Indican Test

Discover the cause of your digestive problems with a Urinary Indican Test

The urinary indican test (or Obermeyer test) is an efficient aid used by naturopathic doctors in the screening for bacterial links to digestive issues.

In humans after food has been processed into chyme in the stomach, it enters the small intestine. In the small intestine, further enzymatic degradation of food occurs and then the broken down simple nutrients are absorbed. Undigested materials and bile salts then flow through a one-way sphincter called the ileocecal (IC) valve into the large intestine. In the large intestine, water and bile are reabsorbed while left-over materials are further compacted and simultaneously processed by symbiotic bacteria into the end product, faeces.

Indican Urine Test

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Intestinal Flora

The small intestine is usually sparse in bacterial activity. In contrast, the large intestine normally houses several types of bacteria including Escherichia coli(E. coli), Bifidus, and lactobacillus species. These bacteria thrive on the left-over materials, take up space, and make it an inhospitable environment for more pathological types of organisms.

Sometimes other bacteria or fungi do take over in the large intestine and then push past the IC valve into the small intestine (often called Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome -or SBBOS). Causes of this may evolve from the use of antibiotics, diet choices, or physical inadequacies of the IC valve.

The Indican Test

The indican test is a quick and efficient screening exam that assays the possibility of dysbiosis using a patient's urine. During occasions of overgrowth, bacteria intercept the amino acid tryptophan before it can be processed by the small intestine. They break it down into unique parts which are then absorbed by the small intestine, changed around in the liver, and then excreted in the urine.

What is Gut Dysbiosis?

The term Gut Dysbiosis refers to the imbalance of bacteria in the gut.

Symptoms of Dysbiosis

Recent studies have shown that an unhealthy gut can affect your body in innumerable ways. Common symptoms of Dysbiosis are, but certainly not limited to:

• digestive problems such as IBS , constipation , diarrhoea , bloating, heartburn , indigestion
• food intolerances and allergies - lactose intolerance, etc
• yeast infections - candida overgrowth , thrush
• fatigue , mental fog
• skin conditions
• cravings - sugar, alcohol
• depression
• fibromyalgia
• weight gain

Natural Dysbiosis Treatment Brisbane

Discover the real cause of your health issues with a Urinary Indican Test and the help of our experienced Naturopath team.

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