In a previous post, I shared an overview of the results of my organix urine acid test (from October 2014) and promised a more comprehensive examination into the meaning of the results. Here it is!
Category | Abnormal Result | Significance |
Fatty Acid Metabolism | Adipate: Very High | Fatty acids cannot get into my mitochondria. May be due to carnitine deficiency. |
Suberate: High | ||
Carbohydrate Metabolism | Pyruvate: High | B vitamin deficiency. |
Energy Production Markers | Cis-Aconitate: Very Low | Amino acid imbalance. |
Oxidative Damage & Antioxidant Markers | 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine: High | Oxidative damage potentially due to insufficient antioxidants. |
Detoxification |
Glucarate: High | Indicates that my liver is being overworked by substances that need to get out of my body. |
Pyroglutamate: High | Indicator of low glutathione levels. | |
Sulfate: Very High | Can indicate severe zinc deficiency. |
Explanation for high pyruvate levels:
Cellular respiration is a vital process for human life because it allows humans to generate energy from food. In glycolysis (the first stage of cellular respiration), glucose is broken down into two pyruvates. Pyruvate is then converted into acetyl CoA in the next stage of cellular respiration. However, if there is a deficiency of B vitamins such as thiamin and pantothenic acid, the enzyme that converts pyruvate to acetyl CoA cannot function properly, leading to a buildup of pyruvate.
Putting it all together:
It is clear to me that there is something going on with my ability to generate glutathione. This is a huge issue because glutathione is known as the body’s “master antioxidant”. It protects cells from oxidation, aids in detoxification, and supports the immune system. My negative experiences with high thiol foods and supplements makes me reluctant to take any supplemental glutathione or n-acetyl cysteine. The next step for me is to try and figure out the WHY behind these markers. Stay tuned for a continuation of healing!
References:
Lord, R. and Bralley, J. Clinical Applications of Urinary Organic Acids. Part 1: Detoxification Markers. Alternative Medicine Review. 2008; Vol 13, Num 3, p. 205-215.
Bralley, J., & Lord, R. Interpreting Urine Organic Acids test results. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.newtreatments.org/ga.php?linkid=336
Thanks for sharing all you know about SIBO. I have also had the treatment with Dr Keller and am combination hetero MTHFR, and show no methylation issues on my Organic Acids urine test. I have many high levels of various markers and am going to try using the links you provided to get some answers. I am going to try the supplement that are recommended and go from there. Any more information you can point me to would be greatly appreciated.
Terry,
Thanks for your comment! You actually made me realize that I did not put anything in this post about my methylation result from my organix test. Unfortunately, my formiminoglutamate was high, indicating tetrahydrofolate insufficiency. It would seem to me that since yours did not indicate any methylation issues that you are managing your MTHFR mutations well (although I am not completely sure). I would definitely encourage you to check out the references I used. I found them to be very helpful. At this time, I do not have any further information to point you toward.
Riley