The Benefits of Saliva Testing

Saliva testing is used to help a person detect diseases and/or other conditions, and is particularly beneficial because it is less invasive or non-invasive, which means the skin does not have to be broken, nor does an organ or cavity of the body have to be entered. As a result, test results may be more accurate, since less stress on the body during the collection of the specimen means less interference with the factors being tested. In some cases, a swab is put into the mouth to collect the saliva, or sufficient quantities of saliva are gathered by spitting for several minutes into a collection tube. Studies have shown that many patients prefer this collection method over being pricked in the arm or finger with a needle. Health care workers say saliva samples for saliva testing are much easier to obtain, especially from children.

Every diagnostic test has its value. Some are invasive, and some non-invasive. Blood testing is invasive and shows a hormone level, but the hormone is bound to a protein and not available to be used; therefore, the body has a difficult time utilizing it. Hair analysis shows how the hormones are actuzally being used at a cellular level. Urine testing shows what and the amounts of what the body is excreting. Saliva testing shows the amount of free (not bound) hormone in saliva, and shows what is available to be used by the body. Saliva testing is a more accurate way of measuring a woman’s hormone levels pre-menopause, peri-menopause, and post-menopause. It is also accurate for fertility studies and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

The reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone, weave a complex pattern throughout the duration of a woman’s cycle. For women who are still menstruating, a blood test for hormone levels reveals only a single snapshot of this very complex pattern, whereas saliva testing, done throughout the cycle, reveals the relationships and balance of the hormones. For women who are no longer menstruating, saliva testing is able to reveal the quantity and quality of the amounts and rates of hormone level changes. Saliva testing may show that a woman’s symptoms, for example, are a result of low progesterone instead of low estrogen.  Saliva testing may be used as a very effective diagnostic tool in helping a woman balance her hormone levels, thereby guiding the aging process to a more fluid and graceful adjustment over time.

In addition to hormone testing, saliva testing can also be used to detect certain food sensitivities and allergies.

Please see our services page for more information on saliva testing and the types of saliva testing offered.