Additional Nutrition Services:  
 
Dr. Brigitte offer's additional nutrition services screening and analysis testing of blood, urine hair and breast milk to assess and detect heavy metal burden and nutritional deficiencies.  With a "holistic approach", these results,  in combination with Lifestyle Assessment and wellness goals, we address and support system imbalances with diet, supplement and lifestyle recommendations.

Screening & Analysis Testing Offered: 

#1. Food Sensitivity (IgG Blood) Testing  $399.00

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Food IgG Sensitivity Testing 

Food sensitivities can result when the body reacts badly to certain foods. Quite often these are foods that are eaten regularly in the diet or foods that are craved that may be causing the problem.

Research has shown that food sensitivities can be linked to IgG antibodies produced when these ‘problem’ foods are eaten. Normally these antibodies do not have any ill-effects, but if the immune or digestive system are not working optimally, their presence may provoke a wide range of symptoms.

The efficacy of a diet based on the measurement of IgG antibodies specific for food components has been demonstrated in several health conditions, both in independent studies and clinical practice. Excellent results have been obtained in patients with migraine, IBS, bloating, asthma, dermatitis, tiredness, and obesity.

Our Food Sensitivity Test helps to identify potential "problem" foods by detecting food-specific IgG antibodies in your blood. Using these results as a guide, you and your health care professional can adjust and plan appropriate dietary and lifestyle interventions.

IgG Food Sensitivity (Type III Allergy) and IgE Food Allergy (Type I Allergy)

IgG food sensitivity reactions are known as Type III allergic reactions and must not to be confused with type I IgE allergic reactions.

In type I allergic reactions, IgE antibody production is stimulated by the detection of potentially harmful proteins or antigens by our natural immune system. Response is of immediate onset and may be accompanied by potentially life-threatening symptoms. A type I allergic reaction will not show up in a food sensitivity test and an individual should therefore continue to avoid any food to which they have known allergies, regardless of their IgG food sensitivity test results.

In contrast, IgG antibody reactions form part of our acquired immune response which is slower forming with delayed onset of symptoms by up to 72 hours.

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How Does the Test Work?

Our test provides a quantitative result for the presence of IgG food-specific antibodies to over 200 foods from a single finger prick blood sample. It is a unique product, based on microarray technology, offering significant benefits over traditional plate-based ELISA tests. Food extracts are ‘printed’ onto nitrocellulose pads on a glass microscope slide, together with calibration standards and controls for each patient. Each food is tested in duplicate. A blood sample provided by the patient is diluted and dispensed onto each printed microarray. Food IgG antibodies, if present, bind to the food extracts and the results are measured by a high-resolution scanner, before being calibrated against the standards using a reporting software to give quantitative results. This software then produces a tailor-made report of the final food IgG antibody result for each food on the requested food panel.

Results You and Your Clients Can Understand

An IgG antibody response to each food is represented as a numerical value and is colour-coded. The former represents the concentration of IgG antibodies detected in U/mL for each food and the colour code categorises foods as either ELEVATED, BORDERLINE or NORMAL. The report is separated into individual food groups, e.g., dairy, grains, etc. Our test allows healthcare practitioners to create personalised dietary plans based on a patient’s unique food sensitivities to improve health and wellbeing.

Conditions Associated with Raised Food IgG Food Antibodies

Studies have found that chronic symptoms and conditions can be associated with food sensitivities including IBS and migraine, which are associated with the following symptoms:

• Bloating

• Constipation

• Diarrhoea

• Flatulence

• Headaches

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Lethargy

• Nausea

• Stomach cramps / abdominal pain

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Important To Know

• Do not use this test if taking immunosuppressants (e.g., steroids, methotrexate), cancer therapies, antibody therapies, or suffer from a blood clotting disease.

• Only suitable for patients aged 2 years old and above.

• We recommend that you follow your normal diet, so that the test will reflect what you usually eat. However, if you have specifically avoided a food for more than three months, e.g., cow’s milk, and you would like it tested, unless you have symptoms when you reintroduce, we would recommend you reintroduce one normal portion daily for five days prior to testing.

• Repeat testing can be performed after 4 – 6 months to allow time for the immune system to respond to the dietary changes.

• This test also does not provide information celiac disease, enzyme deficiencies such as lactose, histamine, tyramine, alcohol intolerance or other chemical sensitivities such as reactions to certain food additives.

• Repeat testing can be performed after 4 – 6 months to allow time for the immune system to respond to the dietary changes.

• This test also does not provide information celiac disease, enzyme deficiencies such as lactose, histamine, tyramine, alcohol intolerance or other chemical sensitivities such as reactions to certain food additives.

 

 #2. Hair Mineral Analysis  - $150.00

Coming Soon 

Minerals in the body are involved in almost all enzyme reactions, metabolic activity, and detoxification cycles. They are vital for the effective absorption and proper function of nutrients and vitamins. Our bodies cannot utilize vitamins and other nutrients without a correct balance of minerals: even in trace amounts. Improper mineral balance has been linked to chronic fatigue, weight gain/loss, headaches, depression, osteoporosis, and malabsorption.

Various mineral imbalances as revealed in the hair analysis indicate metabolic dysfunctions before any physical symptoms manifest. An affordable, non-invasive Hair Mineral Analysis (HMA) can help establish a nutritional profile to be used to guide the development of effective wellness and nutritional balancing protocols.

HMA is a screening test that measures the levels of up to 60 essential minerals and toxic metals. With correct testing and interpretation, one can construct a complete metabolic profile of the human body.

Hair is an excellent biopsy material. It is easy to sample, easily preserved, and transported, represents a soft tissue of the body, and is a storage and eliminative tissue. As hair grows it forms a permanent record of the body’s
nutritional deficiencies or excesses.

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How Does the Test Work?

With a hair sample, your health practitioner will receive a detailed, written report detailing your nutritional assessment and risk factors. Your customized results will measure 15 toxic elements and 25 nutritional elements and are documented in an easy to read report, tabulated against similar control groups based on age/gender similarities.

Best results are obtained when hair has not been treated. Dandruff shampoos containing zinc (Head & Shoulders), selenium (Selsun Blue) and lead (Grecian Formula) or other medicated shampoos/conditioners should not be used prior to taking a sample. If hair is very short, clean thinning shears may be used

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Minerals screened include calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc manganese, selenium, iron, and cobalt.

Toxic metal screening includes lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum.

This information, along with dietary and nutritional evaluations, will provide the data needed for a nutritional balancing program to establish and maintain optimal levels of wellness.

By correcting tissue mineral levels and ratios with proper diet, supplementary nutrients and lifestyle modifications, many physical and behavioural health conditions can be prevented or reversed.

 #3. Hair Cortisol Analysis -$125.00

Coming Soon 

Chronic high circulating cortisol levels have negative effects on the body, such as slowed wound healing and cognitive impairments to name a few. Hence this stress response through the HPA axis is sought to be the major physiological mechanism through which stress influences disease states. Chronic high circulating cortisol levels have negative effects on the body, such as slowed wound healing and cognitive impairments to name a few. Hence this stress response through the HPA axis is sought to be the major physiological mechanism through which stress influences disease states.

 

How Does the Test Work?

With a hair sample cortisol levels are determined.Your cortisol report is a measurement of the picograms of cortisol per milligram as analyzed in the hair sample provided. Using hair tissue has become a viable and widely studied means to look at one’s stress response over months vs. hours. Currently, measuring cortisol is the best way to biologically understand the stress response through the HPA axis. Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland following the stimulation by ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) which is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. This gland is itself triggered by corticotropin-releasing hormone produced by the hypothalamus. This process is called hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Measurement of cortisol can be done in saliva, blood and urine. These matrices reflect current levels in the body. Long term levels as measured in hair may allow assessments relating to causation of chronic diseases based on a continuous activation of the HPA axis. Research has shown a positive relationship between hair cortisol and the severity of chronic heart failure.

 Very low cortisol in the body is caused by an adrenal crisis known as Addison’s disease. Symptoms of this disease are: Fatigue Nausea Chronic constipation or diarrhea Hyperpigmentation Stress intolerance .

On the other hand, overproduction of Cortisol is called Cushing’s disease with the following being some of the symptoms: Fat deposits on back of neck and abdomen Fluid retention Gi issues - acidic Hyperglycemic Red round face 

 

Hair analysis for cortisol is seen as a new tool for the diagnosis of these diseases.  Hair cortisol has also been linked to chronic stress and mental health disorders.  The hair matrix allows the measurement of free cortisol for periods up to six months. Beyond this time the cortisol levels are lower due to the amount of washing the hair has been submitted to.

 #4. Breast Milk DHA Testing - $125.00

Coming Soon 

 During infancy, DHA derived from breast milk is an essential nutrient found in high concentrations in the brain and retina (eye) where it supports optimal cognitive and visual functioning, respectively, along with other health benefits for the infant.

During pregnancy, DHA is transferred from mother to fetus. Studies have shown that by increasing maternal DHA Omega-3 intakes through diet and supplementation the concentration of DHA in the unborn infant increases, supporting healthy brain, eye and immune system development and potentially reducing the likelihood of early preterm birth. (Preterm birth defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation.)

During infancy, DHA is derived from breast milk as an essential nutrient found in high concentrations in the brain and retina (eye) where it supports optimal cognitive and visual functioning, respectively, along with other health benefits for the infant.

 

Results will show patient numbers compared to averages and optimal levels, allowing for the correction of any deficiencies through diet and/or supplementation.

Re-testing thereafter (normally 3-4 weeks later) can be done to confirm that the recommended levels have been reached.

  #5. Omega 3 Blood Testing  - coming soon 
The whole blood OmegaScore® test measures the long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from the sample provided as a percentage of the total fatty acids measured in your blood sample.

Re-testing thereafter (normally 4-8 weeks later) can be done to confirm that the recommended levels have been reached.
 

 

* Covered by some health care benefits - please check with your provider