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Total Bile Acids are a group of compounds produced by your liver. They play a vital role in digestion, particularly in breaking down fats and absorbing them into your body. Once produced, they are stored in your gallbladder and released into your small intestine when you eat. They also help your body get rid of excess cholesterol and toxins. In essence, Total Bile Acids are like the detergent of your digestive system, helping to dissolve and absorb the nutrients from your food, and keep your body clean from the inside.
If Your Levels Are High
High levels of Total Bile Acids in your blood could indicate a few things. Your liver might not be functioning as it should, which could be due to conditions like liver disease or cirrhosis. Alternatively, there could be a blockage in your bile ducts, which could be caused by gallstones or a tumor. Certain medications, such as those used for cholesterol or diabetes, can also increase bile acid levels. Additionally, conditions like pregnancy or rapid weight loss can cause a temporary spike in these levels. It's important to note that these are potential causes, and high levels of Total Bile Acids could be due to other factors as well.
Symptoms of High Levels
Symptoms of high levels of Total Bile Acids could include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), itchy skin, dark urine, light-colored stools, and abdominal pain.
If Your Levels are Low
Low levels of Total Bile Acids in your blood could suggest that your body isn't producing enough bile, which is essential for breaking down and absorbing fats from your diet. This could be due to a variety of reasons. For instance, it could indicate a liver condition, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis, as the liver is responsible for producing bile. Alternatively, it could be a sign of a problem with your gallbladder, which stores and releases bile. Certain medications, like cholestyramine or colestipol, can also lower bile acid levels. Additionally, malnutrition or a diet low in fat could potentially lead to lower bile acid levels, as your body may produce less bile when there's less fat to break down.
Symptoms of Low Levels
Symptoms of low levels of Total Bile Acids could include indigestion, abdominal pain, weight loss, and greasy or light-colored stools. In severe cases, it may also lead to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
StoolOMX™ is a powerful GI-MAP® add-on test that evaluates 25 bile acids (total concentrations, percentages, and ratios) and 9 short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), offering clinicians valuable insights into gut functionality. Bile acids and SCFAs play critical roles in digestion, motility, microbiome balance, and metabolic health. Imbalances in these metabolites can drive conditions such as IBS, IBD, bile acid diarrhea, and altered gut motility. By ordering StoolOMX alongside the GI-MAP, practitioners can uncover the underlying causes of these common conditions.
Bile Acids by Access Labcorp Draw
Serum
This is a single-marker test measuring total bile acids.
M.A.P 3.0 by DHA Laboratory
Whole Blood
Urine
Serum
Plasma
The Mental M.A.P.™️ 3.0 helps elucidate the cause of symptoms from mental health dysfunction. Mental illnesses have a common underlying theme: microglial cell activation and dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity. Neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity cause neurotransmitter imbalances and damage to neurons. NOTE: DHA Laboratory blood draws must be performed at Labcorp.
Bile Acids, Total, Enzymatic by Quest Diagnostics
Serum
Bile Acids, Total, Enzymatic - Total bile acids are metabolized in the liver and, hence, serve as a marker for normal liver function. Serum total bile acids are increased in patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver sclerosis and liver cancer.
Bile Acids, Fractionated and Total by Quest Diagnostics
Serum
Bile Acids, Fractionated and Total - Bile acids are formed in the liver, from cholesterol, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder, and excreted into the intestines in response to food. Elevated concentrations often suggest impaired hepatic clearance due to liver disease. Patients with intestinal malabsorption and metabolic disorders such as Gilbert's disease do not exhibit elevated bile acids concentrations.