Maria was 23 years old when she signed up for Quantify, after years of struggling with breakouts on her face and forehead, and trying nearly every over-the-counter medication out there, to no avail.
Her dermatologist had offered to prescribe doxycycline, an oral antibiotic, and erythromycin, an antibiotic cream—in case her acne was caused by bacteria—but Maria was understandably reluctant to move forward with the more potent treatment, having developed indigestion, bloating, and diarrhea a few years prior after taking antibiotics for recurrent sinus infections.
Desperate for a cure, Maria started experimenting with red light therapy, hyaluronic acid, bentonite clay, and other unconventional treatments that touted life-changing results, but these didn’t seem to have any effect either.
Unwilling to continue the guessing game—endlessly trying different gizmos, gadgets, potions, and powders, without actually knowing the causes of her breakouts—Maria decided to pursue a more data-driven approach.
In her first appointment at Quantify, Maria’s health coach recommended a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) stool analysis and food sensitivity test, to test for parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and evaluate intestinal permeability, inflammation, the health of her microbiome, and immune reactivity to commonly consumed foods.
Test results
Her first time conducting a comprehensive evaluation of her health, Maria’s qPCR stool analysis showed an overgrowth of Candida albicans (a fungus that typically exists at low levels throughout the gastrointestinal tract, but that often overgrows due to antibiotic overuse), which was likely causing her digestive symptoms.
Providing an additional clue as to what was going on, Maria’s food sensitivity test showed a significant IgG immune reaction to whey (a protein in milk), indicating dairy sensitivity, which often causes acne, eczema, psoriasis, and other chronic skin conditions.
One of the most common food sensitivities—up there with gluten, legume, and nightshade sensitivity—Maria’s regular consumption of dairy was likely causing an inflammatory response in her skin, resulting in clogged, bacteria-filled pores, and, ultimately, her acne, despite her attempts to address the issue topically.
Recovery
Maria had consumed milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products for her entire life, so to learn that an immune reaction to dairy was causing her acne was quite the surprise.
She knew that eating a healthy diet was important for skin health, so she had experimented with cutting back on greasy and sugary foods over the years.
What she didn’t realize, however, is that eating a healthy diet isn’t just about avoiding the obvious culprits.
More importantly, it’s about eliminating all foods that your body is reacting negatively to, which often requires specialty testing to determine.
Thrilled to finally get answers, Maria started following her health plan closely, checking in with her health coach regularly to help her stay on track.
She eliminated processed foods, sugar, grains, and dairy from her diet, increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods, started drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day, and took certain supplements, such as ginger, astragalus, and olive leaf.
Within a few months, not only did her skin start to clear, but the bloating she had dealt with for years also started to get better, an encouraging indication that her gastrointestinal health was also improving.
Within a year, she was no longer breaking out, her digestive symptoms had completely resolved, and she reported feeling like she had gotten her life back, now empowered with the best diet, supplements, and lifestyle for her, based on her test results.