Gut health testing - what it is and how it can help

It’s rare that I see a client that doesn’t face some digestive symptoms. 

Sometimes they may not realise until we delve into some of the questions in our in-depth initial consultation. 

Perhaps they’ve put up with bloating for years, even had to adapt their wardrobe, but just accept it. Or they don’t have a daily bowel movement, but just felt they’ve always been more on the constipated side and it’s “normal” for them. They haven’t realised how their skin issues, fertility, hormone troubles, or constant colds could be linked to gut health. Or some have even done the ZOE test, but it still hasn’t resolved their IBS symptoms. 

So, let’s delve into getting to the bottom (no pun intended) of gut health.

If you are struggling with:

• Gas

• Bloating

• Abdominal pains/cramps

• Indigestion/reflux

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Food sensitivities and allergies

• Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s, Ulcerative colitis)

• Skin issues

• Poor immunity

• Autoimmune diseases

• Mood disorders, anxiety, or depression

• Joint aches

• Eczema/atopic dermatitis

• Weight issues

Then, comprehensive stool testing might be right for you. The health of the entire body is dependent on a healthy gut and gut microbiome.

A comprehensive stool (gut health) test provides a complete evaluation of gut health.

It looks into detailed functional areas, which include:

digestion and absorption

To assess how well you are breaking down foods, and absorbing the nutrients from those foods by looking at markers:

• Pancreatic Elastase-1 is a marker of exocrine pancreatic function.

• Products of Protein Breakdown are markers of undigested protein reaching the colon.

• Fecal Fat is a marker of fat breakdown and absorption.

inflammation/immunology

These markers assess inflammatory changes and immune responses, which can help when reviewing initial indications of food sensitivities:

• Calprotectin is a marker of neutrophil-driven inflammation. Produced in abundance at sites of inflammation, this biomarker has been proven clinically useful in differentiating between Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

• Eosinophil Protein X is a marker of eosinophil-driven inflammation and allergic response.

• Fecal Secretory IgA is a marker of gut secretory immunity and barrier function.

• Fecal Occult Blood Test detects hidden blood; fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), the preferred noninvasive test for colorectal cancer screening/detection.

gut microbiome

Your gut is home to many different bacteria and yeast species. A healthy gut, with the help of your bacterial friends, produces chemicals that act can influence your mood, focus and attention. In a two-way relationship (the gut:brain axis), a healthy brain will aid digestive health.

An “unhappy” or poor functioning gut can actually have a negative impact to your physical and mental health. Likewise, stress can disrupt digestive function and microbial balance.

You may have seen this bi-directional relationship in action with IBS flares, or gut symptoms experienced when you’re under stress. Or finding your mood is impacted when struggling with digestive symptoms.

It is the balance and patterns in your gut bacteria that are crucial for a healthy gut. By fully assessing the gut microbiome, we can identify:

• Composition, abundance and patterns of commensal bacteria. Even overgrowth of “friendly” bacteria can lead to digestive symptoms

• Identify any pathogenic organisms present that can contribute to your symptoms

• Assess some of the metabolites the bacteria are producing (short-chain fatty acids) and beta-glucuronidase (important marker when considering hormonal balance)

• Yeasts, such as any candida overgrowth

FAQs on stool / gut testing:

• How is the test done?

  The test is completed in the comfort of your own home. You will receive a test kit with clear instructions on how best to complete the test. Small samples are taken from your stool and return directly to the laboratory. Collection from your house is arranged.

• How does it compare to ZOE gut tests?

  I have seen clients that scored “excellent” with ZOE gut testing, but suffer with digestive symptoms that have not resolved following the ZOE programme. The gut health tests we utilise in clinic are much more comprehensive as they look at all the areas mentioned above, not just microbiome diversity. It is also important to understand, that we can have a great diversity in the gut (scoring well on ZOE), but even overgrowth of “good” bacteria may cause symptoms for some. So we want diversity, but also balance.

• How much does it cost?

  Costs depends on the test we go with, we don’t always use the same lab test as depending on your unique symptoms a panel may be better suited to you. As a guide, they tend to be around £375. Payment is typically made directly to the lab and there are options available to split this payment at no extra cost.

If you want to know more about stool testing, or other functional tests available that could support you with your health goals or symptoms, let’s chat. Book a free chat below.

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