Click to read about Leaky Gut and Malabsorption

Who should consider this test?

If you suffer from the following, then the intestinal permeability may be indicated for you:

Digestive disorders: Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, chronic intestinal infections (parasites and bacterial), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Celiac’s Disease, pancreatic insufficiency
Allergic conditions: Eczema, psoriasis, asthma, multiple food allergies, chronic hives
Joint, muscle, soft tissue and nervous system conditions: arthritis, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis
Auto-immune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, grave’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, reiter’s syndrome
Prolonged NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) use, chemotherapy, alcohol and other medication use.

How does this test work?

This is a simple non-invasive urine test that is appropriate for children and adults.  Two urine samples are collected. The first is a random pre-test sample.  The second is the test sample that is collected after ingesting a mixture of 2 different sugars, mannitol and lactulose.

Mannitol is a small molecule that should normally be absorbed through the digestive trace and show up in adequate amounts in the urine.  Low levels of mannitol in the test urine sample can indicate malabsorption.

Lactulose is a large molecule that should normally NOT be absorbed through the digestive tract, thus very little amounts show up in the urine.  Higher than acceptable levels of lactulose can indicate increased gut permeability or “leaky gut”.

The ratio between lactulose/ mannitol is also compared to indicate the degree of “leaky gut” and malabsorption.