Organic acids are byproducts of chemical reactions that occur in the body.

Why do an OAT test? An informative and insightful test, the OAT test can help us see imbalances and dysfunctions before they become disease and explain symptoms that may be ambiguous.

What is OAT?

Certain nutrients and chemical compounds are needed for the body to run effectively. Without enough of these nutritional components, necessary chemical pathways are unable to proceed at their normal pace. When this situation arises, abnormal organic acid levels are noticed in the urine.

Organic acid testing may be useful for people whose symptoms haven’t been explained through other blood work, stool tests, or hormone tests. It can also be used to identify subclinical (non-symptomatic) metabolic imbalances to prevent chronic illness from developing. This test is rarely used in isolation. If the OAT test identifies risk for disease, additional testing may be ordered/required after reviewing your results.

NOTE: OAT can detect dysbiosis but is not able to isolate and identify specific intestinal parasites. To evaluate gut health more thoroughly, our practitioners use specific tests for Dysbiosis and SIBO.

  • Diet

  • Environmental toxic exposure

  • Health of the gut or microbiome

  • Genetics

  • Kidney and liver function

  • Medications

  • Nutrient status

  • Medications

  • Oxidative stress

Why should I do OAT?

The main reasons for abnormal urinary organic acid results include:

  • Genetic impairments in metabolism

  • B-vitamin deficiencies including biotin, folate, B12, and B6

  • Microbial imbalance within the gut including candida/yeast overgrowth, clostridial overgrowth, general bacterial imbalance or dysbiosis

  • Impaired ability to burn fat or carbohydrates for fuel

  • Neurotransmitter imbalance including dopamine, serotonin and epinephrine/norepinephrine, often caused by stress, poor sleep, adrenal imbalance, toxic exposure, diet, or genetics

  • Mitochondrial dysfunction associated within adequate nutrition, inflammation, environmental toxins, medications, viral infections, and DNA damage

  • Oxidative stress is associated with a deficiency of antioxidants and an overload of toxins. High levels of oxidative stress are associated with heart disease and cancer

  • Poor detoxification is associated with kidney and liver dysfunction and detoxification pathway inefficiency

  • Inflammation that may be associated with neuro-dysfunction (anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc)

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Schedule a quick consultation to discuss your wellness goals and discover how we can help you achieve them!