Check the Infections Factsheet out here.
I no longer run the test service, see options for ordering here. However, I have left the test info up for you as there’s a lot of good advice here. Hope it helps!
If you are getting recurrent infections, battling something like Lyme disease or something like that, it can be useful to know what your immune system is up to. It’s a complex medical field so make sure you have someone who can help you interpret the results and advise you how to address any issues.
Immune Testing Summary
There are lots of ways to check immune status. The best overall test is the Immunodiagnostics Panel, which you can order on the shop or direct using that link. It measures the main cytokines, EBV virus etc. Click the link where you can see a list of the analytes being measured.
Alternatives
I would say one of the most obvious places to start looking at your immune system is with a full blood chemistry test. Your GP can do that or do either the Functional Blood Chemistry Panel or the Functional Blood Chemistry Panel Advanced if you need a really thorough look at how your body is doing. If you want a fancy-pants report with really good summaries and the priorities picked out for you, also look at the FDX Ultra. They will show you white blood cell counts and more; you’ll get a good look at what your lymphocytes, neutrophils and other white blood cell types are up to. Check too for anaemias, especially if you are finding it difficult to recover after an illness or infection.
This is a gross generalisation of the white blood cell types, but I’ve found it helpful in practice so I share it in case it helps:
- Neutrophils tend to go up if a bacterial infection is present and down with a viral infection.
- Lymphocytes go down in most chronic diseases eg. viral, toxicity, fatigue etc.
- Monocytes go up in acute problems.
- Eosinophils go up in the presence of parasites or with allergy of some kind.
- Basophils contain histamine and can be raised by allergy/sensitivity/high blood histamine levels.
Another way to get a good feel for your immune strength is to check levels of the key antibodies: IgG, IgA and IgM via the GAM test.
Roughly:
- Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is found mainly in blood and lymph fluid. This is the first antibody the body makes when it fights a new infection so if this is high, you likely have an acute or developing issue.
- Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is found in the linings of the respiratory tract and digestive system as well as in saliva, tears and breast milk.
- Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the most common antibody. It’s in blood and other body fluids, and protects against bacterial and viral infections. This usually denotes a chronic issue or something that’s been going on for a long time.
You can read much more about this here. Suffice to say, if the levels are low, your immunity could do with a boost.
Also, check your mucosal SIgA levels – this is what protects the mucosal linings of your body, like the lungs, eyes, vagina, gut and skin. Do the simple salivary Secretory IgA test for that. Read my factsheet on SIgA here too. The gut tests will check for stool SIgA specifically.
Nutrient Levels
Levels of Vitamin A, C and D as well as the mineral zinc are crucial to your immune health. It’s actually not that easy to check vitamins and minerals! Check the Vitamin and Mineral Tests, but in general, I like the Genova Elemental Analysis Test , which measures the key minerals and toxic metals in the right ways for each mineral (rare!). For vitamins, choose TDL’s Vitamin Profile 2. This is costly because it is a pretty specialised process to check B vits, Vitamin A, active B12 and red cell folate (the best forms).
Do not just supplement high doses of Vitamin A or D especially – it is better to see what you need and correct it. Too much is not a good thing of those. Better (and cheaper) would be to take a good general multivitamin and mineral so everything is in balance, but it is worth testing because low levels of any of those could be really harming your chances of recovery. See the Wellbeing protocol here.