Back to home
It's a System

Gut Testing:
What Each Option Tells Us

A guide to four different gut assessments, from a basic barrier check to comprehensive microbiome mapping to advanced pathogen analysis.

Not all gut tests belong at the same stage of your health journey. Where you start matters. Some tests give you foundational information that changes how we approach everything else. Others are powerful tools that make most sense once earlier steps are in place, or when specific symptoms call for them.
Foundation & functional testing
Option 01
Gut Barrier Panel
Blood, measures intestinal permeability markers
Good starting point
What you'll see

This test answers a question most people have never thought to ask: is your gut lining actually intact? The gut barrier is the wall that decides what gets absorbed into your bloodstream and what stays out. When it's compromised, what's commonly called "leaky gut", bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles can pass through and trigger a slow, systemic immune response.

You'll see whether your barrier is holding, whether your immune system is reacting to things escaping from your gut, and whether bacterial toxins are circulating in your blood, a hidden driver of inflammation, fatigue, hormonal disruption, and metabolic dysfunction.

Why start here

If the barrier is compromised, that changes everything else, what supplements make sense, what dietary changes will actually land, how much your microbiome work will stick. It's the foundation. We start here so nothing else is built on sand.

Markers included
  • Zonulin, measures how "open" the gut lining is
  • LPS, bacterial toxins that should stay in the gut
  • Occludin & claudin, proteins that hold the barrier together
  • Actomyosin, signals of cellular damage to the gut wall
  • sIgA, your gut's local immune defense
Option 02
BiomeFX
Stool, deep DNA analysis of your full gut ecosystem
Strong next step
What you'll see

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, and the mix matters enormously. BiomeFX maps your entire microbial ecosystem in detail, showing not just which bacteria are present, but what they're actually doing. Are they producing the compounds that fuel your gut lining and keep inflammation in check? Are there imbalances that might be affecting your mood, your hormones, your energy, or your immune system?

You'll also see how your microbiome connects to hormone balance, there's a specific group of bacteria that processes estrogen, and when they're off, estrogen metabolism suffers. That connection shows up here.

What this makes possible

Rather than generic probiotic or dietary advice, this gives us a specific map to work from. We're not guessing what your gut needs, we can see it.

Markers included
  • Full bacterial ecosystem, hundreds of species
  • Keystone bacteria critical for gut health
  • Butyrate producers, fuel for your gut lining
  • Estrogen-processing bacteria, a group that directly affects hormonal balance
  • Dysbiosis markers, overgrowths and imbalances
  • Diversity index, overall ecosystem resilience
Food sensitivity
Option 03
Food Sensitivity Panel (IgG)
Blood, immune reactivity to specific foods
Useful add-on
What you'll see

Unlike a food allergy, which causes an immediate, obvious reaction, a food sensitivity is slow and quiet. You eat something, and hours or even days later your immune system mounts a low-grade response that contributes to bloating, fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, skin issues, or headaches. Because the reaction is delayed, most people never connect the dots.

This test measures IgG antibodies, a marker of immune reactivity, against a broad panel of common foods. The result is a personalized map of which foods your immune system is reacting to, so we can design an elimination and reintroduction protocol that gives your gut a real chance to heal.

Important context

Food sensitivities are often a consequence of a compromised gut barrier, not just the cause of symptoms. Addressing them works best alongside gut barrier and microbiome work, not in isolation.

What it identifies
  • IgG immune reactivity to 100–200+ foods depending on panel
  • Common triggers: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, nightshades
  • Grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, spices
  • Reactivity levels, from mild to significant
Pricing by lab
$250 – $380 depending on selected lab and panel size I recommend the most appropriate panel based on your symptom picture. I'll guide you through which option makes sense for your case.
Advanced clinical testing, when indicated
Option 03
Gut Zoomer 3.0
Stool, comprehensive pathogen + microbiome panel
Clinically indicated
What you'll see

The most comprehensive gut test available. When something is clearly wrong, persistent bloating, pain, irregular digestion, suspected infection, this maps the full picture: bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses, inflammation markers, and digestive function all in one report.

It can identify specific organisms that are driving your symptoms, show whether your gut lining is inflamed, and flag whether your body is mounting an immune reaction inside the gut itself. It goes further than BiomeFX in terms of pathogen detection and clinical depth.

The honest caveat

300+ markers is a lot of data. Without a clear clinical context and the right interpretation, it can overwhelm more than it clarifies. This is a powerful tool, and like all powerful tools, it works best when used at the right moment.

Markers included
  • 300+ bacterial species
  • Parasites, fungi & viruses
  • Gut inflammation markers
  • Intestinal permeability
  • Autoimmune gut triggers
  • Digestive enzyme output

In my practice, this test is used when: you have significant digestive symptoms (pain, chronic bloating, irregular stool, suspected infection or SIBO), or as a 2nd or 3rd step after foundational work is already in place. It's not a starting point, and without a clear context to interpret it, a 300-marker report can create more confusion than clarity.

Option 04
GI-MAP
Stool, precision DNA detection, focused on specific pathogens
Clinically indicated
What you'll see

Where Gut Zoomer casts a wide net, GI-MAP goes deep on a specific question: is there something in your gut that shouldn't be there? It uses a highly sensitive DNA detection method to identify and quantify specific pathogens, bacteria, parasites, viruses, with a level of precision other tests don't match.

It also tells you whether your gut is inflamed, how well your pancreas is producing digestive enzymes, and whether there's hidden bleeding, things that often get missed in standard GI workups.

When this is the right tool

When there's a specific suspected problem, H. pylori, a parasite, SIBO, or persistent symptoms that haven't responded to foundational work. This test is built to answer a focused clinical question, not to give a general wellness picture.

Markers included
  • H. pylori, presence & virulence
  • Bacterial, parasitic & viral pathogens
  • Opportunistic bacteria
  • Gut inflammation (calprotectin, sIgA)
  • Pancreatic enzyme output
  • Occult blood

In my practice, this test is used when: there's a clinical reason to investigate a specific pathogen (H. pylori, parasites, bacterial overgrowth), or when digestive symptoms are significant and other foundational steps haven't resolved them. This is a tool for a specific question, not a general wellness screen.

How I sequence gut testing in practice
Step 1, Foundation
Gut Barrier Panel
Understand permeability and immune activation first. This shapes everything else.
Step 2, Ecosystem
BiomeFX
Once we know the barrier picture, map the microbiome to personalize protocols.
Step 2b, Triggers
Food Sensitivity
Identify immune-reactive foods driving ongoing inflammation and symptoms.
Step 3, If indicated
Gut Zoomer or GI-MAP
Only if significant symptoms are present or prior steps haven't resolved the picture.
Working together: interpretation & protocol

Once you have your results, I translate them into plain language and build a personalized protocol around them. Two ways to work together depending on how much support you want.

$300
Interpretation & Protocol
A detailed video walkthrough of your results, a written protocol with specific next steps, and a 1-hour live session to answer your questions and make sure you leave with clarity.

Prices listed in USD. If you're paying in another currency, we'll sort it out during the discovery call.