Know How To Improve Gut Health With A Microbiome Test

We all know health has various aspects—physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and mental. Each of these is important for a person’s entire well-being. But there’s a specific aspect that seems like a small deal at first, but once you learn how it works, you’ll also discover how its condition can impact our weight, appetite, mood, memory, and immunity.

This aspect is known as gut health, or the condition of bacteria and other microbes in the digestive tract. Yes, there are millions of them, and they’re good and bad at the same time. Maintaining a balance between the two is key to good health, since our gut is closely related to the brain and works alongside it to regulate body functions.

Importance Of Gut Health

Gut health is essential to ensure that we get the most nutrients from the food we eat. We use these nutrients to fuel our bodies. If we don’t get enough, our body becomes prone to various diseases and disorders.

Some of the symptoms of an unhealthy gut include bloating, gas, acid reflux, and gastrointestinal inflammation. If you continuously suffer from any of these and if such a condition keeps coming back from time to time, chances are, your gut health needs a check-up.

Depending upon your ailment you may benefit from Sibo therapy.

Gut Microbiome Test 

 

Taking a gut microbiome test is one way to check the health of your gut. This test includes the collection of stools with a home test kit for three consecutive days. Then, medical practitioners will analyze the same and provide a reading on your gut microbiome’s condition.

The best microbiome test kit helps you improve your digestive function by allowing you to understand its current condition. Aside from checking the current mix of good and bad bacteria in your gut, it can also provide information on the presence of the following and how they affect your health.

• Parasites
• Yeast
• Calprotectin
• Pancreatic elastase
• Fat and protein

An imbalance of these microbes, enzymes, fats, and proteins can cause several gastrointestinal disorders such as stomachaches, diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating, fungal infections, and fatigue. Harmful bacteria can cause Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Checking your gut health can also help explain why you have acne, concentration problems, and sudden weight gain. A gut microbiome test may also detect the presence of infections and tumors in the digestive tract.

Test Results

The gut microbiome test is self-administered, but it requires interpretation from doctors and experts. Test results indicate which types of microbes are present in your gut. It can likewise determine whether they’re in equilibrium or if there’s an imbalance in the gut microbiome.

Doctors use the test results as a basis in giving accurate diagnoses and providing recommendations to improve gut health conditions. They may advise you to avoid certain food and encourage you to eat more fiber, fruits, and vegetables as these can help good bacteria flourish in your gut.

How To Improve Gut Health

Taking probiotics or live microorganisms such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium can also improve your gut microbiome. These are live microorganisms similar to the ones found in your gut. Eating fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut can boost good bacteria growth in your gut.

Physicians may also advise lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, lessening alcohol intake, getting adequate hours of sleep, reducing stress, and establishing a regular eating schedule. They may also order additional tests and prescribe medication to treat your condition.

In a nutshell, a gut microbiome test determines if your gut is healthy or otherwise. Too much bacteria in the digestive tract hinders digestion and nutrient absorption, leading to various disorders and illnesses.   

Conclusion 

A gut microbiome test is a home test kit that gives insight into your gut health’s current status. The stool specimen is sent to the lab for analysis, and a doctor interprets its results. Based on the gut microbiome test results and other lab results, doctors can advise you to undergo diet and lifestyle changes to restore its balance and improve your overall health.

Taking a gut microbiome test can benefit you in several ways. Its most significant advantage is that it helps you understand how these bacteria contribute to your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate appetite and weight, maintain good disposition and memory, and other body functions.

It also shows how gut health connects to other health aspects. Imbalances shown in test results can compel you to make necessary changes in your life to achieve excellent overall health and well-being.