Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/572809
KURT N. WOELLER, DO, IS COMING TO BOSTON NEXT MONTH TO HOST AN ORGANIC ACIDS WORKSHOP. HE DESCRIBES THE ORGANIC ACIDS TEST (OAT) AS AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR DIAGNOSING THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF CHRONIC ILLNESS. WE ASKED HIM TO TELL US MORE. Q Can you explain what the OAT is and how it can help physicians in diagnosing chronic illnesses? A: The OAT is a comprehensive a s s e s sment of v a r iou s me t a b ol ic markers linked to cellular metabolism and neurochemistry. These markers a re usef u l in deter m ining a w ide variety of issues that can contribute to fatigue, sleep disorders, digestive problems, mental health challenges and neurological disorders. The OAT measures a number of toxic compounds, too, such as arabinose and 4-cresol, which indicate invasive overgrowth of candida and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), respectively. For example, certain C. difficile strains are known to produce more than just toxins A and B, which cause digestive system problems. Some strains of clostridia produce 4-cresol. This toxin inhibits dopamine beta-hydrox ylase, which alters dopamine metabolism and has been strongly linked to various disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Also, other toxic compounds produced from digestive bacteria and yeast can alter mitochondria function, which greatly affects an individual's health as well. The OAT can be applied in any clinical situation and provides the practitioner tremendous insight into underlying biochemical imbalances and toxicity. Q C a n yo u te l l u s s o m e o f t h e chronic illnesses the OAT can help diagnose? A: The OAT provides biochemical assessment for a myriad of imbalances. There are compounds that help to iden- tify inborn errors of metabolism seen in metabolic diseases in children. Most commonly, the information from the OAT can be used in a wide variety of clinical situations, including for individuals suf- fering from chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, mental health problems, autism, etc. In reality, there isn't any clinical sce- nario that I can think of where the OAT cannot be useful. What has to happen is a practitioner needs to become proficient at implementing the OAT into their clinical practice. Once they do this, they will find it is an extremely useful diagnostic test. Q So the OAT can help to diag- nose mental illnesses as well as physical ones? A: The OAT cannot diagnose a mental illness. This needs to be done clinically by a licensed physician. What the OAT can do is identify toxins that are medically known to be associated with mental illnesses. This information helps a practitioner to understand the potential problems for their patients and treat them accordingly. Q I s y o u r t r a i n i n g s p e c i f i c a l l y g e a r e d t o w a r d s i n t e g r a t i v e healthcare practitioners, or can more traditional medical practitioners and their patients also benefit from it? ++++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ + +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ ASK THE EXPERT ❯ Assessing the EFFECTIVENESS of the Organic Acids Test 1 0 | Greater Boston MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M