If you’ve been reading my posts about pro- and prebiotics are you wondering about the health of your microbiome?

I would estimate that 70% of my clients come to me with digestive issues – it might not be the main reason that they are seeking my help, but it’s certainly part of the reason that they are there.

One of the most interesting parts of my job is determining the underlying cause of their symptoms. Bloating, for example, could be caused by a range of issues: maldigestion due to low stomach acid or a lack of digestive enzymes; dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut or microbiome); a pathogen (a “bad” bacteria, yeast overgrowth or parasite); SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – more on this soon); constipation; a food sensitivity or possibly lactose intolerance.

Sometimes the underlying cause can be clear – you might already be aware of it, or after careful questioning it becomes apparent, but often I will suggest using testing to be sure that we know what we are dealing with.

The test I use probably more than any other in my clinic is Genova’s GI Effects test. This looks at your digestion from the stomach down. It gives us insight into how well you are digesting your food, whether there is inflammation in the gut, shows us a full picture of the health of your microbiome and identifies any pathogens including parasites.

Clicking on this link will give you access to information on the test including a sample report. Here’s a screenshot of the summary information of the test:

This sophisticated test enables us to identify the underlying causes of your symptoms and target the areas of your digestion that we need to prioritise, which enables me to create a personalised plan to improve your health.

Please book in for a free 15 minute Discovery Call if you would like to find out more about the test or would like to discuss your digestive issues with me.