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GI Effects - Gut Health Profile

Discover insights into your gut health, from inflammation levels to gut bacteria balance and your ability to digest food.

SPECIMEN TYPE: STOOL

TURNAROUND TIME: 17 DAYS

The Gut Health Profile are a comprehensive suite designed to provide immediate and actionable clinical information for managing your gastrointestinal health.

Discover imbalances in your gut microbiome by uncovering irregularities in yeast, parasites, and the bacterial population—known as the microbiome—that reside in your large intestine.

The diverse metabolic activities of your gut microbiome have a direct impact on your overall health. Your lifestyle choices can significantly affect the health of your microbiome.

Is the GI Effects Stool Test Right for You?

If you experience any of the following symptoms, our Gut Health Profile test might be the solution you've been looking for:

Gas
Bloating
Abdominal pain/cramps
Indigestion/reflux
Diarrhea
Constipation
Food Allergies
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

The health of the entire body is dependent on a healthy gut and gut microbiome.

The Gut Health Profile not only provides essential information on inflammation and your ability to digest and absorb food, but also employs advanced technologies and biomarkers to offer valuable insights into your digestive functions, intestinal inflammation, and gut microbiome. These insights are crucial as systemic diseases can often be traced back to gastrointestinal issues.

By identifying any irregularities through the GI Effects test, you and your healthcare provider can create a personalized treatment plan to help heal your symptoms.

Review the Test Preparation tab to learn more about the collection process.

Preparing for Your Gut Health Test
Important Guidelines on Medications and Supplements

Please be aware that certain medications, supplements, and foods could affect your test results.

Our reference ranges are based on data from individuals who were not taking any medications or supplements at the time of testing. Some medications could affect your test results in ways that aren't fully known yet.

There might be times when you need to keep taking your medicine or supplements while doing the test. If that's the case, stopping these substances helps us get a clear starting point for more accurate results.

Below you can find a list detailing the potential interference or influence of certain substances on the biomarkers.

Stopping essential medications or supplements for testing is not recommended. If needed, consult with your healthcare provider or book a consultation with a specialist.

Illness

Collecting a sample during an acute gastrointestinal infectious illness is not suggested.

Pediatric Patients

This test is generally not recommended for children under two years old. Their gut flora is still developing, which can affect the test results. Also, some markers may not be accurate in young children, especially if they're breastfeeding. We don't have established reference ranges for this age group.

Fecal Occult Blood Testing

If the person has a bleeding hemorrhoid(s) or is menstruating, it may interfere with the fecal occult blood test. It is preferred that the person collect samples when there is not active bleeding.

Colectomy and Colostomy

If you've had a partial or complete removal of your colon through a colectomy or colostomy, it's important to know that this test wasn't specifically designed for your situation. The absence of a colon could affect the results related to your gut bacteria, as the colon is where most of these bacteria live. However, the test can still provide valuable insights into other areas like inflammation and how well you digest and absorb food. It can also identify any harmful or potentially harmful bacteria that may be present.

Clinical information

The GI Effects Gut Health Profile can reveal important information about the root cause of many common gastrointestinal symptoms and non-GI conditions including:

· Gas

· Bloating

· Indigestion/ reflux

· Abdominal pain/ cramps

· Diarrhea

· Constipation

· Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

· Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

· Atopic dermatitis/ eczema

· Allergies

· Autoimmune diseases

· Mood disorders (depression)

· Joint aches

· Diabetes

· Weight issues

Gut microbes are codependent with one another and with their human host, and the health of one affects the other. A sizeable volume of research associates a dysbiotic, or imbalanced gut microbiome with multiple disease states both within and outside of the GI tract.

The biomarkers on the GI Effects Comprehensive Profile (2200) reflect the 3 key functions of gut health arranged in the “DIG” format: Digestion/Absorption, Inflammation/Immunology, and the Gut Microbiome.

Digestion/Absorption:

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:

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) has been recommended by the American College of Gastroenterology as the preferred noninvasive test for colorectal cancer screening/detection.

Gut Microbiome:

Our Partners are first laboratory to introduce an Inflammation-Associated Dysbiosis score and a Methane Dysbiosis score by incorporating latest, published microbiome data analysis.
Metabolic indicators, including short-chain fatty acids and beta-glucuronidase, demonstrate specific and vital metabolic functions performed by the microbiota.
Commensal Bacteria demonstrate the composition, abundance and patterns of gut organisms.
- More than 95% of commensal gut organisms are anaerobic and are difficult to recover by traditional (aerobic) culture techniques.
- GI Effects assesses a set of 24 genera/species that map to 7 major phyla.
- 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) amplification technique.
- Comprehensive microbiome analysis included.
Bacterial and mycology cultures demonstrate the presence of specific beneficial and pathogenic organisms.
- Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technology is used for limitless bacterial and fungal species identification via culture.
Bacterial and mycology sensitivities are provided for pathogenic or potentially pathogenic organisms that have been cultured. The report includes effective prescriptive and natural agents.
Parasitology includes comprehensive testing for all parasites on every parasitology exam ordered.
- GI Effects provides microscopic fecal specimen examination for ova and parasites (O&P), the gold standard of diagnosis for many parasites.
- 6 Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targets detect common protozoal parasites including Blastocystis spp., Cryptosporidium parvum/hominis, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia. PCR for organisms is emerging as a highly sensitive method for infectious organism detection.
- Selection of a one-day or three-day sample collection is based on the clinician's clinical index of suspicion for parasitic infection. If there is no/low suspicion, a one-day sample will likely be adequate. For high suspicion, a three-day sample collection is optimal.

Additional Biomarkers Available:

Campylobacter
Clostridium difficile (not available for patients <2 years old)
Escherichia coli
Helicobacter pylori
Fecal Lactoferrin
Macroscopic Exam for Worms
Zonulin Family Peptide
KOH Preparation for Yeast

GI Effects - Gut Health Profile

Preparing for Your Gut Health Test
Important Guidelines on Medications and Supplements

Clinical information

YOUR HEALTH STARTS IN THE GUT

Order your Gut Health Profile to unlock path to well-being.

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