We are thrilled to unveil a series of exciting new initiatives at The Functional Gut Clinic that will significantly enhance our ability to provide the highest quality GI Physiology testing service for patients. We have expanded our portfolio of testing to introduce new services that allow us to objectively assess more aspects of GI function that will lead to an increased level of diagnostic sensitivity. Expanded areas of interest: Gastric Neuromuscular Function: New therapeutic options such as G-POEM have contributed to a resurgence of interest in patients with symptoms of dyspepsia and gastro ..read more

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (or SIBO for short), as the name suggests, happens when too much bacteria grows in the small intestine where they would not normally be present. This overgrowth can overwhelm the small intestine, leading to difficult symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain, excessive gas, and can change your bowel habit. Breath tests can be used to detect SIBO, by measuring levels of hydrogen and methane which are gases produced by these bacteria. But there’s another type of gas that can be produced by these bacteria – hydrogen sulphide. Until recently, it’s been difficult to ..read more

If you suffer from difficult abdominal symptoms like pain and bloating, along with excessive wind with an eggy sulphur smell, hydrogen sulphide may be your problem. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is gas made by some species of bacteria in your gut, and if there is too much, this can cause a problem! At FGC, we have just launched a new breath test that can measure H2S, so we can see if this gas is the culprit for your troublesome symptoms. The breath test can be performed at one of our clinics in London, Cambridge, or Manchester. Our test involves blowing into a bag to collect breath samples at differ ..read more

The Functional Gut Clinic in partnership with OMED Health is delighted to announce the launch of a novel breath test to detect the presence Hydrogen Sulphide producing bacteria within the GI tract. Hydrogen Sulphide is a highly volatile gas most commonly associated with an ‘eggy’ smell and is only usually present in the gut in very low concentrations. High gut levels of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) are associated with an array of gut symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and excessive mal-odorous (eggy) flatulence. High levels of H2S have also been shown to increase gut permeability and inhibi ..read more

By Jordan Haworth, GI Physiologist Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects around 1% of the population. If you have coeliac disease then gluten triggers your own immune system cells to attack the villi in your intestinal lining. The villi are responsible for absorbing nutrients from food. Therefore, with coeliac disease, when the villi become damaged, more food is not absorbed and instead fermented in the colon, which can lead to bloating diarrhoea and nutrient deficiencies. Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is when people have symptoms in response to gluten, but do not hav ..read more

By Jordan Haworth, GI Physiologist The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a complex system that is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food we eat. Unfortunately, it is also a common site for the development of various digestive disorders. Two such conditions that can significantly affect the quality of life of those affected are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although these conditions share some symptoms and are often confused, they are different conditions with distinct causes, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options. What i ..read more

Climate change is a very real threat to the world as we know it. Therefore, it is important we all make changes to become more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprint. Here at the Functional Gut Clinic, we have incorporated many of these changes into how we operate on a day-to-day basis to minimise our impact on the environment and lower our carbon footprint whilst improving our patient services. Reducing patient footfall and unnecessary in clinic testing: The COVID pandemic provided the biggest challenge to healthcare the world has seen in recent history. Every aspect of how healthcare is ..read more

By Jordan Haworth, Clinical Physiologist   Stomach acid plays two important roles in your body: breaking down food and killing harmful microbes that you ingest1. Acidity levels are measured by the pH scale from 1 to 14, with 1 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being the most alkaline. The pH of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) is around pH 1, which is as strong as battery acid. Although, gastric juice also contains water and mucus, so normal pH of the stomach is typically between pH 1.5 to pH 3.5, Low stomach acid, also known medically as hypochlorhydria, is when the stomach ..read more

If you suffer from difficult abdominal symptoms like pain and bloating, along with excessive wind with an eggy sulphur smell, hydrogen sulphide may be your problem. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is gas made by some species of bacteria in your gut, and if there is too much, this can cause a problem! At FGC, we have just launched a new breath test that can measure H2S, so we can see if this gas is the culprit for your troublesome symptoms. The breath test can be performed at one of our clinics in London, Cambridge, or Manchester. Our test involves blowing into a bag to collect breath samples at differ ..read more

The Functional Gut Clinic in partnership with OMED Health is delighted to announce the launch of a novel breath test to detect the presence Hydrogen Sulphide producing bacteria within the GI tract. Hydrogen Sulphide is a highly volatile gas most commonly associated with an ‘eggy’ smell and is only usually present in the gut in very low concentrations. High gut levels of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) are associated with an array of gut symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and excessive mal-odorous (eggy) flatulence. High levels of H2S have also been shown to increase gut permeability and inhibi ..read more