WHy TEST YOUR GUT MICROBIOME?

Do you think gut testing is just for people with food sensitivities or digestive troubles? Discover why the right gut testing can tell you so much more about your health and why I test my microbiome every 6 months.

Understanding your gut microbiome through advanced testing can unlock a goldmine of information about your health. Many people assume that if they don’t have a ‘gut problem’ they can ignore their gut microbiome, but I use the latest testing to discover insights that traditional stool tests can’t offer. Metagenomic shotgun sequencing stands out as the most precise method available as it can identify an incredibly wide range of organisms in the gut, which can help me make very clear action plans for you. Here’s why this approach matters and how working with a practitioner using this latest technology can make a difference to your gut, immune, mental, metabolic health and more.

Why Metagenomic Shotgun Testing Matters

Unlike older methods that miss up to 25% of gut microbes, metagenomic testing analyses 95% of your gut’s microbial DNA revealing:

• Exact bacterial species (e.g., low Faecalibacterium prausnitzii linked to inflammation)

• Functional capabilities (e.g., vitamin B12 production or fibre digestion)

• Problematic overgrowths (e.g., methane-producing microbes tied to bloating)

This precision helps identify root causes of issues like fatigue, weight stagnation, or blood sugar swings – not just symptoms. By identifying the problem, we can quickly intervene to help you feel better.

Benefits to my patients

1. Personalised Nutrition Plans
   By using your microbiome profile, I can prescribe specific food-based prebiotics (e.g., resistant starch for butyrate producers) and avoid foods feeding harmful bacteria. One study showed microbiome-guided diets improved blood sugar control 2.3x better than standard advice

2. Targeted Probiotic Selection
   Generic probiotics often fail because they don’t address your unique gaps and can worsen your symptoms by leading to imbalances. Testing reveals which strains and species you actually need (e.g., Akkermansia muciniphila for metabolic health) and which ones you don’t. Probiotics should always be species-specific, so working with an educated practitioner is important for getting this detail correct.

3. Early Risk Detection
   Microbial patterns can signal risks for:

   • Insulin resistance (reduced Bifidobacterium)

   • High cholesterol (elevated bile-metabolizing microbes)

   • Mood disorders (low serotonin-producing bacteria)

4. Progress Tracking
   Retesting every 6 months shows if dietary changes are working, helping practitioners adjust protocols before symptoms return.

5. Efficiency

   By knowing exactly what your gut microbiome needs, you aren’t wasting time and money on best-guesses. I often see clients taking powders they saw online and hoping for the best, only to have wasted several months and hundreds of dollars without getting results.

How Practitioners Enhance Results

Buying your own test off the internet may be tempting, but the key to getting long term results is to work with a clinician who can transform raw data into actionable health strategies by:

1. Interpreting Complex Data
   They’ll explain how your microbial genes affect digestion, immunity, and metabolism – connecting dots you might miss alone

2. Creating Custom Protocols
   Example: If tests show low fibre-fermenting bacteria, they might prescribe artichokes and oats over generic “eat more fibre” advice, but reduce other fibres that may worsen your symptoms. Everyone is different, so a generic diet plan rarely works!

3. Addressing Comorbidities
   For menopause-related weight gain, they’ll target microbes influencing oestrogen metabolism and fat storage, as well as look at hormone metabolism and cardiovascular risk markers.

4. Pro-active Protection

   Prevention is better than cure, and this is absolutely true when it comes to gut health. By regularly assessing changes in the gut bacteria, intestinal lining and inflammation levels we can identify patterns that may help prevent damage further down the line.

Getting Started with Metagenomic Testing

1. Get in touch to order a kit
   We have a chat about whether this is right for you, and then I refer you for a state-of-the-art metagonomic testing kit from Microba. At-home collection is straightforward, with results in a few weeks.

2. Review with me
   A comprehensive report is sent to me, and I will analyse this to make clear food-based recommendations with a thorough dietary action plan

3. Implement and Retest
   Most see microbial shifts within 3-6 months of dietary changes. Follow-up tests confirm if adjustments are working and what the remaining focus areas are

The Bottom Line

Metagenomic testing removes the guesswork from gut health. By partnering with a specially trained practitioner (such as me!), you gain a science-backed roadmap to resolve stubborn symptoms, prevent chronic disease, and optimise lifelong wellness. The research is clear - gut microbiome testing is not just treating current health problems, but preventing them.

Personally, I test every 6 months to understand the changes I need to make to keep my bacteria working hard for me, not against me. Fascinating fact: we are only 10% human and 90% microbes, so they’re pretty influential in the body.

I use this type of testing for most of my weight loss, auto-immune disease, food sensitivity and gut health patients so I would love to support you too. Come and book a free chat here at https://p.bttr.to/3RETXiO

Always consult a qualified nutritionist or specialist doctor to interpret results and tailor recommendations to your medical history.