What if your child's ADHD symptoms were not just a behavior problem, but a metabolic issue happening underneath the surface? In this episode, Dana Kay explains how the Organic Acid Test, often called the OAT test, can offer a deeper look at how a child's body is functioning, from nutrient processing and neurotransmitter pathways to gut overgrowth, detox stress, mitochondrial function, and more.
This episode is part of Dana's functional lab testing series, and it goes one layer deeper than food sensitivities, gut issues, or nutrient loss. Dana explains why some families can be doing "all the right things," like cleaning up the diet, removing triggers, and adding supplements, yet still feel stuck. The missing piece may not be what to add or remove. It may be whether the body is actually processing things the way it should.
Dana walks parents through the six key areas the Organic Acid Test can help illuminate, including microbial overgrowth, mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter pathways, toxic exposure, methylation and detoxification, and functional nutrient needs. Most importantly, she explains why this test can help bridge the gap between symptoms and function, giving families a clearer, more targeted path forward.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[00:00] ADHD symptoms may not only be behavioral. They may be connected to deeper metabolic issues happening underneath the surface.
[01:29] Some families still feel stuck even after improving diet, removing triggers, and adding supplements because the body may not be processing things properly.
[01:59] The Organic Acid Test, or OAT test, is a urine test that looks at organic acids, which are byproducts of metabolism.
[02:27] Organic acids act like "metabolic breadcrumbs," offering clues about energy production, detoxification, neurotransmitters, and gut microbes.
[03:18] The OAT test can help show where systems are struggling and where things are breaking down in the body.
[03:43] Dana emphasizes that patterns matter more than one isolated out-of-range marker.
[04:37] Gut and microbial overgrowth can produce toxins that may affect the brain and contribute to mood swings, hyperactivity, sensory issues, aggression, and poor focus.
[05:03] Mitochondrial function matters because low cellular energy can show up as brain fog, low motivation, poor resilience, and overwhelm.
[05:33] The test can give insight into neurotransmitter pathways like dopamine and serotonin, which are connected to focus, motivation, mood, and calm.
[08:00] The biggest takeaway: traditional labs often look for disease, while the OAT test looks at dysfunction, helping parents better understand the whole-body picture.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
"What if your child's ADHD symptoms were not just a behavior problem, but a metabolic issue happening underneath the surface?"
"There is a test that can show you all of that from one simple urine sample."
"Parents are doing everything right, they're cleaning up the diet, they're removing triggers, they're adding some supplements, and yet their child is still struggling."
"The missing question is not always what should we add or remove. It is, is the body actually processing things?"
"It's leaving behind these little sort of metabolic breadcrumbs."
"It's not just telling us what is happening, it's telling us where things are breaking down in the body."
"But the patterns are the more important thing."
"You cannot fix neurotransmitters if the body does not have the nutrients or the pathways to make them properly."
"This test looks at dysfunction."
"You can stop guessing, you can stop jumping from one thing to the next, and you can start making sort of these really targeted decisions."
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