IgG sensitivities to over 100 foods including dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, sugar, soy, meats, fish, and nuts.

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

If you have SIBO, you’re likely to have experienced primary gut symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, indigestion, diarrhoea and constipation. You may also experience fatigue, brain fog, joint pain or skin problems like rosacea.

SIBO can also cause issues absorbing nutrients, which means you’re more susceptible to nutritional imbalances, which can cause weight loss. It can also make it difficult to absorb fat - which can make your stool look different. It may be looser, more watery or smellier. It may also be hard or lumpy.

SIBO is caused by a disruption to your gut microbiome. This varies from slow digestion, to low acidity in the stomach, to overgrowth of bad bacteria like h. pylori and dietary factors. Antibiotics can also cause SIBO as they disrupt the balance of good to bad bacteria in the gut.

Certain health conditions can also make you more susceptible to SIBO, including diabetes, lupus, celiac, IBD and more.

Foods may also trigger your condition - from dairy, to high sugar foods, sweeteners, wheat and even fruits and vegetables - usually foods high in FODMAPs like apples, mango, pear, onions, beans, lentils, garlic and more. 

SIBO testing: This quick and easy breath test detects hydrogen and methane produced by bacteria growing in the small intestine, providing a deeper insight into your gut health.

Bacterial and fungal overgrowths 

Though bacteria and fungus are natural natives of our digestive system, they can wreak havoc when out of balance. 

Bacterial and fungal overgrowths go hand in hand with symptoms like bloating, gas, digestive pain, diarrhoea and constipation. Additional symptoms include fatigue, headaches, skin rashes, joint pain, mood swings, skin problems, food intolerances and cravings. 

Common fungal overgrowths include yeast - and the most common yeast is Candida albicans. When gone untreated, fungus can affect other organs, and in some situations, cause sepsis. 

Both dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance) and candida can cause leaky gut, causing poor digestion and worsening pre-existing gut symptoms. 

The Organic Acids Test (OAT): This urine test provides an accurate evaluation of intestinal yeast, bacteria and fungi based on what organic acids are in the urine. Many people with chronic illnesses and neurological disorders often excrete several abnormal organic acids in their urine.

Parasites and a comprehensive check

As well as checking for fungus and bacteria, our practitioners can check for parasites, as well as your immune function and levels of inflammation. 

Parasites can cause varied symptoms, but the most common are diarrhoea, gut pain, weight loss nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include fatigue, fever, skin issues, itching and blood in your stool. 

Your immune function is directly connected to your gut health. 70% of your immunity resides in your gut - so digestive tests can reveal key information about your immune function.

This test is helpful for those with autoimmune conditions, IBD, IBS, SIBO, food sensitivities and joint pain.

Comprehensive stool analysis and parasitology: This advanced test provides fundamental information about your overall gastrointestinal health. It identifies levels of good and bad bacteria, yeast, parasites, inflammation, secretory IgA  (the ‘first line of defence’ against the entrance of potentially dangerous substances into the body), and more.

You can also opt to test for h. Pylori, a type of bad bacteria which can affect digestive health. Testing for Zonulin can assess leaky gut. 

Toxins in your gut

Dysbiosis, where the bad bacteria in the gut outweigh the good can produce toxins in your gut. Pollution and mycotoxins (produced by mould) from contaminated food can also contribute. 

Symptoms of toxins in your gut include diarrhoea, nausea, stomach pain, bloating, constipation and gas. 

Toxins in your gut have a cyclical effect - worsening dysbiosis. Bad bacteria produces more toxins, which again, worsens dysbiosis. Dysbiosis affects many systems in your body - your immunity, skin and mental health. 

You might experience other symptoms, like fatigue, brain fog, headaches and food intolerances, which can be caused by dysbiosis.

Our naturopaths can assess your ability to detoxify, and how your diet is analysing your health.

DNA Health: this test gives important information about your diet, and how best to optimise it for your health and digestion. It also analyses your genes and the ways in which you detox. By understanding your DNA, we can support your natural detoxification capabilities, safely and effectively. This test analyses 36 gene variants involved in biological processes including detoxification, cholesterol metabolism, and food responsiveness, such as lactose intolerance, caffeine processing, and salt sensitivity.

In summary

Your gut is central to your wellbeing. From food intolerances to SIBO, fungal and gut imbalances, it can be hard to diagnose the signals your gut is sending you. 

Our naturopaths decode the messages from your gut, finding the right tests to identify the root cause of your unhappy gut.