Functional Testing

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Advanced diagnostic screening is a risk-stratified approach to preventive health evaluation. Instead of ordering broad, one-size-fits-all check-ups, it matches specific tests to your age, symptoms, family history, and individual risk profile. In midlife (roughly ages 40–65), conditions like cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer MetaXplore GI Plus, developed by Microba in Brisbane, Australia, uses shotgun metagenomic sequencing to profile the entire gut microbiome rather than targeting individual pathogens. Unlike qPCR-based panels such as GI-Map, this approach may characterise microbial diversity, functional gene pathways, and metabolic capacity. Results…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Standard blood test reference ranges are designed to detect overt disease rather than suboptimal physiology. Symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes may persist even when results fall within laboratory “normal” ranges. Functional blood chemistry analysis evaluates patterns, clinical context, and…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Five commonly overlooked blood markers — C-reactive protein (CRP), serum zinc, vitamin B12, iron panel patterns, and liver enzymes (ALT and AST) — may reveal early signs of gut dysfunction even when digestive symptoms are absent. Interpreted together through a functional medicine lens,…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Chronic symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, low mood, and poor immunity may persist despite “normal” blood tests because standard laboratory reference ranges detect overt disease rather than functional nutrient insufficiency. Suboptimal levels of vitamin D, B12, B6, magnesium, iron (ferritin), and zinc can…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Environmental toxins including heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic) and mycotoxins may accumulate in the body and contribute to chronic fatigue, cognitive symptoms, pain, and immune dysregulation. Functional testing such as hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) and urine mycotoxin testing can identify exposure…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Organic Acid Testing (OAT) is a functional urine test used in integrative medicine to measure metabolic by-products — including markers of gut microbial activity, mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter metabolism, and oxidative stress. By evaluating these organic acid metabolites, OAT may help practitioners identify biochemical…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Detoxification is a continuous, enzyme-driven process performed primarily by the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Rather than a short-term cleanse or fast, true detoxification relies on cytochrome P450 enzymes (Phase I) and conjugation pathways involving glutathione, sulfation, and glycination (Phase II) to transform…

Author: Rohan Smith | Functional Medicine Practitioner | Adelaide, SA Quick Answer Non-ionising electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from devices such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi routers may trigger oxidative stress without heating tissue. Research by Martin Pall and others suggests EMFs activate voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) on cell membranes, increasing intracellular calcium and promoting free-radical production….