Comprehensive Stool Tests - Need some answers for what may be going on inside?
Emerging microbiome research has shown the importance of gut health to our overall health. Research studies link up to 80% of our immune system to the gut. So, taking steps to improve gut health supports lifelong wellness.
There are many tools and strategies to help improve your gut health. These include eating nutrient dense foods (yes, difficult for many children), taking supplements for gut health, and working with a practitioner who understands how to help children improve their gut health. Yet there is no one-size-fits-all approach to gut health. For example, taking a probiotic for the gut may be beneficial for some individuals. In others, it could do more harm than good. Imagine there’s already high levels of a beneficial microbe in your gut. Taking a probiotic could boost those levels to a point where they are too high, resulting in low diversity in the gut microbiome.
Taking a gut microbiome test is the best way to determine if there are any imbalances in your child's gut that need course correction. Testing helps educate you on the best actions for your child's unique microbiome.
Comprehensive Stool Tests
(Choose one below)
An at-home Comprehensive Stool Test measures key markers of digestion, absorption, and intestinal function, including markers for gut bacteria, yeast, GI pathogens, and parasites. Learning about your child's markers will help to determine the underlying cause(s) of his constipation so we can improve digestion, absorption and elimination and relieve constipation long term.
Below find stool test options recommended by CRaP4Kids, depending where in the world you reside.
Tiny Health Stool Tests
Tiny Health has created stool tests using shotgun metagenomics analysis for those 0 to 100 years old.
Available in Canada and the USA. They have two tests to choose from: their PRO test and their gut microbiome test.
TINY HEALTH GUT TEST INCLUDES:
√ Gut microbiome results and actions
√ Doctor’s Review of Test Results (from Lab)
TINY HEALTH PRO TEST INCLUDES:
√ Gut microbiome results and actions
√ Non-microbial stool markers, including digestion/absorption markers (Elastase, fat stain, carbohydrates); Immunology (Secretory IgA); Short Chain Fatty Acids (concentrations of butyrate, acetate propionate); Inflammation markers (Lactoferrin, lysozyme, calprotectin); Intestinal health markers (pH, Beta-glucuronidase, occult blood).
√ Doctor’s Review of Test Results (from Lab)
TINY HEALTH ADD-ONS (for either test):
√ qPCR Candida marker
√ qPCR H. pylori marker, OR
√ both the qPCR Candida & H. pylori markers
Why these markers may be important: if one symptom experienced has been sugar cravings then choosing the candida marker can be helpful rather than ordering another test like the Organic Acids Test. If there have been stomach pain or bloating and/or other issues during a meal or shortly after eating checking for H. pylori maybe helpful.
Tiny Health uses shotgun metagenomics testing to gain a higher resolution and fuller picture of the microbiome compared to other testing technologies. However, all tests have their advantages and limitations. Shotgun metagenomics is the best methodology for understanding the microbiome community with highly accurate abundances and functional insights. However Candida and H. pylori are microbes that may be present at very low levels, below shotgun metagenomics thresholds, but still contribute to negative health outcomes. These add-on options can help provide more information on the microbiome when you need it.
√ a one-hour call to go over the results can be booked in advance at a lower price than booking when results are back.
Not sure how to interpret the results and move forward? This time is invaluable to understand what to focus on and when to do what. In contrast, Tiny Health's treatment plan is computer generated and may not apply well to the person it is for. Applying everything the treatment plan says to do will does not typically have positive results.
These add-on options can be chosen at check-out.
The Details ...
Tiny Health uses shotgun metagenomics, the gold standard in microbiome research. You get a comprehensive list of all types of microbes found in your gut or vaginal sample, with strain-level precision for key species [1].
Tiny Health tests identify over 120,000 bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoan parasites—down to a 0.05% relative abundance.
Deep shot-gun metagenomics sequencing is the gold standard to get a comprehensive analysis that is reliable when trying to make informed decisions to overcome bowel issues and heal the gut.
Compared with conventional diagnostic methods, metagenomic sequencing is more sensitive and better in detecting novel, rare, and unexpected pathogens. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing allows researchers to comprehensively sample all genes in all organisms present in a given complex sample. The method enables microbiologists to evaluate bacterial diversity and detect the abundance of microbes in various environments.1
Unlike most of the other standard comprehensive stool tests which use older and less reliable testing methodologies (e.g., culture, qPCR, 16S), both Tiny Health and BiomeFX use the shotgun metagenomics method.
The Tiny Health Gut Microbiome Test is now available to people in the entire USA, Canada, the UK, and Europe. If in the UK and Europe please reach out to me before purchasing as the shipping costs will need to be calculated directly with Tiny Health. Currently the PRO and Add-Ons are not available outside the US (not available in NY, RI, and NJ.
Stool tests are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider if you are taking any medication.
1. Chen Y, Fan LC, Chai YH, Xu JF. Advantages and challenges of metagenomic sequencing for the diagnosis of pulmonary infectious diseases. Clin Respir J. 2022 Oct;16(10):646-656. doi: 10.1111/crj.13538. Epub 2022 Sep 6. PMID: 36068680; PMCID: PMC9527156.
BiomeFX Stool Test
The BiomeFX microbiome gut test helps to:
✓Understand the functions of the gut microbiome
✓ Identify dysbiosis ratios
✓ Pinpoint which metabolites are overproduced or underproduced
✓ Support specific gut functions using nourishing dietary practices, supplement protocols, and lifestyle recommendations
✓ Identify the abundance of 14 important keystone species
✓ Identify the abundance of 29+ pathogens
✓ Identify microbial cross-feeding relationships
✓ Provide an analysis of 20+ functions of the microbiome
Available to all clients in North America, the UK, and the EU.
Please note that purchasing this test does NOT include an appointment to review test results, to determine next steps, nor to create a gut-healing protocol.
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