5 Reasons Why You Should Test Your Gut Microbiome
Let’s talk about your poo. Do you ever look in the bowl when you’re in the bathroom? If not, you should! We can learn so much from our poo. To really understand what is going on with your gut microbiome, you’ll want to send your poo to a lab to get a detailed understanding of your digestion, absorption and elimination.
A metabiome microba “poo” test is my preference when it comes to stool testing as it is one of the most valuable tests to get a snapshot of your digestive health, which is the seat of your whole health.
Let’s go back a step and start with digestion and gut 101…
You see, you are made up of over 39 trillion microorganisms that live on or in us, including bacteria, fungi, parasites, archaea and viruses.
This means you’ve actually got more microbes in your body than you do human cells!
How your bacteria behave, especially the 2kgs of bacteria sitting in your gut, directly affects your digestion, absorption and elimination. If you have IBS, bloating, bowel irregularities, reflux, indigestion or any digestive discomfort (like 1 in 2 Aussies do), this test provides detailed insights into the microorganisms inhabiting your gut and how they function.
There’s lots of different stool test that are on the market, so it can be a bit overwhelming. The most efficient and detailed way to look at the entire microbiome is through metagenomic analysis, which analyses the DNA of all the microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, fungi etc.) in a sample. This is the type of analysis that Microba uses, which is my preference.
This test gives detailed information into which bacterial species are living in your gut (we can see what composition of ‘goodies’ you have vs ‘baddies’), what foods they’re using as fuel, and how your body is breaking down the food you’re eating.
This test also tells us how your digestion and gut microbiome is affecting:
Metabolic health
Cardiovascular health
Detoxification
Nervous system & mood
Inflammation
Detoxification
Your gut microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint.
By doing a gut microbiome test we get an insight into your health and it helps us understand why you may have specific signs, symptoms and health challenges. It then enables us to create a bespoke natural health plan, which includes specific foods to eat more of, meal ideas and recipes, so your gut microbiome can thrive.
5 Reasons Why You Should Test Your Gut Microbiome
Microbial Diversity
We can see your microbial diversity using the shannon index. Research shows us that those with a more diverse gut microbiome = better health outcomes
Digestion, Absorption and Elimination
We can get detailed information on your digestion, absorption and elimination - this is so useful for those that experience digestive discomfort, bloating, reflux, diarrhoea, constipation, IBS and digestive issues.
It’s not about calories in, calories out. We need to understand what your body is doing with the food your eating and this test enables us to see how your body is breaking down your macronutrients - carbs, fats and proteins.
Metabolic health and insulin levels
Your gut microbiome directly affects your appetite, insulin and metabolic health.
Specific gut bugs can enhance your insulin levels and metabolic health. Studies have indicated that the gut microbiome in people with metabolic disorders have a reduced ability to produce beneficial substances derived from bacterial fibre digestion such as the short chain fatty acid butyrate and an increased ability to produce branched chain amino acids1,3 and the pro-inflammatory substances lipopolysaccharides.
Mood including anxiety and depression
We can see how your gut bugs are impacting your nervous system and mood, and see specific neurotransmitters. For example, over 90% of your ‘happy hormone’, serotonin, is manufactured in the gut. A number of other neurotransmitters that manage moods such as GABA, which is known as the anti-anxiety hormone, is manufactured in the gut.
Immune function
We get detailed information on your immune challenges and factors, which can drive inflammation, allergies, immune dysfunction, autoimmune etc.
Over 70% of your immune cells reside in your gut, which is why your gut health directly affects immunity, allergies and autoimmune disease
Microbiome test details and investment:
There’s 2 options for ordering the metabiome test:
Gut Microbiome Test and a consultation to go through your results is at approximately $604, which you order through me.
Just let me know via email and you’ll receive the test kit in the post within a couple of days!
Nourished, my signature 3-month program, includes a metabiome test. This program is a health transformation experience, including a metabiome test, 4 x 1:1 consultations, weekly email support between consultations (to keep you on track, accountable and inspired!), 12 self-paced online learning modules, personalised nutrition plan, meal ideas, recipes, metabolic and hormone health, nutrition education, cooking demos, shopping lists, meal planner, diet diary and so much more.
It’s priced at $777 per month (x 3) or an upfront discounted price