5 Unique Benefits of Personalized Medicine
Personalized medicine is a growing trend in the medical field — but is it worth the hype? Read on to learn five exceptional benefits of personalized medicine and how it can transform your health.
4 Insights GI Mapping Can Reveal About Your Health
Did you know that your gut and brain communicate with each other, influencing many aspects of your health? Many people overlook this gut-brain connection, but it's crucial to several bodily functions.
If you're dealing with chronic fatigue, GI symptoms, or other health issues, it could lead back to a problem in the gut. The GI-MAP® test is a comprehensive stool test that measures levels of parasites, bacteria, and other invaders that could be causing issues with your health and wellness.
Inga Zilberstein, MD, offers GI-MAP testing as part of her personalized medicine approach at her practice in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. Personalized medicine can help you understand your body and ensure that treatments are tailored to your specific needs for better overall outcomes.
Understanding the GI-MAP test
This stool test uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology to target specific DNA of various intestinal organisms. It can determine if someone has parasites, fungi, viruses, or bacteria in the gut that are contributing to various bodily issues.
It's an easy test that requires you to provide a stool sample in a specimen container that we supply. The sample goes to the lab, where it’s tested for various organisms.
The results of the GI-MAP test show Dr. Zilberstein essential information about your gut's microbiome that could be affecting your wellness. The test shows not only microorganisms in the stool but also other markers that determine inflammation, immune response, and digestive function.
What insights does the GI-MAP test offer about my health?
The GI-MAP test provides you and Dr. Zilberstein with valuable information about your gastrointestinal health. Even if you're not having any disruptive symptoms, it's a great test to find out how your body is working and digesting food.
It's a smart option if you have stomach or bowel issues or don't feel like yourself. Because gut health is essential to various bodily functions, one issue causes a domino effect. The GI-MAP test provides multiple insights into your health, including:
1. Nutrient absorption
The body requires nutrients to function correctly. The GI-MAP test shows deficiencies in nutrient absorption, potentially indicating malabsorption issues or nutritional deficiencies.
2. Inflammation
Inflammation affects every part of your health, including fertility and GI function. The GI-MAP test reveals inflammatory markers in the stool sample, which indicates inflammation within the gut that could be causing various health issues and symptoms.
3. Immune system function
The test also assesses the presence of specific organisms in the stool, looking for both good and harmful bacteria. This shows how the body's immune system works, and dysbiosis in the gut can point to autoimmune disorders.
4. Presence of gut pathogens
Pathogens — including harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi — can cause health issues. Your gut requires good bacteria to mediate pathogens that enter your GI system. However, if good bacteria are lacking, harmful pathogens take over the gut, causing various symptoms.
GI-MAP test results: What do they mean?
After the results of the GI-MAP test are in, Dr. Zilberstein evaluates the findings to get a picture of your gut health. The test findings allow her to link specific symptoms to poor gut health or leaky gut syndrome. The test also provides information on how your gut works, which impacts various aspects of health, including reproduction and your menstrual cycle.
It allows her to come up with a personalized health plan to address specific issues in the gut. Treatments may involve dietary changes, medications, or other therapies to address gut health and relieve chronic symptoms or feelings of fatigue, bloating, and leaky gut.
To learn more about GI mapping, contact Inga Zilberstein, MD, today by calling or texting 830-254-5941 or by sending a message through our website.
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