How To Choose The Best At Home Microbiome Test For You
Even with this list of reliable at-home microbiome tests, you might still struggle to pick the best test for your needs. Tests, despite their similarities, offer a variety of different assessments.
One of the best ways to choose a test is to consider what gut health issues you want to be assessed. For example:
- Viomes Gut Intelligence Test provides an in-depth test for an affordable price
- Verisana provides information about leaky gut syndrome
- Thryve and Wellnicity provide information to help you customize probiotics, vitamins, and diet plans based on your guts current health
How Can I Tell Which Is The Best Microbiome Test
The best gut health test is one that offers a full spectrum microflora analysis and includes full HD resolution scanning of over 23,000 microbes including probiotics, viruses, phages, and fungi. Think of it like watching your favorite movie, sports team, or show on tv. Would you prefer watching it with 1080p resolution or 5K UHD? Our whole genome sequencing gut test results will show you your bacteria all the way down to the species level, so you know youre getting the best resolution.
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What To Expect When Taking Clairvee
Taking any new supplement can feel intimidating, especially when you dont know what to expect. Thankfully, Bonafide is super transparent about how their supplements work and what you can expect if you begin taking them. It goes without saying, but you should always chat with your doctor before taking any supplements or medications.
Heres the timeline you can expect for taking Clairvee:
Day 15
Month 1
Just one month in and Clairvee will have balanced and restored your vaginal microbiome, as shown by clinical studies. Results of this balance are relief from common issues like odor, itching, and discharge.
Month 3-4
Month 6
Clairvee is working hard to maintain your vaginal balance for the long term, fighting against everyday factors like sex, periods, fabrics, diet, stress, and more. When used monthly, Clairvee can create a healthy balance for the long-term, unlike quick fixes like wipes and washes which can actually make symptoms worse over time.
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Why You Should Trust Us
Innerbody Research recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary online. Over the past two decades, we have helped tens of millions of readers make informed decisions involving staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles. Our testing team has purchased and compared over 500 health-related tests to date, and we are constantly updating our reviews based on the latest test advances.
This guide, like all health-related content on Innerbody Research, is thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy. Additionally, we extensively analyze each health testing service we review. We evaluate the entire experience from ordering to receiving results and then offer unbiased, marketing-jargon-free analysis based on the latest scientific evidence and medical standards.
What Is The Microbiome Test
The Microbiome Test is a comprehensive approach that gives great insight into your microbiome living in your large intestines . We offer a special all inclusive package option. This gives you a couple of ways in which you can move forward and order your kit and register for the testing as soon as possible Choose your Microbiome testing option.
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Who Should Get A Gut Microbiome Test
At Parsley Health, we will run several types of gut tests if you have GI issues or your doctor suspects your symptoms may be related to gut health. According to Dr. McConnell, Ill ask most patients with digestive symptoms if theyre interested. These tests can be helpful if youre experiencing chronic bloating, diarrhea, gassiness, or constipation or you have a diagnosed GI disorder such as inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohns and ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease.
According to Dr. McConnell, these tests can be especially helpful if youve had GI issues for a long period of time and they dont appear to be linked to what you eat. In other words, if you have a healthy diet but youre still suffering from GI symptoms, these gut bacteria tests can help your doctor understand whats going on.
But its not just GI symptoms that warrant a gut health test, either. Dr. McConnell will also suggest a test like this if youve been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Most patients with these need to look at their gut. If you have a microbiome issue, its going to affect your immunity, she explains. In addition, Ill also do stool testing in patients with skin diseases because the digestive tract and the skin are contiguous and how we eat has a huge influence on how our skin performs, she continues.
Healthy Microbiome Tip #: Embrace Fiber
Your microbiomes bacteria love them some fiber. Its a favorite nutrient, and they feed on it to keep waste flowing smoothly out your body.
Adults are advised to eat between 2535 grams of fiber a day, with the easiest doses coming in complex carbs, legumes, and green vegetables. Sprinkle some beans on your next salad, add lentils to a soup, snack on popcorn, and include cruciferous veggies as sides to at least one meal a day. Your gut will thank you later.
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The Science Of Microbiome Composition
Flashback to freshman biology
Every living organism produces RNA molecules from their DNA. Tests like this one sequence all of the RNA in the stool to help quantify all of the living microorganisms in the gut at the species and strain level.
The end result?
A more in-depth view of your gut microbiome than has ever been available before. Instead of just looking at bacteria and parasites, we can now sequence RNA in the gut. The nerd in me is so excited about this technology, but even if you arent interested in the science, I think youll be excited about how technology like this can improve all of our lives!
Whats Involved With A Microbiome Test
I couriered my sample to the lab where my microbes were analyzed. Once the results were in, Dr. Darou and I met again so she could help interpret and distill the findings from my lab report.
Soon after, I had a virtual call with Dr. Joey Shulman, registered nutritionist, and we further discussed my digestive issues. Dr. Shulman also reviewed my results and gave me the lowdown on the good, the bad and what needs improvement .
Does this happen to your period when you exercise?
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Why Take The Gut Microbiome Test
Do you wonder why you gain weight faster than others? What does the diet do to the bowels? Where do tummy rumbles and digestive problems come from? Why do I have a constant cold? Is my bowel healthy and how do I actually find out? If this sounds familiar, the Gut Flora Test is just right for you. Because the bacteria in your gut reveals answers to these and other questions.
Studies indicate that our gut microbiome controls how quickly we gain weight, how well we digest carbohydrates, fat and other nutrients, how effectively our immune system fights off pathogens and much more.
The intestinal bacteria even transmit signals to the brain and may be related to your mood and the emergence of depression. If you learn more about your intestinal flora, you will gain insights into your physical and mental health as well.
All these and other topics are currently the subject of exciting scientific research, on which we keep you up to date in our Health Portal and our newsletters.
We still talk far too rarely about digestive problems and the gut. Unfortunately, these are still often topics that fall by the wayside. The cerascreen® Gut Microbiome Test gives you insights into your intestinal health and you can carry out the test discretely at home simple, fast and safe.
What Happens After A Gut Health Test
After youve sent off your sample, you should receive your test report within a few weeks . Your test should show you which microbes you have and explain the current research findings on each. It should also tell you how to optimise the richness and diversity of your microbiome.
The specifics of this guidance will vary according to whats found in your sample. Here at Healthpath, we give personalised recommendations for:
Diet You may be eating too much of a food type that encourages dysbiosis, or you might not be eating enough of a food type that encourages the growth of healthy bacteria. A good test report should tell you which foods will benefit your microbiome.
Lifestyle Although your dietary habits shape your microbiome, other habits have an impact too. These include your sleep, stress and level of activity. A Healthpath gut health report gives you extra resources to help you improve all three.
Supplements You should always optimise your diet and lifestyle first, but supplements can be a helpful tool to support your gut health. Typical recommendations include probiotics, prebiotics and antimicrobialsbut this will vary depending on your specific results.
You should expect to follow these recommendations closely for eight to 12 weeks. After that, the goal is to make your diet as relaxed and as inclusive as possible, all while continuing to support a healthy microbiome.
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Key Issues With Stool And Microbiome Analysis:
1. Diagnostic Value
3. The diverse and ecological nature of the microbiome person-to-person1.) Diagnostic UtilityStool testing is less equipped to identify infection, leaky gut, or small intestinal bowel overgrowth.What it can be good at is looking at general vulnerabilities to these imbalances and the functional health of the gut.We can now accurately measure the presence and relative ratios of microbes in the gut. We can measure the diversity of the microbiome, its stability, and how it compares to whats considered healthy in the first place. Microbiome science has evolved to have identified key groups of bacteria that we know to be present most commonly in healthy guts. We also know the big players when it comes to potential for problems when theyre overgrown.In addition, our knowledge of the microbiome can give us a sense of strengths and weaknesses in our personal metabolism. We can gain important insights such as how sensitive your system might be to a high protein diet, or how sensitive it may be to high-sulfur foods that are otherwise considered healthy.Microbiome analysis gives us a holistic check-in on:
1.) The overall and functional health of the gut microbiome
2.) Its vulnerability to future problems
3.) A template for improvement when dysfunction is present
The testing we now use for these purposes is BiomeFX by Microbiome Labs the same company behind the very popular probiotic Megasporebiotic.
2.) Technology:
Newest Technology:
Complement Your Kefir Journey
When you put trillions of really live fresh probiotic cultures into the gut with their own prebiotic soluble fibre, you empower your gut to fight back against threats like infection and pathogens. Just as in the planetary ecosystems around us, a healthy microbiome is a diverse microbiome. The more strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast inside your gut, the stronger your microbiome. Learn which foods and vitamins will help your kefir do its good work inside your system.
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Ask How Rather Than Why
Its human nature to want to know why. Searching for why is how some of the laws of science like gravity were discovered. Wanting to know why isnt a bad thing.
But it doesnt necessarily fix the problem, especially since there is a lot we still need to learn about our microbes. Focusing on testing rather than overcoming can leave you hanging instead of healthy. The tests arent advanced enough for real conclusions to be made about your microbiome.
Choosing to spend your time and money in actions toward health, instead of analyzing why its missing can help you break free from whats holding you back.
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Sometimes when you do a parasite cleanse, rubbery rope-like strands appear in your stools. People debate whether this is a previously unidentified parasite or just intestinal debris called mucoid plaque. What is it, and what should you do about it?
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Optimise Your Gut Health With This Advanced Gut Microbiome Test Kit
Very clear and precise with charts and explanations to guide a customer Into understanding results for themselves as well. I really appreciate it and cant thank you ALL enough. Give thanks. Katy, 05th March 2021
A diverse and balanced microbiome composition in the human gut is essential for maintaining a healthy body. On the other hand, an imbalanced gut community can lead to a variety of health issues and diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, intestinal diseases, heart diseases and many more. Through gut microbiome testing, you can learn valuable information about the trillions of organisms in your digestive tract and take action to prevent any health issues or diseases. The benefits of knowing what is currently going inside your gut, paired with personalised dietary recommendations, empowers you to optimise your health in the most natural and effective way possible.
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What Is The Viome Gut Bacteria Test Kit
Viome is leading the way among other microbiome testing companies. Utilizing only the latest technology, Viome offers extremely comprehensive results after analyzing your gut at a molecular level. This means that those who opt for this test kit will have the most personalized information to make food choices from. Unlike other test companies, Viome offers a recommended diet for each individual based on the function of their microbes. Viomes recommendations will help anyone who takes this test maintain a healthy body weight for the long term. Those who buy and use Viomes gut bacteria test kit are in an excellent position to improve their overall well-being by understanding exactly whats happening in their gut instead of just guessing.
While the discovery of the human gut microbiome is fairly new, it is an important and exciting discovery. When a person uses Viomes gut test, it can help to improve his or her overall wellness exponentially. If youre suffering from a host of symptoms, its worth getting tested to find out if your gut could be the source. Try Viomes gut test today and feel the difference.
Can I Just Eliminate Known Trigger Foods
News reports appear all the time showing that certain foods are a trigger for health conditions. However, there can be no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness and often a food sensitivity is only symptom of an imbalanced gut. While some people may be made ill by certain foods, others will not have the same negative effects. Some people react badly to sugar, gluten or dairy products. Others experience no symptoms when eating these foods. Therefore, having a gut bacteria test will help you to tailor a nutrition and diet plan that suits you.
Your microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint. We all have different levels of bacteria inside our gut with our own unique imbalances. For this reason, its important to devise an eating plan that takes into account your own unique levels. The only way to truly know the levels of your own gut bacteria is to take a gut test. Once youve done this, youll be able to have a better understanding on which steps to take to improve your health.
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Scientific References And Research
We’ve included the references for every scientific paper used to generate your report. That’s because transparency is paramount in this field: you deserve to know how we came to this conclusion.
We hope that it will also allow you to explore and self-educate by directing you to the studies used to establish your results.
The Atlas Biomed family includes an active research department who publish regularly in scientific journals. Sometimes we invite users to participate in surveys to further research in this field, so keep an eye on your emails.
Likewise Supplementing With Probiotics Might Not Do Anything For Otherwise Healthy People
As SELF previously reported, while studies on probiotics are promising, theres little evidence to show that probiotic supplementation has a beneficial impact for healthy people. Plus, since supplements arent subject to the same regulatory standards as drugs, you may never really know what youre getting. The literature shows that in some , certain bacteria that are stated to be present on the label arent even there, so you have to be careful, says Dr. Hecht.
The best, simplest way to promote gut health is to eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods.
What we eat has a major impact on the health of the gut microbiota, says Dr. Hecht. That includes plenty of fiber, which may help feed your gut bacteria. Nondigestible fiber comes from plants, including vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and legumes, explains Dr. Hecht, who says that eating plenty of these foods will have a healthy impact on your microbiome.
If you want to include probiotics in your diet, Dr. Hecht suggests getting them from fermented foodsyogurt, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha are all food sources of probioticsinstead of supplements. But, realize that the probiotics in these foods are even more difficult to study than the probiotics in supplements, as the healthy bacteria content can vary so greatly. As such, there is not a good amount of scientific data to support their benefit in promoting a healthy microbiome.
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