As well as analysing your beneficial and pathogenic bacteria, our comprehensive microbiome test also includes testing for parasites and yeast overgrowth, and also provides an assessment of your digestive markers. This holistic picture provides actionable insights to help you improve your gut health.
The gut contains 2kg of microorganisms!
The gut flora is as unique to you as your fingerprint. Your microbiome has many useful functions which include absorbing and producing nutrients, maintaining the gut lining to keep out toxins and unwelcome microorganisms, providing immunity, and producing mood regulating hormones. The microbiome can be disrupted by a number of lifestyle and environmental factors including medications and antibiotics, chronic constipation, stress and diet. Refer to our demo for an example set of test results.
The modern diet has reduced the diversity of the microbiome
Dysbiosis is an unhealthy imbalance in the gut microbiome which not only affects bowel function (causing irritable bowel symptoms), but can also lead to inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and even mental health problems. This comprehensive digestive stool analysis will show you if you have an undergrowth or overgrowth in specific gut microbes.
If you'd like a nutritional review and assessment of your test results by our dietician, consider adding on a Nutrition Assessment.
What we test
Faecal Macroscopy
Macroscopy looks at stool colour and formation, as well as for evidence of mucous or blood which may require further investigation.
This stool test measures:
Digestive & Metabolic Markers
Microscopy is performed for detection of blood cells which may indicate infections or inflammation, as well as markers of maldigestion. The presence of food remnants may indicate poor digestion from too little gastric acid or reduced output from the pancreas.
This stool test measures:
Beneficial Bacteria
Significant numbers of bacteria are normally present in the healthy gut. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in particular, are essential for gut health because they help to inhibit gut pathogens and carcinogens, control pH, reduce cholesterol and synthesise vitamins.
This stool test measures:
Pathogenic Bacteria
These bacteria are pathogenic and are those that have the potential to cause disease in the gut.
This stool test measures:
Opportunistic Bacteria
Our gut bacteria can be divided into ‘bad’ and ‘good’. The good ones for the most part benefit us, whreas the bad 'pathogenic' ones can cause disease. Pathogens are usually present in small quantities in the microbiome, however in excessive amounts they can have adverse effects on the body. The beneficial bacteria of the microbiome have a protective function against colonisation by pathogenic bacteria.
This stool test measures:
Potential Autoimmune Triggers
An imbalance in the gut microbiome (called ‘dysbiosis’) has been associated with autoimmune diseases, particularly, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune liver disease.
This stool test measures:
Yeasts
This test looks for evidence of candida or other yeast overgrowth. Whilst yeasts are a normal inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract, they may become an opportunistic pathogen after disruption of the mucosal barrier, imbalance of the normal intestinal flora or impaired immunity. This can be caused by things like antibiotics, antacids and stress.
This stool test measures:
Parasites
Some gut problems can be a consequence of an undetected gut infection. A significant number of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) cases could actually be due to undiagnosed gut parasites such as Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis.
This stool test measures:
Test instructions
Your test kit and all instructions are posted directly to you, and there is no need to visit a collection centre.
Mail your sample back to the lab using the prepaid envelope and packaging.
Results for this test typically available in 2 weeks and will be published in your online dashboard.
There are medical explanations and labels for many gut problems, but the big exception is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Since many gut disorders have similar symptoms to IBS, ruling out a more serious underlying gut disease is an important first step.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacteria that infects the stomach, and is now known to be a major cause of peptic ulcer disease. One third of Australians are believed to carry the bug, but many don’t realise they have it.
