Frequent mood swings, irritability, or feeling low for no clear reason can sometimes be linked to hormones, gut health, or nutrient status. These questions help uncover what could be influencing your emotional wellbeing.
Do you:
- Experience low mood or anxiety more days than not?
- Feel easily overwhelmed or irritable?
- Notice mood changes linked to your cycle, food, or stress?
2+ Yes may suggest neurotransmitter imbalances, hormone shifts, or inflammation affecting brain chemistry.
| Test | Provider | Reasoning | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI-MAP + Zonulin +/- Neurotransmitter testing | Nutripath | Gut microbiota influence hormones and neurotransmitters, through Gut- Brain- Axis. Comprehensive stool DNA test with zonulin for gut permeability. Identifies gut pathogens, microbiome balance, digestion markers, and intestinal permeability (zonulin) or “leaky gut“. This is the gold-standard functional stool test. | Clapp et al., 2017 |
| DUTCH Complete | Precision Analytical Inc. | Measures sex hormones, adrenal function, and cortisol rhythm. Exposure to stress activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA), which results in an elevated secretion of cortisol | Dziurkowska et al., 2021 |
| Organic Acids Test (OAT) | Nutripath | Assesses serotonin/dopamine metabolites, B-vitamin needs. | Lord RS, Bralley JA. Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine (2008). |
Disclaimer: These are specialised functional tests to identify root causes of your symptom(s). Functional testing should be considered as a complement to conventional medical evaluations from your healthcare provider. We recommend pursuing these specialised assessments after standard medical tests have been done to rule out common conditions, or when conventional testing indicates normal results despite your persistent symptoms.
Conventional tests may include these (not exhaustive), depending on your other symptom(s):
| Test | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Thyroid Function Test | Test includes Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), T4, T3 levels. This assess the function of the thyroid gland which can affect mood. Generally, Overactive thyroid can cause anxiety or even panic attacks, while Underactive thyroid can cause depression and low mood. In the presence of normal levels, with persisting symptoms, more detailed tests (as in Fatigue) can be done |
| Full Blood Count (FBC) or Complete Blood Count (CBC) | Assess general basic nutritional health. eg. looking into various anaemia caused by nutritional deficiencies |
| Iron profile include ferritin | Measures Iron stores in the body- Low ferritin indicates iron deficiency anaemia. High levels is less specific and can be caused by infection, inflammation, autoimune, cancer, liver damage. |
| Vitamin B12 and Folate | Assess vitamin levels crucial for energy production, impact on mood |
| Vitamin D | Low level has been linked with fatigue and low mood |
| Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) +/- C- Reactive Protein (CRP) | Raised in infection and inflammation of various causes- So helpful to know if body is undergoing stress and working harder, but doesn’t pin-point the exact cause. High levels can indicate inflammation, which has been linked to depression and other mood disorders |