FLUIDS iQ® is proud to have recently launched our brand new series of dried urine tests for metabolic assessment. We call it Metabolic iQ™ and we’re excited to have it included in our menu of wellness tests, alongside Intestinal iQ™ and salivary hormone analysis.
Why Metabolic iQ™?
Soon after we launched Intestinal iQ™, our category of popular gut-specific tests, it became apparent that it was important to be able to get a clearer picture of overall metabolic status, which went well beyond that of intestinal function alone. We also wanted to consider adding another easy to use testing modality – another “fluid” –which led us to create a category of tests using dried urine, which is a convenient method for sampling.
The first test in the Metabolic iQ™ category is called the Metabolic Wellness Profile. It features an analysis of Indican, Total Bile Acids and 8-OhDG…key biomarkers of digestion, liver detoxification and oxidative stress, respectively.
Why each of the three markers?
We felt that it was important to go with markers that have a long and successful track record in reliably assessing body function:
1. Indican is one of oldest and best known indicators of digestive imbalance, especially that caused by anaerobic bacterial action in the intestine and stomach acid insufficiency.
2. Total bile acids is a sensitive measure of impaired liver function, bringing with it a decrease in one of the liver’s main functions… detoxification.
3. 8-OHdG: Cellular function and health is seminal to general wellness. Oxidative stress can endanger that healthy function. 8-OHdG is universally accepted as a key marker of DNA oxidative damage. Moreover, it is a cumulative marker that is well suited to shine a light on the chronic effects of oxidative stress.
Why combine the three markers in one profile?
The liver and the gastrointestinal tract are functionally related in an intimate way. Proper digestive function is dependent on bile that is produced by the liver. An imbalance in liver function has immediate effects on digestive function, and vice versa. Metabolic imbalance will affect cellular function, leading to increased oxidative stress. In certain cases that is reversed, with oxidative stress manifesting itself in metabolic dysfunction. The three biomarkers in the FLUIDS iQ Metabolic Wellness Profile are ideally suited to shine a light on these imbalances, providing information on pathways of actions that lead to recovery.