If you experiencing bloating, reflux, diarrhoea or constipation having a stool test can help determine the cause and give you clarity on how you can help resolve your symptoms.
Stool testing can be very useful to look for severe bacterial imbalances, gut infections like giardia, fungal and yeast infections as well as parasites. Some tests also offer a look at markers of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, fat, and proteins, along with inflammatory and immune markers and these can be very useful markers for health and disease progression and many digestive symptoms and problems.
Reasons why you might opt for comprehensive stool and microbiome testing for your digestive symptoms, such as bloating, reflux, diarrhoea and constipation.
You might particularly benefit from more extensive stool and microbiome testing if you have any of the following gut symptoms or conditions:
- Digestive issues
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Coeliac disease
- Gas or bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Food intolerances
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative Colitis or Chrons)
- Diverticulitis
- Rapid weight gain or weight loss
Those with other symptoms outside of the gut might also benefit from comprehensive stool and/or microbiome testing, as an imbalance of unhealthy and healthy gut bacteria in the intestines may contribute to weight gain, high blood sugar or diabetes, high cholesterol and other disorders:
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Atopic eczema
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Depression
- Heart Disease
- Kidney disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 2 diabetes
- Weight gain
Note that the latter group of symptoms can originate from several underlying causes, some of which are not solely related to the gut.
What is a comprehensive stool test?
A comprehensive stool test is any test that provides more detailed information about gut health, beyond a standard stool culture (which is not at all reliable or accurate). They typically provide information about:
- Overall gut health, including things like digestion, absorption, immune function, inflammation, and short-chain fatty acids
- Gut pathogens detected (parasites, bacteria, yeasts, worms and amoebae) and H.Pylori (a potential infection in your stomach)
- Potential signs of inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, or other more serious gut conditions
The gut microbiome is also responsible for many processes in the body, which can affect every area of your health and gut related symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and reflux if they not working properly:
It is also thought that approximately 70-80% of the body’s immune system is located in the gut.
About Melody Mackeown
Melody Mackeown is a Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach with over 15 years of clinical practice and with a specialist knowledge of gut health and have been inspired by helping a close family relative overcome a debilitating gut disorder. I see clients with gastro-intestinal issues, whether they have a medical diagnosis or functional conditions like IBS.
If you would like to book a consultation, discuss any of my health packages further, or have any other general enquiries, please get in touch with me
References:
Allaband, C., McDonald, D., Vázquez-Baeza, Y., Minich, J. J., Tripathi, A., Brenner, D. A., . . . Knight, R. (2019). Microbiome 101: Studying, Analyzing, and Interpreting Gut Microbiome Data for Clinicians. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 17(2), 218-230. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2018.09.017
Brahe, L. K., E. Le Chatelier, E. Prifti, N. Pons, S. Kennedy, T. Hansen, O. Pedersen, A. Astrup, S. D. Ehrlich and L. H. Larsen (2015). “Specific gut microbiota features and metabolic markers in postmenopausal women with obesity.” Nutrition & Diabetes 5: e159
Pozuelo, M., S. Panda, A. Santiago, S. Mendez, A. Accarino, J. Santos, F. Guarner, F. Azpiroz and C. Manichanh (2015). “Reduction of butyrate- and methane-producing microorganisms in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.” Sci Rep 5: 12693.
Wastyk HC, Fragiadakis GK, Perelman D, Dahan D, Merrill BD, Yu FB, Topf M, Gonzalez CG, Van Treuren W, Han S, Robinson JL, Elias JE, Sonnenburg ED, Gardner CD, Sonnenburg JL. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021 Aug 5;184(16):4137-4153.e14
