Course
9

Organic Acids (OAT)

Overview
Interpret organic acid profiles, linking mitochondrial, microbial, neurological and detoxification pathways to tailor interventions for fatigue, cognition, and gut health.
Format
Online
Units
11
Recommended for
  • Mitochondrial health
  • Neurotransmitters
  • Detoxification
  • Candida
  • Oxalate sensitivity
Organic Acids (OAT)

The learning framework

1
Why organic acid testing is often misapplied
Organic Acid Testing provides a comprehensive snapshot of biochemical function, offering insight into nutrient metabolism, mitochondrial efficiency, neurotransmitter balance, detoxification capacity, and microbial activity, yet many practitioners interpret results in isolation, treating individual marker deviations without understanding underlying mechanisms or connecting findings to diet, gut health, stress physiology, and detoxification capacity.
2
The consequences of treating the test instead of the person
This approach leads to "treating the test" rather than the person, resulting in excessive supplementation, misguided protocols, and client confusion, while missing the patterns that reveal where biochemical bottlenecks truly originate and how to prioritise interventions for maximum impact without protocol dumping.
3
A functional framework for integrating organic acid testing
The Organic Acid Testing module trains you to integrate OAT data into whole-person assessment, recognising key metabolic patterns, prioritising dominant bottlenecks, and designing phase-based protocols that address terrain and foundational dysfunction before chasing individual markers.

What you'll learn

By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Interpret key organic acid markers across functional categories
Understanding energy production, neurotransmitter metabolism, methylation and detoxification, microbial markers, oxalate metabolism, and nutrient deficiencies reflected in real-time intermediary metabolites.
Assess mitochondrial function and energy production
Recognising patterns in Krebs cycle intermediates and understanding how nutrient deficiencies, oxidative stress, toxin exposure, and inflammation impair cellular energy production and contribute to fatigue.
Interpret neurotransmitter metabolites and mood-related patterns
Assessing serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA-glutamate pathways to understand drivers of anxiety, depression, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and focus issues.
Identify microbial overgrowth patterns
Recognising markers indicative of yeast overgrowth, bacterial dysbiosis, and Clostridia species overgrowth, and understanding how these contribute to gut dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalances, and systemic inflammation.
Understand oxalate metabolism and its systemic effects
Identifying elevated oxalate markers and understanding how oxalate accumulation contributes to kidney stones, joint pain, and cellular dysfunction.
Correlate OAT findings with diet, symptoms, and other lab data
Avoiding isolated marker interpretation by integrating OAT results with food intake, gut health status, blood chemistry, and client symptom patterns to build a complete clinical picture.
Prioritise interventions based on dominant metabolic bottlenecks
Using the Priority Order of Dysfunction framework to identify which imbalances require immediate attention versus secondary support, avoiding the trap of treating every elevated marker.
Build phased, whole-person protocols
Understanding that OAT must be interpreted within the context of gut restoration, liver support, stress regulation, and foundational health before advanced interventions are applied.

Why this matters

The ability to assess cellular and biochemical function beyond blood work
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OAT reveals metabolic bottlenecks, nutrient deficiencies, and microbial imbalances that conventional labs cannot detect.
Confidence in complex, treatment-resistant cases
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You'll identify why clients aren't responding to standard interventions and adjust protocols accordingly.
Better client outcomes
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Addressing energy production, neurotransmitter balance, detoxification, and microbial overgrowth at the biochemical level creates measurable improvements in fatigue, mood, cognition, and gut health.
Professional differentiation
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OAT expertise positions you as an advanced practitioner capable of interpreting functional testing with precision.
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Mitochondrial Health
Energy Production
Methylation
Detoxification
Neurotransmitter Balance
Gut Dysbiosis
Candida Overgrowth
Oxalates
Chronic Fatigue
Brain Fog
Your path to becoming a Certified Practitioner

How to get started

1st Step
Submit your Application
Apply online in just a few minutes. Our team will review your experience, education and goals to ensure this certification aligns with your professional path.
2nd Step
Join the IOH community
Once accepted, you’ll gain instant access to our global network of practitioners, mentors and resources that support your learning from day one.
3rd Step
Begin your first module
Start your studies inside the IOH learning portal — with guided mentorship, live calls, and access to the Oracle AI system that turns knowledge into action.

Expand your knowledge

All Courses
What does an Integrative Nutritional Therapist do?
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An Integrative Nutritional Therapist utilises the latest evidence-based research to create an integrative approach to optimising each client’s health and wellbeing.

They design bio-individual nutrition plans, personalise supplementation where appropriate, and interpret functional laboratory data, including blood work, to gain deeper insights, achieve better accuracy and tailor every intervention to the individual.

How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
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Conventional medicine often waits until a disease is clearly present before intervention begins. Treatment is focused on managing or suppressing a diagnosed condition.

Functional medicine looks upstream. It assesses the early drivers of dysfunction and works to prevent disease from developing in the first place, or restore balance in the body. It uses a whole-systems view of the body, then applies personalised, preventative nutrition and lifestyle interventions to support long-term health rather than only reacting once things have gone wrong.

What will be my scope of practice after completing this certification?
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After completing the certification, you will be recognised and insured as a Integrative Nutritional Therapist inclusive of Nutritional Therapy and Functional Blood Work, with a clearly defined scope of practice.

You will be trained and insured to:

  • Design bio-individual nutrition plans
  • Recommend and prescribe over-the-counter supplementation up to safe, optimal intake thresholds
  • Utilise functional blood work from a wellness perspective to guide your reasoning and recommendations
  • Collaborate with and refer to medical professionals when red flags, pathology or out-of-scope conditions are identified

Our scope of practice has been aligned with nutritional therapy standards and externally audited, so you can work with confidence and clarity.

Is your course accredited?
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Yes. Our certifications are accredited by multiple independent professional bodies, including the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) and the Complementary Medical Association (CMA).

To receive these accreditations, our curriculum undergoes forensic external auditing to ensure every component is up to date, evidence-informed, ethically delivered and aligned with recognised Nutritional Therapy and Functional Health standards. This includes rigorous evaluation of our academic content, assessments, delivery methods and scope of practice frameworks.

This external oversight gives you confidence that the qualification you are investing in is credible, robust and widely recognised within the industry, with clear pathways for insurance, professional membership and global practice.

Will I be able to practise internationally?
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Yes. Our graduates are eligible for insurance through IICT that is recognised across 36 countries, including:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom.

This allows you to work with clients internationally, including in online practice, provided you respect local regulations and the scope of practice defined by your insurer and professional associations.

Need help?
Get in touch with us
Clarity, confidence, and real results start with one conversation. Let’s map your next chapter — together.