We are more bacteria than human!
 
Let that sink in.
 
Our body is 90% bacteria and 10% human - crazy right? Thy’re everywhere – mouth, small intestine, large intestine, vagina, skin. They’re predominantly in our large intestine – so why not look inside the most important organ in our human body?
 
This stool test is my favourite test to analyse - simply because your microbiome - yes yours - is a wonderful and fascinating world.
 
This also the most comprehensive and non-invasive super easy to collect stool analysis I've found. By comprehensive I mean it takes me almost an hour just go through results with you.
 
Similarly to your unique fingerprint, you have your own unique microbiome. This test allows us to explore what yours looks like. There are over 28,000 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiome, and each of them plays a different role in your body. Most of them are extremely important for your health including supporting immune, brain and digestive health, while others may cause disease and are called pathogenic bacteria. The gut microbiome refers to all of the micro-organisms in your intestines, which act as another organ and is crucial for your health.
 
Getting right down to the core of gut issues requires an understanding of the complex relationship between the 38 trillion microorganisms living in your digestive tract (your microbiome), and you. Find out what your unique composition looks like, the diversity and function of your microbiome, the potential of your microbiome to produce by-products, such as neurotransmitters and vitamins, how your microbiome uses carbohydrates, protein, fats and simple sugar, a list of foods to eat for your specific micorbiome, plus so much more!
 
We use this test in conditions including:
• Gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), intestinal permeability and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 
• Digestive complaints, including constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and abdominal pain
• Hormonal imbalance 
• Metabolic and weight concerns
• Immune system health concerns
• Chronic inflammation 
 
If you really want to get to the itty-gritty of what diagnostic gut markers are tested , here's a list of just some:
- pH of the colon
- Faecal calprotectin 
- Faecal occult blood
- Lactoferrin
- Pancreatic elastase
- Secretory IgA
- Zonulin
- Histamine
- Ammonia (urease)
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production + GABA consumption
- Vitamin K
- Lactate
 
How does it differ than other comprehensive stool tests?
Well let's get a little technical here:
The Co-biome microbiome gene test provides a complete picture of the bacteria within the gut and their functional potential by sequencing the whole genome - that's the key!
This test can identify individual genes in the bacteria that may contribute to the function of that bacteria and the related influence on microbial and functional health.
The report includes information on the potential for the microbiome to produce and consume compounds that influence health and uses systems-based reporting to enable easy translation of results to support treatment decisions - I'll do the translating for you!