Here at TNN we offer a wide array of stool, blood and salivary testing. We work closely with the following companies to help you achieve your health and wellness goals.
The most common tests we use are:
Functional Testing
This is by far the best and most comprehensive test that will analyse the health of your entire microbiome. You will take a stool test in the privacy of your own home and send your sample back to the lab for analysis. shotgun metagenomic sequencing that allows us to see not only what bugs are in your gut, but what they are doing i.e. what potential impact their metabolites may be having on your gut health and digestion, metabolism, inflammation, detoxification and nervous system.
This is a functional test that provides an overview of the components of digestion, absorption, intestinal function and microbial flora, as well as identifying pathogenic bacteria, parasites and yeasts. Poor digestive function and imbalanced gut flora may play a crucial role in the underlying cause of a number of health conditions. Symptoms such as constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating, abdominal discomfort and bad breath are all indicative of poor gut function.
The DUTCH is a urine steroid hormone profile that measures hormones and hormone metabolites via dried urine sample.
This test will measure and identify: estrogens (x13), progestagens (x7), androgens (x6), glucocorticoids (x4), free cortisol (x4), free cortisone (x4), and melatonin (x4). The profile is collected from four separate dried urine samples at key time points throughout the same day: 1st morning, 2nd morning, early evening, and bedtime. Urine is collected on filter paper strips either by dipping it in urine collected in a cup, or by urinating directly on the strip. The samples are taken from the comfort of your home and sent back to the lab for analysis.
This test is ideal for a comprehensive overview of your hormonal status to find the underlying cause of a more complex hormone related issue.
This provides valuable information on an individual’s hormonal status and the potential impact this may have on physical and emotional health. Hormonal imbalance may result in a symptom picture which includes weight gain, mood swings, night sweats, disturbed sleep pattern, loss of libido and hot flushes. Ideally, this salivary sample is taken seven days post-ovulation in women. In men, this can be taken at any stage and can over beneficial information to health, wellness and performance.
This monitors the levels of the stress hormones cortisol and DHEA, over the course of a day. This is an important test to determine adrenal function in those presenting with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, headaches, low energy, stress, hormonal imbalance and poor immune function. An adrenal imbalance is one of the most common barriers to fat loss we see in clinic and is extremely detrimental to performance and recovery.
This measures the levels of unbound free hormones which are available to the tissues, and reflects a true measure of the body’s metabolic rate. Disorders of the thyroid are among the most common diseases of the endocrine glands, particularly in women. Thyroid function decreases with age and an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism (myxoedema) is most common in menopausal and post menopausal women. Symptoms of underactive thyroid include dry and coarse skin, weakness and lethargy, constipation, weight gain, slow pulse, heavy and irregular periods and depression. Symptoms of overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis) include fast metabolic rate, rapid heart beat, nervousness and palpitations, weight loss despite increased appetite and frequent bowel movements.
The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, is a key enzyme required to metabolise or breakdown homocysteine. The most common mutation in MTHFR is called C677T. 5 – 10% of people have two copies of this mutation (i.e. one inherited from their mother and one from their father). These people are more likely to develop high blood levels of homocysteine, particularly when their diets are low in folate.
A second mutation in the MTHFR gene, called A1298C, may also cause high levels of homocysteine when found together with the C677T mutation.
High homocysteine levels in the blood have also been associated with neural tube defects, stillbirths and recurrent pregnancy loss. The major cause of high homocysteine levels is folate deficiency. Other factors include insufficient vitamin B12 and genetic mutations in the MTHFR gene.