Glycolate is one of the oxalate markers.
Glycolic acid (glycolate) is an indicator of genetic disease of oxalate metabolism called Hyperoxaluria type I due to a deficiency in the enzyme activity of alanine glyoxylate amino transferase (AGT).
Oxalate (and its acid form, oxalic acid), is an organic acid that is primarily derived from three sources: the diet, fungus (such as Aspergillus and Penicillium), possibly Candida, and also human metabolism.
Oxalic acid is the most acidic organic acid in body fluids and is used commercially to remove rust from car radiators. Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is toxic primarily because it is converted to oxalate in the body. Two different types of genetic diseases are known in which oxalates are high in the urine, hyperoxalurias type I and type II.
In the genetic disease hyperoxaluria type I and in vitamin B-6 deficiency, there is a deficiency in the enzyme activity of alanine glyoxylate amino transferase (AGT), leading to the accumulation of glyoxylic acid. The high glyoxylic acid can then be converted to glycolate by the enzyme GRHPR or to oxalate by the enzyme LDH. Thus, glycolate, glyoxylate, and oxalate are the metabolites that are then elevated in the Organic Acids Test in hyperoxaluria type I and in vitamin B-6 deficiency.
In the genetic disease hyperoxaluria type II, there is a deficiency in an enzyme (GRHPR) that has two biochemical activities: glyoxylate reductase and hydroxypyruvic reductase. This enzyme converts glyoxylate to glycolate and glycerate to hydroxypyruvate. When this enzyme is deficient, glycerate cannot be converted to hydroxypyruvate and glyoxylate cannot be converted to glycolate. In this disease, glyoxylate is increasingly converted to oxalate and glycerate is also very elevated.
External sources of oxalates include ethylene glycol, the main component of antifreeze. Antifreeze is toxic mainly because of the oxalates formed from it. In addition, some foods also contain small amounts of ethylene glycol. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid or ascorbate) can be converted to oxalates but apparently the biochemical conversion system is saturated at low levels of vitamin C so that no additional oxalate is formed until very large doses (greater than 4 grams per day) are consumed. The deposition of oxalates in critical tissues such as brain and blood vessels, the oxidative damage caused by oxalate salts, and the deposition of oxalate mercury complexes in the tissues.
Keeping track of your medical data and laboratory results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Keeping track of your medical data and lab results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Save 10% off any plan with promo-code:
HEALTH10
Glycolic acid is another byproduct of the oxalate pathway and comes from the conversion of glyoxylic acid. Urinary levels of glycolic acid have most commonly been studied in the rare inborn error of metabolism primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). PH1 is caused by a deficiency of alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) which converts glyoxylic acid into glycine.
When this pathway is blocked, due to inborn error, glyoxylic acid ultimately leads to higher production of glycolic acid and oxalic acid.
Clinically, PH1 results in a similar clinical presentation as PH2 with increased oxalic acid excretion and calcium oxalate deposition (oxalosis). This can ultimately progress to renal calcinosis and kidney failure.
Aside from inborn error, a large portion of glycolic acid is derived from metabolism of glycine and hydroxyproline. It has been projected that between 20% and 50% of urinary glycolate comes from hydroxyproline in the form of collagen turnover in the body.
Supplementation or recent intake of collagen or collagen-rich foods may influence levels of glycolic acid in the urine. Another important source of glycolic acid is the molecule glyoxal.
Glyoxal is derived, in part, from oxidative stress in the forms of lipid peroxidation and protein glycation.
The majority of this glyoxal is converted into glycolic acid utilizing glutathione as a cofactor.
Extremely high levels of urinary glycolic acid are suspicious of a metabolic defect in the glyoxylate pathway such as in PH1. However, this rare inborn error is commonly diagnosed early in life. To note, Genova’s urinary organic acid testing is not designed for the diagnosis of metabolic inborn errors. However, the enzyme defect responsible for PH1 (AGT) is dependent on vitamin B6 as a cofactor.
The extent to which urinary glycolic acid could be a functional indicator of vitamin B6 insufficiency has not been studied, however patients with PH1 have shown improvement with B6 intervention.
Aside from inborn error, higher levels of glycolic acid may be indicative of increased oxidative stress.
This is because oxidative stress causes higher levels of glyoxal which is ultimately converted into glycolic acid for excretion utilizing glutathione as a cofactor.
Lower levels of glutathione may promote more conversion of glyoxal to oxalic acid.
HOW CAN HIGH OXALATES BE TREATED?
Implement a low-oxalate diet. This may be especially important if the individual has had Candida for long periods of time and there is high tissue oxalate buildup.
- Use antifungal drugs to reduce yeast and fungi that may be causing high oxalates. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders frequently require years of antifungal treatment. Arabinose, a marker used for years for yeast/fungal overgrowth in the Organic Acids Test is correlated with high amounts of oxalates.
- Supplements of calcium and magnesium citrate can reduce oxalate absorption from the intestine. Citrate is the preferred calcium form to reduce oxalate because citrate also inhibits oxalate absorption from the intestinal tract.
- N-Acetyl glucosamine supplements can stimulate the production of the intercellular cement, hyaluronic acid, to reduce pain caused by oxalates.
- Chondroitin sulfate can prevent the formation of calcium oxalate crystals.
- Vitamin B6 is a cofactor for one of the enzymes that degrades oxalate in the body and has been shown to reduce oxalate production.
- Excessive fats in the diet may cause elevated oxalates if the fatty acids are poorly absorbed because of bile salt deficiency. If taurine is low, supplementation with taurine may help stimulate bile salt production (taurocholic acid), leading to better fatty acid absorption and diminished oxalate absorption.
- Probiotics may be very helpful in degrading oxalates in the intestine. Individuals with low amounts of oxalate-degrading bacteria are much more susceptible to kidney stones. Both Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis have enzymes that degrade oxalates.
- Increase intake of essential omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish oil and cod liver oil, which reduces oxalate problems. High amounts of the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, are associated with increased oxalate problems. Meat from grain fed animals is high in arachidonic acid.
- Supplements of vitamin E, selenium, and arginine have been shown to reduce oxalate damage.
- Increase water intake to help eliminate oxalates.
Sign up
Sign up now and create your account. Use code HEALTH10 for a 10% discount on any plan. Don't miss out!
Organize
Bring all results from any laboratories to your account. You can enter your tests yourself, or we'll be happy to organize your files—whether in PDF, JPEG, CSV, or even screenshots.
Learn and improve
Once your information is stored in your account, dive into a wealth of insights about your results. If you have any more questions, we are here to answer them.
Guiding our user for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15/month
for personal lab results
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our user for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15/month
for personal lab results
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 per month
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
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:
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 ViewGet 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.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
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.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylpropionate, 3-Methyl-4-OH-phenylglycol, 5-Hydroxyindoleacetate, 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, a-Hydroxybutyrate, a-Hydroxyisobutyrate, a-Keto-b-Methylvalerate, a-Ketoadipate, a-Ketoglutarate, a-Ketoisocaproate, a-Ketoisovalerate, a-Ketophenylacetate, Adipate, b-Hydroxybutyrate, b-Hydroxyisovalerate, b-Hydroxypropionate, Benzoate, Cis-Aconitate, Citramalate, Citrate, Creatinine, D-Arabinitol, Formiminoglutamate, Glutarate, Glycerate, Glycolate, Hippurate, Homovanillate, Hydroxymethylglutarate, Indoleacetate, Isocitrate, Isovalerylglycine, Kynurenate, Kynurenate/Quinolinate, Lactate, m-Hydroxyphenylacetate, Malate, Methylmalonate, Orotate, Oxalate, p-Hydroxyphenylacetate, Phenylacetate, Pyroglutamate, Pyruvate, Quinolinate, Suberate, Succinate, Tartarate, Vanilmandelate, Xanthurenate
