The GA-map test looks for signs of gut dysbiosis (or imbalance of your gut microbiome). This test is closest, clinically, to mapping the gut microbiota. European researchers sequenced the gut bacteria from healthy individuals and bacterial profiles from individuals with IBS and IBD. Then they compared the two, identifying bacterial “targets” that varied between healthy and IBS/IBD populations. If you were to take the test, you could get a dysbiosis index (or rating) from one to five, indicating how healthy or out of balance your gut was. One study used the GA-map to analyze the effects of diet on the microbiota. They noted that the low FODMAP diet markedly impacts the microbiome. In the future, your functional medicine doctor might use your dysbiosis index score to assess what treatments or diets to recommend. In the present, following a gut health algorithm and looking for symptomatic improvement is still a great option. https://drruscio.com/?p=29065
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