|
 Custom diet. Custom amino acids. Custom vitamins.
When contemplating what test to recommend for a patient, sometimes the TRIAD Profile is the right answer. It is a good mix of wide-ranging and complementary health data in a discounted package.
The TRIAD® Profile is an exclusive offering of functional medicine lab leader Genova Diagnostics. It consists of 20 amino acids from plasma (blood), urine organic acids analysis (46 of these metabolic indicators), and IgG4 antibodies against 90 different foods measured from serum (blood).
Let's discuss these tests one by one. Amino acids are building blocks of structural proteins, enzymes, receptors, neurotransmitters, and hormones. Amino acids are critical for energy production, detoxification and much more. Lacking a single amino acid can significantly impact your health. The TRIAD Profile report includes a custom amino acid formula schedule, which can be sent to a GMP-certified nutritional supplement manufacturer to produce an amino acid powder to help restore balance for the individual. For much more on amino acids analysis and treatment, see last month's newsletter: "Custom Amino Acid Therapy - Just What the Doctor Ordered!".
Organic acids are byproducts of metabolism, which reveal important information about a number of diverse physiological factors. The Genova Diagnostics panel of urine organic acids is called Organix®. The Organix profile can indicate that an individual has need for more B vitamins, vitamin C, antioxidants, amino acids, and other nutrients, including alpha lipoic acid, chromium, magnesium, glutathione, coenzyme Q10, and carnitine, which plays a role in fat metabolism. Does that mean the Organix profile is valuable for people trying to lose weight? Yes...and for so many other conditions. The Organix profile can indicate insulin resistance, which contributes to weight loss resistance and all the degenerative diseases of aging, as well as unwellness such as fatigue, poor mood, and poor memory. The Organix profile also gives a glimpse into mitochondrial function, which is the source of 95% of the body's energy production. Not only does this have a bearing on fatigue, but, because all metabolic functions require energy, virtually any chronic health condition. Proper interpretation of the Organix results leads to tailored treatment to improve mitochondrial function and energy production. The Organix profile also measures metabolites of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, as well as brain-inflammatory chemicals. These are related to many conditions including anxiety, depression, mania, agitation, delirium, psychosis, attention and hyperactivity problems, learning difficulties, stress, insomnia, pain, carbohydrate cravings, addictions, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbances, cold hands, decreased immunity, Parkinson's symptoms, restless leg syndrome, neurodegenerative disease, stunted growth, memory deficits, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and osteoporosis. The Organix profile gives measures of free radical damage and regulation of cell growth - important for preventing cancer and so much more. The Organix profile has a section devoted to detoxification. This test reveals xylene (a solvent) exposure and ammonia toxicity. It also evaluates the functional status of some of the body's important detoxifiying biochemicals, including glutathione. Lastly, the Organix profile measures waste products of intestinal bacteria and yeast and can therefore reveal dysbiosis or overgrowth of toxic organisms. A variety of treatments may be indicated based on the specific Organix results. The lab supplies a computer-generated custom vitamin & mineral schedule based on the test data. This can be shared with a custom-formulating company to produce a personalized vitamin-mineral powder, which is mixed with water or juice. For an extra fee, the powder can be put into capsules instead. For a more detailed discussion of organic acids analysis, see my article, "Change Your Life with The Number 1 Test in Healthcare".
The third component of the TRIAD profile is the Allergix® IgG4 Food Antibodies profile. This test can identify delayed food sensitivity reactions. There are many ways that a person can have an adverse response to a particular food. One such type of response involves the immune system mounting an attack against the food as if it was an invading microbe. There are different components of the immune system that may respond to a food. Classical allergy involves quick-responding antibodies called Immunoglobulin E or IgE for short. Hives or wheezing within minutes after eating strawberries or shellfish are examples of IgE reactions. IgG antibodies are involved in delayed immune reactions that can take days to respond to a given food. Whereas IgE responses are limited to symptoms involving the skin, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract, IgG antibodies are much more diverse in their manifestations. In addition to causing gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin conditions, the IgG antibody reactions can result in fatigue, anxiety, depression, mood swings, inflammation, and autoimmune reactions throughout the body. When I bring up the subject of food sensitivities with patients, sometimes the patient will say, "I don't have any food sensitivities." Because of the delay in IgG response, it is nearly impossible to connect symptoms you are experiencing today with the food you ate 3 days ago. The way the test is done at the lab is a sample of blood is put into 90 different little dishes. Each dish contains a different food. The lab measures how much IgG4 your immune cells produce against the food. Responses are quantified as negative (normal) or mild, moderate, or severe. Eliminating foods from your diet that your immune system reacts to can have tremendous health benefits. Even "healthy" foods can be bad for a given individual. If you have elevated IgG4 to broccoli, it is not good for you. One man's food is another man's poison. The test is sensitive and accurate; there are few false positives. This is attributed to only measuring the "4" fraction of IgG. When there are many foods eliciting elevated IgG4 response, leaky gut syndrome is identified. Leaky gut syndrome is the breakdown of the intestinal barrier, allowing undigested food particles and bacterial debris access to systemic circulation. This results in "poisoning", inflammation, and autoimmune reactions: chronic unwellness and degeneration.
|
| | Study finds link between Food IgG reactions, inflammation & atherosclerosis. |
The TRIAD profile is a great combination of tests in a discounted package. The price is $541. If done individually, the components of the TRIAD profile would cost $819. Some insurance carriers cover the TRIAD profile in part.
Contact my office if you are interested in setting up an appointment .
Sincerely,
Joseph Debé, DC, DACBN, CDN
Board Certified Nutritionist
552 Middle Neck Road * Great Neck, N.Y. 11023 * (516) 829-1515
2103 Deer Park Avenue * Deer Park, N.Y. 11729 * (631) 522-1555
www.drdebe.com
|
