Gut Health Perth – Get your Gut tested by a Gut Expert

Why is our Gut Health so important?

The Gut Health of individuals in Perth and all over the world is one of the single most important aspects of overall health and vitality. An extensive and still growing body of scientific research shows a direct correlation of improved health and healthy digestive system.

Visit our Perth Gut Health Experts to be tested and treated for a variety of digestive disorders.

Human gastrointestinal health is closely tied to where we live, what we eat, and how our ancestors subsisted. This can make monitoring and maintaining gut health especially vital for Australians.

Some symptoms of compromised gut microbiota are easily identified. However, most can be subtle, or show up in parts of your body you may not have thought.

Some common symptoms of poor gut function include:

• Bloating
• Stomach Pains
• Diarrhea and or constipation (Irritable Bowel syndrome symptoms)
• Fatigue
• Brain Fog
• Food Intolerances
• Exacerbated mental health issues such as anxiety and depression
• Skin rashes and disorders such as acne, eczema and dermatitis
• Hormonal imbalances
• Compromised immune system
• Weight gain and obesity

There are many factors that contribute to a decline in our gut health. In our Perth clinic, we regularly treat the following causes as major factors in the decline of a patient’s health.

Common causative factors of an unhealthy gut microbiome include:

• Bacterial infections such as Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Pseudomonas
• Fungal infections such as Candida and Geotrichum species
• Parasitic infections such as Blastocystis hominis and Dientameba fragilis
• Poor Digestive Function
• Poor absorption of nutrients and intestinal permeability
• Low levels of commensurate bacteria(good bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium )

Every part of our bodies receive energy and nutrition that originated from the digestive system. So, our gut health has a widespread impact. Scientific studies have proven a strong correlation between the gut and many of the other body systems. Some of the more researched links or axis include;

• Brain- Gut Axis – anxiety, depression and other mood disorders
• HPA – Gut Axis (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) – fatigue, thyroid issues, stress response
• Immune – Gut Axis – viral loads, common colds and flu, general well-being
• Heart – Gut Axis – heart disease, blood pressure, atherosclerosis

There is even preliminary research on the involvement of the gut with the eyes, kidneys and other organs and systems.

How Your Gut Health affects your immune system and every other part of your body

The integrity of your gut and intestinal lining is paramount to in all areas of your health. Starting in the stomach, something as simple as a low stomach acid can have widespread impact. Your stomach acid acts as the first line of defence in killing unwanted pathogens such as parasites and bacteria.

These parasites and other unwanted bacteria can pass through the stomach and take residence in your small intestine and colon, causing many adverse gut symptoms. Indigestion, burping, undigested stools and heartburn are all signs of low stomach acid. Commonly prescribed proton pump inhibitors such as nexium only mask the symptoms, they can actually further low the stomach acid compounding the underlying problem.

Intestinal Permeability – the underlying cause of autoimmune disorders

Over time, an unhealthy gut will begin to impact the intestinal lining through the small intestine. Tight gap junctions in the wall of the small intestine regulate what processed food particles and nutrients are passed from the gut and into the blood stream.

A healthy intestinal lining will allow up to 2% of particles to pass through, many people will poor gut health are passing many large particle into their blood stream that should be contained. This process causes inflammation and the large foreign particles that have slipped through the compromised tight gap junctions fire up the immune system.

Over time, the assault on the immune system becomes too much, confusing the body and instigating a process known as molecular mimicry. This process is where the body accidentally marks a healthy cell of the body as a foreign invader through T Cell regulation. The result is a continued attack on healthy cells of the body, marking the start of an autoimmune disorder.

Gut Health Testing with a Functional Medicine Approach

At our Perth clinic of Advanced Functional Medicine, we provide functional testing options for the gut microbiome and digestive system. Gut testing we commonly employ for our patients includes some of the following;

• Complete Microbiome Mapping stool analysis – the gold standard in stool testing
• Comprehensive Digestive stool analysis (CDSA)
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) breath test
• Intestinal Permeability
• Food Intolerance testing – Gold standard through Cyrex Laboratories and KBMO Diagnostics in the USA

Advanced Functional Medicine Perth shave experience in the treatment of digestive disorders and gut health related conditions such as:

• Irritable Bowel Disease (IBS)
• Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune digestive disorders
• GERD
• Food intolerances
• Fungal infections
• Parasitic Infections

We are also experienced working with people that have symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, distension and pain.