10 New Oxidative Stress & Gut Health Biomarkers to Know

In this episode, Dr. Kate Kresge welcomes back Dr. Cheryl Burdette, naturopathic physician, educator, and co-founder of Precision Point Diagnostics, for a deep dive into the gut, oxidation, and stress biomarker bundle she helped develop. Dr. Burdette walks through ten underused markers, including anti-LPS antibodies, zonulin, secretory IgA, 8-OHdG, F2-isoprostanes, and glutathione, and how together they offer a picture of barrier integrity, immune activation, and oxidative load. She shares case examples, how she intervenes when results are out of range, when to retest, and where bile acids, bitters, and fiber fit in metabolic support. If you work with chronic illness and "normal" labs that don't match the patient in front of you, this one's for you.

3 Key Takeaways

Endotoxin may be an inflammatory spark. In mice, a high-fat diet raised circulating LPS, and low-dose LPS infusion alone was enough to trigger weight gain, inflammation, and insulin resistance. (Cani 2007)

Barrier function is regulated, not fixed. Zonulin modulates intestinal tight junctions, and its dysregulation has been linked to autoimmune and inflammatory conditions in genetically susceptible people. (Fasano 2011)

Oxidative stress leaves measurable marks. 8-OHdG is one of the most widely used biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage, and Dr. Burdette pairs it with F2-isoprostanes to assess lipid oxidation. (Valavanidis 2009) (Graille 2020)

Guest: Dr. Cheryl Burdette, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor, educator, and co-founder of Precision Point Diagnostics. She serves as Director of Education at Progressive Medical Center in Atlanta and teaches extensively through Fullscript and Origins Incubator. Her focus is integrative immunology, oxidative stress, gut health, and making functional diagnostics clinically useful.

Clinical FAQ

Why test anti-LPS antibodies?

Dr. Burdette considers them one of the most predictive markers she runs, reflecting the immune system's response to endotoxin crossing a compromised gut barrier. (Ghosh 2020)

What does zonulin tell you?

Zonulin regulates intestinal tight junctions, so elevated levels can point to increased intestinal permeability. (Fasano 2011) Dr. Burdette reads it alongside immunoglobulin markers.

Why add F2-isoprostanes?

They reflect lipid peroxidation. (Graille 2020) Dr. Burdette explains how high levels may interfere with hormone signaling and omega-3 benefits, and shares diet and supplement strategies to lower them.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome back, Dr. Cheryl Burdette

02:22 – Why test oxidative stress and immune dysregulation

05:30 – Origin of the gut, oxidation, and stress bundle

13:56 – Anti-LPS antibodies

20:56 – Zonulin and immunoglobulins

26:01 – Secretory IgA and the gut-immune interface

30:44 – 8-OHdG, DNA damage, and detox load

34:48 – Glutathione and how to raise it

41:06 – When to retest

41:53 – F2-isoprostanes and lipid oxidation

48:57 – Food sensitivity testing beyond IgG

52:58 – Bile acids, GLP-1, and metabolic support

56:30 – Natural GLP-1 support: bitters, berberine, glutamine

58:25 – Where to find Dr. Burdette

Ready to elevate your practice? This episode is sponsored by Fullscript, a comprehensive care delivery platform designed to support whole-person, integrative healthcare. Fullscript helps clinicians bring supplement dispensing, lab ordering, and patient education into one centralized workflow. For more practitioner education on supplements, nutrition, and evidence-informed clinical care, visit Fullscript Academy at academy.fullscript.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of Fullscript or any affiliated organizations. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. For your safety, always check with your doctor or healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.