Functional Digestive Testing - Complete Microbiome Mapping
Eliminate the guesswork and address symptoms at their root cause Your gut microbiome is like a bustling city, with trillions of microbes working together to keep things running smoothly—or not. When this delicate balance is disrupted, it can affect everything from digestion and energy levels to mood and immune function.Complete Microbiome Mapping (CMM) offers a window into this hidden world, providing a detailed analysis of the bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms that make up your gut ecosystem. This advanced stool test helps identify imbalances that may be impacting your health and enables our practitioners to create a treatment plan tailored to your specific results.
Complete Microbiome Mapping
A simple, at home stool sample.
What Does Complete Microbiome Mapping (CMM) Measure?
CMM is a detailed stool analysis that evaluates multiple aspects of gut health, providing insights into microbial balance, digestion, inflammation, and gut integrity. Here’s a more comprehensive breakdown:
Microbial Balance
Beneficial Bacteria
Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.: These bacteria are essential for gut barrier integrity, immune function, and reducing harmful bacteria.
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii: A key producer of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid with anti-inflammatory effects.
Akkermansia muciniphila: Supports gut lining integrity and is linked to metabolic health.
Potentially Harmful Bacteria
Pathogenic species: These include harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Shigella, and Campylobacter.
Opportunistic bacteria: Certain bacteria such as Clostridia, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas can cause issues when present in excessive amounts.
Fungal and Yeast Overgrowth
Candida spp.: Overgrowth can lead to symptoms like bloating, fatigue, and sugar cravings.
Saccharomyces spp.: Although beneficial in small amounts, overgrowth can cause issues.
Enzyme Markers
Beta-Glucuronidase: Elevated levels of this enzyme suggest a need for improved detoxification and microbial balance, as it can indicate toxin and hormone recycling. LEARN MORE HERE.
Pancreatic Elastase: This marker reflects pancreatic enzyme production, which is critical for fat and protein digestion.
Inflammation Markers & Intestinal Permeability ("Leaky Gut")
Calprotectin: Elevated levels of this marker suggest intestinal inflammation, which may indicate inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Secretory IgA (sIgA): This is a marker of gut immune function. High levels can signal acute immune activation, while low levels may suggest immune suppression.
Lactoferrin: An indicator of severe intestinal inflammation.
Parasitic and Pathogen Testing
CMM identifies parasites such as Giardia, Blastocystis hominis, or Entamoeba histolytica and detects viruses like Norovirus or Rotavirus, which can cause digestive symptoms.
Digestion and Absorption Markers
Steatocrit: Indicates fat malabsorption.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs): Reflects the fermentation of fiber by gut bacteria. Low levels suggest insufficient beneficial bacteria or fiber intake.
Occult Blood: Screens for blood in the stool, which could indicate ulcers, polyps, or colorectal cancer.
Antibiotic Resistance Genes
CMM tests for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could impact treatment strategies.
Gut Microbial Diversity
This test provides an overall assessment of species richness and diversity in your gut microbiome. Reduced diversity is associated with conditions like obesity, IBS, and autoimmune diseases.
Yeast and Fungi Levels
CMM highlights overgrowth of species like Candida albicans or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can disrupt gut function.
Detoxification and Metabolism
Ammonia Levels: High levels of ammonia can indicate protein fermentation or liver dysfunction.
pH of Stool: Abnormal stool pH can reflect dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) or poor fermentation of dietary fibers.
Antibiotic and Probiotic Impact
The test evaluates whether previous antibiotic or probiotic use has shifted your microbiome balance.
Gas-Forming Bacteria
Certain bacteria, such as Methanobrevibacter smithii, are identified for their role in producing excessive gas, which can contribute to bloating and discomfort.
Why Choose Complete Microbiome Mapping?
Unlike conventional tests that simply provide a snapshot of your gut health, Complete Microbiome Mapping offers a comprehensive view of your gut's microbial community. By understanding the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria, inflammation levels, and overall gut function, this test helps uncover the root causes of digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, and more.
With this knowledge, our practitioners can create a personalised treatment plan, including targeted dietary changes, supplementation, and lifestyle modifications to correct imbalances and relieve symptoms. It’s an evidence-based approach that eliminates the guesswork, helping you address symptoms at their source.
This testing provides a detailed picture, eliminating any guesswork and our practitioners can address gut imbalances at their root - tailoring a diet & supplementation plan to restore balance and alleviate digestive symptoms.
Reach out to our team of Registered Clinical Nutritionists and Naturopaths for personalised guidance and support.
See our Nutritionist, Emma Winnie, discuss CMM results here.
FUNCTIONAL TESTING
Our Functional Testing Assessment
This appointment is to determine the functional testing appropriate to your health concerns or goals.
Available both in-clinic & remote.