Digestive Health Panel

Nutramed's digestive health panel evaluates gut function, intestinal permeability, food sensitivities, and microbiome-linked markers to identify underlying causes of digestive symptoms, fatigue, and systemic health issues.

The gastrointestinal system plays a central role in overall health — influencing immunity, mood, hormonal balance, nutrient absorption, and energy levels far beyond digestion alone. Nutramed Clinic's Digestive Health Panel reflects the practice's integrative approach to medicine, recognising that many chronic symptoms — from fatigue and brain fog to skin conditions, autoimmune reactivity, and metabolic dysfunction — often have their roots in compromised gut health. The clinic's digestive health evaluation begins with a detailed clinical history exploring bowel habits, symptoms, dietary patterns, history of antibiotic use, stress levels, and any prior GI investigations. This is followed by targeted laboratory testing selected to address the most likely underlying mechanisms driving the patient's symptoms. Intestinal permeability (leaky gut) is assessed through markers such as zonulin (a protein regulating tight junctions between gut epithelial cells) or lactulose/mannitol urine challenge tests. Elevated permeability allows incompletely digested proteins and bacterial endotoxins to pass into the bloodstream, driving systemic inflammation and immune activation. Inflammatory markers including calprotectin (a stool marker for intestinal inflammation) and hs-CRP may also be measured. Food sensitivity testing can be incorporated into the panel where clinically indicated, using IgG antibody testing across a broad range of commonly reactive foods including gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, yeast, and other dietary antigens. While IgG testing remains a topic of clinical debate, it is used at Nutramed as one input alongside the patient's clinical history and elimination diet response to guide dietary modifications. Gut microbiome health may be evaluated through comprehensive stool analysis, assessing levels of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium), pathogenic or imbalanced organisms (Candida, parasites, dysbiotic bacteria), digestive enzyme sufficiency (through markers such as pancreatic elastase), and short-chain fatty acid production. Helicobacter pylori testing (stool antigen or breath urea test) is available for patients with upper GI symptoms. Following the panel, the treating physician designs a personalised gut restoration protocol that may include dietary modifications (elimination diets, low-FODMAP, anti-inflammatory nutrition), targeted probiotic and prebiotic therapy, antimicrobial or antifungal treatment where pathogenic organisms are identified, digestive enzyme support, gut lining repair nutrients (L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, colostrum), and lifestyle adjustments to reduce gut-damaging stress and sleep disruption.