Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test: Gluten Sensitivity Guide

Have you ever wondered why some foods leave you feeling unwell, despite being considered healthy?

The answer might lie hidden within your body’s reaction to wheat and gluten. Introducing the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test – a groundbreaking tool designed to unravel this mystery.

The Wheat Zoomer is a lot more advanced than the standard gluten testing, utilizing a peptide-based array for high sensitivity and specificity.

It serves to pinpoint wheat and gluten sensitivities and provide insights into overall gut health, particularly intestinal permeability, which is often linked to various health conditions.

Imagine enjoying your meals without the worry of discomfort. The Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer offers that peace of mind, guiding you toward dietary choices that align with your body’s well-being.

Whether you need to modify, reduce, or entirely eliminate gluten from your diet, this test provides the answers tailored just for you.

Key Takeaways

• The Wheat Zoomer is a sensitive diagnostic test for wheat and gluten sensitivities, plus it assesses intestinal permeability.
• The Wheat Zoomer test results help to formulate personalized patient wellness plans.
• The test is beneficial for individuals with suspected wheat or gluten sensitivities or related health concerns.

What Is Gluten and Wheat Sensitivity?

At its core, sensitivity to gluten and wheat involves your body reacting negatively to these common dietary components, sometimes leading to serious health concerns.

But what does this really mean for you?

Understanding the Impact

Imagine gluten as a guest that your body mistakenly sees as an intruder, sparking various unwanted reactions. These can range from mild sensitivity, where discomfort is a primary symptom, to celiac disease, where your body’s defense system wages a full-blown autoimmune attack on itself.

More Than Just Digestive Issues

This isn’t just about stomach aches. Gluten can be the hidden culprit behind chronic inflammation, often causing more severe conditions like Hashimoto’s disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.

Exposure to wheat or gluten-triggering components can result in chronic inflammation, neurological symptoms, and increased intestinal permeability, sometimes referred to as leaky gut.

While gluten is a known trigger for these disorders, not everyone with autoimmune conditions needs to steer clear of it.

Why Testing Matters

Here’s where the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test becomes your ally. It’s not just about avoiding gluten based on guesswork.

This test dives deep into your body’s response, identifying whether gluten is indeed a foe for your system. By understanding your unique reaction, you can tailor your diet to either embrace or avoid wheat and gluten, depending on what works best for your health.”

What is the Wheat Zoomer Test by Vibrant Wellness?

The Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test is designed to assess an individual’s reaction to wheat and gluten. It measures immune responses and identifies potential risks of gluten-related disorders to help you differentiate between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

But I tested negative with the test my doctor gave me, do I still need to do this test? Yes, the standard celiac test does not 100% rule out celiac disease, and it won’t tell you if you are sensitive to gluten or reacting to gluten in other ways like leaky gut syndrome.

Components of the Wheat Zoomer Panel

The Wheat Zoomer panel includes an array of biomarkers focusing on wheat and gluten sensitivities.

The panel tests for antibodies against peptides of gliadins (alpha, alpha-beta, gamma, and omega) and glutenins (both high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW)), which are proteins present in wheat that can trigger immune responses.

Additionally, it screens for antibodies to non-gluten wheat proteins such as farinins, globulins, serpins, and amylase/protease inhibitors. These comprehensive tests help assess the risk of wheat sensitivity and possible gluten sensitivity.

Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test Features

The key feature of the Wheat Zoomer test is to be able to differentiate whether you have an autoimmune response to gluten, for example, celiac disease, or you have a sensitivity to gluten or other components of wheat.

The next main feature is to assess whether you have intestinal permeability or leaky gut from damage to the intestinal mucosa.

The test also measures your levels of lipopolysaccharides, also known as LPS, these are endotoxins that are produced by gram-negative bacteria.

If there are high levels of LPS in the blood, it is another sign of leaky gut and it can cause a wide range of systemic inflammatory symptoms.

Wheat Zoomer Markers List

• All known deamidated gliadins – can be used to further screen for celiac disease in individuals with IgA deficiency, which affects 2-3% of patients with celiac disease. Or people who test negative for transglutaminase antibodies.
• Alpha, alpha-beta, gamma, and omega gliadin – Research has, however, shown that antibody reactivity against all the 3 main forms of gliadin is found in individuals with wheat-related disorders.
• Glutenin family – Glutenin is responsible for the strength and elasticity of dough. The main types of glutenin are the LMW (low molecular weight) and the HMW (high molecular weight) glutenin. HMW glutenin has been associated with Celiac disease, asthma, and Atopic dermatitis. LMW Glutenin has been associated with Celiac disease, asthma, Atopic dermatitis, Urticaria, and Anaphylaxis.
• Zonulin protein – plays a crucial role in regulating the permeability of tight junctions between cells lining the digestive tract. These tight junctions act as a selective barrier, allowing the passage of essential nutrients while restricting the passage of harmful substances.
• Anti-zonulin – increased levels of anti-zonulin IgA and IgG indicate intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut syndrome.
• Anti-actin – is found at increased frequency in certain autoimmune diseases and may be elevated in celiac disease because of the intestinal damage.
• Anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) – are toxins found in the gut. A healthy gut has a protective layer that stops LPS from leaking into the body. If this layer is damaged, LPS can escape, indicating intestinal permeability and this can cause many chronic health conditions.
• tTG-DGP Fusion Peptides – These are specific types of proteins related to celiac disease. A strong reaction to these proteins suggests celiac disease because it shows how the immune system is mistakenly targeting these gluten-related proteins.
• Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) – Wheat germ agglutinin is a lectin. WGA irritates and causes premature cell death in the gut and has been known to lead to a leaky gut condition. WGA also disrupts the mucus membrane in the gut, which can cause bacterial overgrowth and lead to a host of digestive issues like GERD and ulcers.
• Differential transglutaminase: 2, 3, and 6 – These are specific markers for celiac disease. In a standard celiac test, only transglutaminase 2 is tested, but it is important to test transglutaminase 3, which can cause skin conditions, and transglutaminase 6, which can lead to neurological disorders.
• Wheat IgE antibodies (for wheat allergies) – A wheat allergy causes your immune system to overreact to wheat. Symptoms include hives, rash, nausea, stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Severe wheat allergies may cause anaphylaxis. It is possible to have antibodies to wheat peptides, but not be celiac which is an autoimmune condition.
• Non-gluten wheat proteins – These are proteins found in wheat that do not cause celiac disease. But people can still react to them, experiencing symptoms of wheat sensitivity.

– Farinins – found in wheat but also other grains.

– Globulins – found in various flours and can trigger symptoms in sensitive individuals.

– Serpins – non-gluten proteins that cause reactivity.

– Amylase/Protease Inhibitors – can lead to increased levels of inflammation.

The Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Testing Process

The Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test is a thorough assessment tool designed for patients to evaluate wheat and gluten sensitivities.

The test can be done at a pathology lab, or as a dried blood spot (DBS) test, this is the option that I recommend as it saves going to a lab and if you are outside the U.S. it makes shipping samples a lot easier.

How to Order and Use the Test Kit

You can order the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer directly from Planet Naturopath.

Once ordered, you will receive a Wheat Zoomer test kit which you will need to activate. This activation process is done by scanning a QR code included in the kit.

Patients then collect their samples following clear, step-by-step instructions. The sample must be shipped immediately back to the lab for analysis, utilizing the provided shipping materials and instructions to ensure prompt and secure delivery.

Test Preparation

Fasting: Not required.

Diet Restrictions: None. Vibrant does not recommend a “gluten challenge” to a patient who is already aware they have adverse symptoms driven by gluten.

However, with any antibody testing, if the antigen (gluten, wheat) has been removed for a significant amount of time (highly variable among individuals), the body may no longer mount an IgA/IgG antibody response.

If you are not sure if you are reacting to gluten then you need to be eating gluten for at least two weeks prior to testing.

Dietary Supplement Restrictions: There is no special diet before testing, I do recommend eating wheat products in the weeks before testing.

With a 99% specificity and 100% sensitivity to accurately identify false negatives and false positives, respectively, clinical recommendations can be made from the consistently reliable results.

Medication Restrictions: None; however, steroids, immunosuppressive medications, biologic agents, or other immunomodulating medications (e.g. IV IgG therapy), may cause low or high total immunoglobulins.

Low or high total immunoglobulins (e.g. low total IgA or high total IgG) may cause a false low or a false high of specific-immunoglobulin (e.g. anti-gliadin IgA or anti-wheat germ agglutinin IgG) results.

Collection process: There is the option to do a blood draw to collect the sample, or you can do an “at home” dried blood spot (DBS) collection. The blood spot version method is what I prefer as it saves going to a lab, and if you are outside the U.S. it makes shipping samples easier.

Shipping instructions: Each test will come with a return express shipping label to send the sample back to the lab.

Understanding Your Test Results

After the laboratory has received the patient’s sample, the testing technology—which includes laboratory-developed tests—is used to perform a meticulous analysis.

The patient will receive personalized results in the form of a comprehensive personalized report.

This 15 to 20-page report details your immune response to wheat and gluten peptides and also provides information regarding intestinal permeability.

This report allows you to understand your body’s specific reactions, and this can help guide you on whether to eliminate, reduce, or continue eating wheat.

Health Implications and Wellness

Understanding the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer Test is crucial for individuals experiencing systemic conditions seemingly linked to the gut, as well as those facing challenges with food intolerances and nutrient absorption.

This test can be a pivotal step in uncovering underlying health issues, guiding you toward tailored wellness strategies.

The Connection Between Gut Health and Systemic Conditions

The human gut is not only responsible for digestion but also plays a critical role in the immune system. A compromised intestinal barrier, commonly referred to as “leaky gut,” can permit undesirable particles to enter the bloodstream, potentially triggering autoimmune responses.

Symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and brain fog can often be associated with gluten-related autoimmunity.

Testing for antibodies specific to gluten and other food proteins with the Wheat Zoomer panel assists in diagnosing conditions such as celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which may otherwise manifest in a vast array of systemic symptoms.

Nutrient Absorption and Food Intolerances

Proper nutrient absorption is essential for maintaining overall health. Food sensitivities can severely impact this process, leading to symptoms like gas, eczema, and psoriasis.

The Wheat Zoomer helps identify multiple different reasons why you could be reacting to wheat, offering clues as to why an individual might have nutrient deficiencies.

It evaluates the stability of the intestinal barrier, crucial in preventing particles from food that can cause sensitivities such as IBS, from entering the bloodstream.

By detecting the presence of antibodies associated with food proteins, patients and healthcare providers can create more effective dietary strategies, potentially alleviating symptoms ranging from brain fog to intestinal discomfort. 

Who will benefit from the Wheat Zoomer Testing

The Wheat Zoomer Test is specifically designed for individuals experiencing symptoms that may be related to wheat consumption or gluten sensitivity.

The Wheat Zoomer can also be utilized for people already following a gluten-free or wheat-free diet to gain insight into diet compliance and/or to help identify accidental exposure.

Research suggests that a single exposure to gluten can elevate antibodies anywhere from 2-6 months in a person (varies individually). Therefore, the Wheat Zoomer can be used to track gluten exposure over time.

The Celiac Disease Foundation recommends testing annually for celiac disease, even after a celiac disease diagnosis, as a way of monitoring disease activity and dietary compliance.

Wheat Zoomer and Digestion Symptoms

People with gastrointestinal inflammation, often evidenced by symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, or discomfort post-meals, can greatly benefit from the Wheat Zoomer Test to pinpoint the underlying cause of their symptoms.

Additionally, individuals facing post-meal fatigue, bloating, gas, or nausea may find relief through its comprehensive analysis, which can inform targeted dietary changes to ease these digestive discomforts.

If you have digestive symptoms, it would be a good idea to combine the Wheat Zoomer test with the Vibrant Wellness Gut Zoomer test.

What types of patients are good candidates for Wheat Zoomer testing?

• Suspected Gluten or Wheat Sensitivity
• Suspected Intestinal Permeability (Leaky Gut Syndrome)
• Gastrointestinal inflammation (diarrhea or constipation; cramping; nausea; discomfort after eating)
• Headaches, including migraines
• Neurological symptoms (memory loss, balance problems, numbness, tingling, anxiety)
• Skin rashes – eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis
• Joint pain
• Diagnoses of autoimmune conditions or suspected autoimmune reactions
• Low Vitamin D status
• Multiple Food Sensitivities
• Excessive fatigue after meals or low energy levels in general

Wheat Zoomer and Autoimmune and Other Chronic Health Issues

For those with autoimmune conditions or chronic health issues like joint pains, lack of concentration, or neurological symptoms—including memory loss, balance problems, or tingling—this testing can be instrumental.

The Wheat Zoomer Test can reveal if gluten or wheat contributes to these ailments, potentially leading to improved management through dietary changes.

It’s also valuable for people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, persistent headaches, including migraines, or those who may have low vitamin D levels linked to malabsorption issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, readers can find important details about the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer test through a set of frequently asked questions.

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