Dysbiosis Detector

Pinpoint exactly what organisms are wreaking havoc in your gut, confirm/deny overgrowth of Candida, pathogens & parasites, measure inflammation, the ability to digest fats and proteins & assess the health of your microbiome with the Dysbiosis Detector.

I will send you a GI-MAP stool kit, analyze your results & send you a report with my customized recommendations.

On the matters of microbes…

The health & balance of your microbiome play a focal role in how your digestive system feels & operates on a daily basis. In how measured your immune system behaves – or not. In how efficiently your body detoxifies and balanced your hormones are.

As research into the microbiome expands, so is the understanding that a number of digestive and metabolic disorders have dysbiosis – an imbalanced microbiome – as one of their underpinning characteristics.

One problem, many options for expression. Dysbiosis occurs in:

Irritable bowel syndrome
Constipation
Crohn’s Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Microscopic colitis (lymphagenous & collagenous)
Small intestine bacterial overgrowth/fungal overgrowth (SIBO/SIFO)
Candida overgrowth
Type 2 diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Hypertension
Recurring yeast infections
Chronic prostatitis
…and more.

We know there are many ways the microbiome can be imbalanced.

Dysbiosis can be rooted in:

Too few beneficial bacteria
Low diversity of beneficial bacteria
Overgrowth of potential pathogens
Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria
Overgrowth of yeast or mold
Infection with parasites
Translocation of microbes to where they don’t belong as in SIBO/SIFO

Detecting dysbiosis

As research into the microbiome progresses, so do options for assessing the health & balance of the microbiome. There are a few different options for stool analysis – the only way to accurately diagnose Candida overgrowth in the gut. Blood tests do not measure the presence of current infection or overgrowth, just that your immune system has seen it. Most of us are exposed to Candida every day through what we eat, breathe in, or touch, so there’s no surprises that we would have antibody to such a ubiquitous creature.

Stool analysis

No, the only way to detect the current presence of Candida is to assess the stool. There are two options here – a culture & microscopy based test, or a molecular/PCR based one. For the accurate assessment of Candida and to detect the presence of parasites, I recommend only the latter: PCR based stool testing.

Culture vs PCR stool testing

There are two types of stool tests available.

Culture-based stool testing

Once collected from you, culture-type stool tests grow out the different types of bacteria and yeast in the gut. Some of these culture-based stool tests will also examine the stool under the microscope to look for parasites. Your results are based on what grows out & what is seen under the microscope, only.

The issue with these types of stool test is the preservative medium. Some companies use a cheap broth that favors the growth of certain types of bacteria (mostly oxygen loving ones). This immediately corrupts the integrity of the sample because it does not reflect what is present in what amounts in your stool in real time, but merely what organisms are able to capitalize on the medium.

What’s more, there are big differences in the rates & requirements of growth of these microorganisms, not to mention the interdependence of different species for growth, all of which is unlikely to be accurately captured in a culture-based test.

Another issue is that not all pathogenic organisms (certainly not all parasites) are shed into every single bowel movement you have. If they are not present in the stool, they certainly are not going to be seen under the microscope.

But if they’re not shedding because they’re firmly adhered to the gut wall, how can we know if if they are present? We can’t. And that is a major weakness of culture-and-micrsoscopy based stool testing (you ever hear of O & P tests? Microscopy for the ova/eggs & bodies of parasites. These tests have severe limitations unless you have a rampant parasitic infection).

PCR testing

In this stool test, once the sample is collected it is analyzed using PCR – polymerase chain reaction. This is a molecular probe that illuminates the DNA of microorganisms present in the gut. Even if the bodies of bacteria, yeast, fungus or parasites are not present in the stool itself, the test will still be able to detect them, because all organisms (including us) are constantly shedding their DNA.

Thus, PCR testing is much more sensitive and accurate for identifying all pathogens, and most specifically parasites. PCR testing is more accurate for Candida burden as well, because Candida can overgrow in some of the broths and conditions used in culture-based testing. PCR will have a better chance at capturing more beneficial bacteria as well, giving a truer peek into the diversity of your microbiome.

I use GI-MAP by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. Using PCR, it qualifies & quantifies good & bad microbes, potential pathogens, frank pathogens, parasites, calprotectin (a marker of inflammation) & antibiotic resistant genes. It’s the cutting edge of the most sensitive and accurate methods we have thus far, for this particular mission.

How Dysbiosis Detector works

Upon purchase, you will be sent a confirmation email.
After confirmation, I will send you a form. You tell me where to send your GI-MAP test and a bit about your healthy history, current symptoms & more.
Fill out this form, return it to me, and your GI-MAP test kit will be sent to you.
The GI-MAP stool test will arrive at your home. Collection & shipping instructions & materials are provided.
You collect your sample & send it off to the lab.
When I receive your results, I will analyze & interpret them and give you customized recommendations based on them & your healthy history form. This will be a typed report delivered to you via email.

Because I cannot return stool kits that have been bought & shipped, Dysbiosis Detector is non-refundable. Only purchase if you are ready to complete a stool test within the next year (that is how long the kits stay fresh for).

Who Dysbiosis Detector is for

Anyone & everyone looking for an accurate peek into the health and shape of their microbiome. Anyone wanting to assess for dysbiosis, whether they have chronic digestive symptoms that won’t go away or have a prior diagnosis of which dysbiosis is part.

Anyone who wants to have the data in their hands for confirmation/exclusion of overgrowth of pathogens, parasites, Candida & other forms of yeast – and the first steps for tackling the issue at hand.

Who Dysbiosis Detector is not for

Anyone who needs one-on-one help. Although I am personally analyzing your results and building your protocol, it is delivered electronically. We do not have a visit or phone call.