Stool Testing: Well Worth The Cost

by Eric Bakker N.D.

I’ve learned a lot from more than 30 years of stool testing.

I believe stool testing is so valuable due to the outcomes I’ve seen with client after client. It is expensive, but in so many cases, people regret that they didn’t test their stool years prior. A lot of doctors don’t do the testing due to the cost. I believe that people can’t afford to stay sick for so long.

The stool test gives you a baseline of gastrointestinal function. After treatment, you can do a repeat test to see the progress.

The following are some of the most common patterns I’ve noticed from doing stool testing:

1. Lack of Candida in people convinced they have it: Over half the people who are convinced they have Candida don’t have Candida at all. Candida couldn’t be cultured from their stool, and no dead yeast was detected. Yet, some of these people have been on Candida diets for ten years (!).

2. Absence of beneficial bacteria: In many cases, clients have a lack of beneficial bacteria instead of Candida. They may have had Candida and got rid of it, but they stayed on the Candida diet despite improvements.

About 60% of tests show a complete lack of beneficial bacteria. Clients with these results can have a variety of symptoms, including anxiety, depression, headache, brain fog, joint pain, muscle pain, and fatigue. Almost every person I see with chronic fatigue has a profound lack of beneficial bacteria in their stool.

3. Parasites: A trend I have noticed in the last few years is that many stool tests come back with parasites. About 20% of the tests I see contain Blastocystis hominis.

Further readings:

4. Decreased pancreatic enzymes: I also commonly see problems with the pancreas. About 90% of what the pancreas does is produce enzymes and bicarbonate to help the small intestine with digestion. Stool tests often demonstrate significant deficiencies of the enzyme elastase leading to a lot of digestive problems, including gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Elastase can be reduced due to medication, stress, poor diet, and improper chewing. A lack of elastase can facilitate an explosion of bacteria in the small bowel and colonization by Candida. People find themselves tired and profoundly lacking in vitality.

Good food doesn’t always equate to vitality. You need to be able to convert the good food into good energy, which requires a sufficient supply of elastase.

5. Evidence of inflammation: I used to see this in people with inflammatory bowel disease. Now, I see it in people who don’t have IBS. Inflammation can be due to many things, including parasites and low levels of beneficial bacteria. Levels of secretory IgA are often either very high or very low. Very low

levels of IgA are found in people who are depleted and have been sick for a long time. High IgA levels tend to result in a feeling of profound malaise. This is not surprising because the immune system has an incredibly powerful effect on how you think, how you feel, and your energy.

Inflammation is not only about pain. Inflammation is the basis of all disease.

6. Low levels of short-chain fatty acids: Short-chain fatty acids are the by-products of fermentation. When food ferments properly, these acids feed the colon and facilitate healthy levels of beneficial bacteria. If you lack short-chain fatty acids, your health suffers.

I firmly believe that stool testing is a valuable investigation that will help you discover what is causing your symptoms.

Once you know the problem, you can look for the appropriate solutions.

For example, if you have problems with Candida or dysbiosis, CanXida Remove can be very helpful. The other CanXida formulations, Restore and Rebuild, also help correct or mitigate the abnormal stool tests we see in the clinic.

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About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.