How Can a Gut Microbiome Test Benefit Your Health and Well-being?
- karenball
- Aug 21, 2024
- 5 min read
Why test your gut microbiome?
We live in an information era. As more and more knowledge comes to light about our gut and microbiome and how it impacts our health, many of us want to know more, and understand more.
A gut microbiome test identifies what type of microbes reside in your gut, and whether they may improve health or contribute to poorer health outcomes.
Your gut is home to many trillions of microbes, and many million genes - all of it unique to you. Even identical twins have different microbiomes, which is why a ‘healthy’ diet for one person, may not be ideal for the next.
Understanding our own unique gut microbiome and how we may be able to modify it to improve our health and potentially reduce disease risk is a very exciting development.
It all starts in the gut
As a holistic and clinical nutritionist, I have been trained with the viewpoint that ‘all disease begins in the gut’.
The state of the microbes living in the gut (the microbiota), the health of your actual gut - the membrane lining, as well as all the other markers associated with a healthy gut, can be tested by a gut microbiome test.
We have a mutually beneficial relationship with our gut microbes - the foods we eat nourishes them and helps keep them alive, and in return they optimise many aspects of our health.
The membrane lining your gut from the rest of your body is only one cell thick, and it tightly controls the substances in the gut that are allowed to cross into the body. If this cell membrane is in any way damaged - or leaky, as we might describe it - then substances from the gut may be allowed to enter the tissues of the body and cause problems and significant health issues.
Think food intolerances; classic gut symptoms such as IBS, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, flatulence, loss of appetite, nausea, reflux, headaches; liver issues; hormonal imbalances; depression and anxiety; immune system dysregulation; inflammation; blood sugar dysregulation; high cholesterol; or an inability to lose weight.
And the list goes on.
All of these can suggest an imbalance in your gut flora, or a state of dysbiosis.
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
If you are experiencing any of these complaints, it may indicate that a microbiome gut test is a good place to start.
What does this mean from a practical and clinical perspective?
As a practitioner, if I address and can resolve your gut and digestive problems FIRST, often at times other imbalances in our health start to resolve themselves naturally, as the gut comes into a healthy state of equilibrium.
Whilst the cost of these tests does need to be considered (especially in the current economic climate), I tend to be in the ‘test, don’t guess’ department.
Would your doctor recommend an iron or vitamin D supplement without doing a blood test to understand your deficiency levels?
A detailed gut microbiome stool test provides me with plenty of information to help me make the correct clinical decisions to best support your health.
It helps me to understand WHO is in your gut, WHAT impact they may be having on your health, and HOW we might influence change most effectively.
Results can be achieved faster, more efficiently, and often at less cost than blindly trying to make changes.
When would a microbiome test not be the best choice? My red flags for referral
Of course there are times when a referral to your GP for a simple stool test is the best option for you.
If you were experiencing very acute symptoms such as bloody or watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever, it would be wise to first consult your doctor for investigations.
The PCR stool tests that GPs run for common pathogens usually return results very quickly in a matter of days. This can be crucial timing when it comes to acute symptom relief and treatment required.
Once more information is uncovered - there may be the presence of a pathogen, or the need for antibiotics - then we would be able to work together in a more holistic way to support gut healing, recovery and optimising your gut microbiome.
How do the results of a microbiome test impact your health outcomes?
What you eat has an undeniable impact on the state of your individual gut microbiome.
The microbes in your gut help with the digestion process, and use components of food for their own metabolism and growth. So the foods you consume shape the number and types of microbes in your gut.
Fibre rich foods are generally associated with a healthy, balanced and diverse microbiome, whereas an ultra-processed diet provides the conditions for ‘bad’ microbes to flourish.
In all gut work with my clients, my goal is to optimise YOUR individual microbiome to support YOUR individual health journey.
This will look different for everyone, but may have some elements in common:
Eat more fibre. This is another whole blog post in itself! The fibre we eat is an essential food for the microbes in our gut. Whether it is soluble fibre found in flaxseeds, chia or oats, or insoluble fibres from the skins of fruits and vegetables, or whole grains, beans and lentils.
Increase diversity of foods eaten. A diet that is rich in different plant based foods, will naturally contain plentiful amounts of fibre, as well as high levels of phytonutrients. Research has shown that trying to eat a wide variety of brightly coloured fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds will help to promote a rich and diverse microbiome, associated with the best health outcomes
Eat more prebiotic and probiotic foods. Prebiotic foods contain fibres to feed our gut microbes, whereas probiotic foods contain beneficial bacteria for our digestive system. Increasing prebiotics might be as simple as eating more onions, leeks, asparagus and garlic, or using more specialised functional foods to support growth of certain microbes. Probiotic foods are a wonderful source of good gut bugs, and can be enjoyed by adding fermented foods such as sauerkraut or kefir to your daily diet.
Simple dietary changes can alter the make-up of your gut microbiome, by providing the correct foods and optimal conditions for beneficial microbes to thrive.
The results of your microbiome test can show me the population of beneficial (‘good’) and pathogenic (‘bad’) microbes.
Along with a complex and detailed consultation (what are YOU telling me, what are your symptoms and health issues), we can gently shift these populations by using selective supplements, as well as changing intake of foods, especially fibre based and prebiotic foods, resulting in a more balanced and healthier gut microbiome and a symptom-free you.
So if you're ready to delve into understanding not just your gut health, but also how that impacts your overall health and vitality, it might be time to book a Discovery Call with me to discuss how a microbiome test might just benefit your health, now.
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