Indican

Optimal Result: 0 - 100 ug/mg.

Indican is an indole produced when bacteria in the intestine act on the amino acid, tryptophan. Most indoles are excreted in the feces. The remainder is absorbed, metabolized by the liver, and excreted as indicanin the urine.

Indican normally appears in urine only at low levels, since it’s not normally produced in the cells of your body. However, unfriendly intestinal microorganisms can manufacture them in relatively high quantities.

Indican is then absorbed into the blood from the intestines and eventually appears in the urine.

Microbial overgrowth can lead to a wide variety of symptoms due to reactions to the toxic products produced by bacteria, parasites, or fungi.

If your stomach acid is not adequate, if you fail to digest protein, or if your diet does not supply sufficient fiber, the resulting overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria can release toxic products, such as indican, that your body must remove.

References:

- Greenberger N, Saegh S, and Ruppert R. Urine indican excretion in malabsorption disorders. Gastroenterol 1968;55:204-11. PMID: 4385691.

- Patney NL, Mehrotra MP, Khanna HK, Kumar A. Urinary indican excretion in cirrhosis of liver. J Assoc Physicians India. 1976 May;24(5):291-5. PMID: 1022761.

- Patney NL, Saxena SK, Mehrotra MP, Khanna HK, Kumar A. Urinary indican in diabetes mellitus. J Indian Med Assoc. 1977 Mar 1;68(5):94-7. PMID: 903638.

What does it mean if your Indican result is too high?

Elevations of the organic acid Indican can indicate poor protein digestion and suggest intestinal dysbiosis.

The amount of urine indican increases with high protein diets or inefficient protein digestion.

Possible treatment options:

To reduce high indican levels consumers need to modify their diet by reducing the consumption of animal proteins as well as protein supplements. 

Symptoms and conditions that lead to excess urine Indican include:

- Maldigestion and/or malabsorption of protein

- Hypochlorhydria (insufficient stomach acid)

- Gas and Bloating

- Diarrhea

- Intestinal overgrowth of bad bacteria

- Intestinal mucosal damage (due to infection, toxic or reactive exposure or nutritional deficiency)

- Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis

- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

- Celiac Disease

- Gastric Ulcers

- Stomach cancer

- Pancreatic insufficiency (proteases such as trypsin, pepsin, chymotrypsin)

- Malabsorption syndromes

- Bacterial overgrowth in the small and/or large intestine

- Intestinal obstruction

- Intestinal parasitic infections

- Intestinal fungal infections like Candida

- Liver Dysfunction

- The inability to digest protein can have adverse affects on glycemic control, hormone balance and water balance.

- High intake of antibiotics

- Nutritional deficiencies

What high indican levels indicate:

Excessive Indican levels are caused by poor digestion, constipation, exposure to excessive chemicals in the water, food, air, or drugs, or yeast/candida, parasites, or abnormal flora in the gut. Partially digested food may directly enter the blood, causing allergic food reactions. The body may never utilize undigested food; instead, it may decompose or rot in the colon, producing highly toxic substances, which are reabsorbed into the blood.

This toxicity can present symptoms including: gas, diarrhea, constipation, bad breath, bloating, weight gain, allergies, asthma, arthritis, headaches, skin conditions, nervous system problems, and colon toxicity, which is directly associated with low-back pain and sciatica. With many people, these symptoms manifest as upset stomach or indigestion, heartburn, nausea, and uncomfortable fullness after meals. Diets and supplements rich in proteins, such as those consumed by body builders, can contribute to these symptoms as well.

Treatment options:

Evaluate gut health further (stool testing/food intolerances, SIBO, etc.)

Additional information:

Indican is a byproduct of tryptophan putrefaction by microbes in the gut. Production of Indican occurs when tryptophan creates indoles in the colon. When there is concern of dysbiosis, there can also be concern for poor metabolism of sex hormones (including estrogen) along with chronic lowgrade inflammation that can impact cortisol production and metabolism. This test is not diagnostic but generally warrants further testing to rule out gut dysbiosis.

Frequently asked questions

Unlock Your Health Journey with Healthmatters.io! Ever wished for a one-stop digital health haven for all your lab tests? Look no further! Healthmatters.io is your personalized health dashboard, bringing together test reports from any lab. Say goodbye to scattered results—organize and centralize your lab data effortlessly. Dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data.

Join the community of thousands who've transformed the way they understand their lab results. Experience the joy of having all your lab data neatly organized, regardless of where or when the tests were done.

For our professional users, Healthmatters.io is a game-changer. Revel in the intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history. It's not just a dashboard; it's your gateway to a smarter, more informed health journey!

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we do talk about popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too. It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters. We can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

Still on the hunt for a specific biomarker? Just tell us, and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account!

There are two ways to add your test reports to your healthmatters.io account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you. We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Unlocking the insights from your lab tests has never been this intuitive! We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into a treasure trove of testing data.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Get a quick grasp of your test reports in minutes! Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Experience the power of clear, organized data visualization with Healthmatters.io — your key to understanding and taking charge of your health journey!

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional or business account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.