Gut Health 101

Why is Gut Health important?

The gut microbiome is the environment in the GI tract in which tens of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses all live together. And while the gut microbiome can be influenced by demographic factors like age, genetics, and where a person lives, its composition is also greatly impacted by what it encounters because it is impacted at both the entrance and the exit of the digestive tract. The GI tract impacts multiple bodily functions, including digestion, vitamin synthesis, neurotransmitter support, and immune function, so it's important to keep this intricate system in balance to maintain optimal function of these vital processes.

The Gut Health Test uses Onegevity Health Intelligence to take a deep dive into your gut health and provide personalized recommendations for lifestyle, diet, and nutritional supplementation based on your unique gut bacteria.

How the measured microbes impact your health

Thorne's Gut Health Test is sequenced with "whole genome shotgun sequencing," which uses next-generation metagenomic sequencing to identify and measure the DNA of every microorganism present in your stool sample, thus providing a detailed look into your gut health.

The test focuses on the five foundational gut-health pillars designated by the Institute for Functional Medicine:

Intestinal Permeability
Intestinal permeability is the measure of how material passes through the intestinal wall. If the cells in the walls of the gut lose their "tight junctions," then the gut becomes more permeable and can allow bacteria and toxins to pass from your gut into your bloodstream. This measure will help you understand your risk for leaky gut based on the microorganisms present in your gut that can cause dysbiosis, structural damage to the GI lining, and changes in regulation and signaling mechanisms.

Gut Dysbiosis
Balanced gut bacteria has a positive effect on your body and overall wellness. When the bacteria are imbalanced, known as dysbiosis, you can begin experiencing unwanted symptoms. The Gut Health Test reviews your balance of good, bad, and conditional bacteria levels that are present and their research-backed associations to health, wellness, and disease conditions.

Digestion
Proper digestive health facilitates your body's optimal absorption of nutrients. Age, prescription medications, over-the-counter products, surgery, and injuries can adversely impact your digestive capabilities. Learn if your microbiome is populated with the right types of bacteria in the right quantities to properly digest foods, including proteins. Poor digestion can lead to undesirable symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Inflammation
An imbalanced gut biome can cause inflammation in the body. Understand your risk for inflammation and patterns of inflammatory activity based on the microorganisms present and their effects on whole-body inflammation that originates in the gut.

Nervous System
An imbalance in your gut microbiome can adversely impact your enteric nervous system ‐ your "gut-brain axis" ‐ which can affect mental capacity, cognitive function, and mood. Learn how your bacterial makeup impacts the communication to your brain, which impacts your autonomic and central nervous systems, nutrient metabolism, sleep, mood, food cravings, stress levels, and more.

In addition to the five foundational gut pillars, the Gut Health Test measures other key indicators of gut health:

DNA Content
Learn how much human DNA is in your stool, because excessive human DNA in stool can indicate inflammation, blood loss, or other adverse conditions that warrant further testing by your health-care practitioner.

Pathogens
Your sample is screened for bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause adverse symptoms or disease conditions.

Total Fungi
Learn if your gut has a normal level of fungi present or if you are at risk for developing a fungal overgrowth.

Short-Chain Fatty Acids
The test characterizes the bacteria and specific genes that regulate your gut's production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indicating your gut's capability to produce the SCFAs that help maintain normal inflammation and immune function.

Diversity
Know how the quantity and quality of species in your gut compares to other healthy adults.

Probiotics
Review a quantitative analysis of your current probiotic levels and receive a list of commercially available probiotics to know which ones to supplement with or to determine if your current probiotic supplementation is working for you.

Micronutrients
Learn your gut's capability to produce B vitamins based on the abundance of B vitamin-producing bacteria present, which are essential for energy production, metabolism, blood cell production, immune function, and more.

Immune Readiness
Know your body's readiness for a proper immune response to a foreign pathogen ‐ bacteria, parasite, or virus ‐ based on your microbiome's ecosystem.