We explore 3 cheap, accessible gut health tests you can perform in the comfort of your own home. Costing almost nothing, they can give clues about what’s going on inside your gut.
Best Gut Health Tests
Best Gut Health Tests
by Anand Tadkod - Gut Health Consultant
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We explore 3 cheap, accessible gut health tests you can perform in the comfort of your own home. Costing almost nothing, they can give clues about what’s going on inside your gut.
Your poo says a lot about you
1.) Bristol Stool Chart or visual test
2.) The gut transit test
3.) Stool frequency test
Take the next step in your gut health journey:
Microbiome Test
Article summary
Your poo says a lot about you.
Your poo can say much about your digestive health, acting like a message sent directly from the gut.
Despite this, many flush away their stools without so much as a glance. It’s commonplace to check your skin, breasts and genitals regularly for changes, but squeamishness remains when it comes to poop.
It pays to take a little time to check the consistency, frequency and appearance of your stools, which can offer clues about your digestive health.
To help you along the way, we’ve listed three simple DIY gut health tests you can perform in the comfort of your own home.
So take a seat (preferably on the toilet), and let’s jump in:
==☝Fun fact☝ About 30 per cent of poo is dead bacterial matter.
1.) Bristol Stool Chart or visual test
The Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid grouping poo consistency/appearance into seven categories.
The Bristol Stool Chart categorises faeces into seven groups according to shape, size and consistency.
Dr Ken Heaton developed it at the University Of Bristol in 1997 to help diagnose constipation and diarrhoea.
The Bristol Stool Chart can be great for starting a dialogue about gut health with your GP. Moreover, it’s a valuable tool that can offer clues about your digestive health.
For example, poo types 1 and 2 could suggest that you eat insufficient fibre, are dehydrated, or the nerves in your gut are damaged.
9 Causes Of Constipation And Sources Of Long Term ConstipationLikewise, types 5, 6 and 7 could indicate food intolerances, gastrointestinal infection or poor diet.
Whilst it isn’t the most elegant or precise test, the Bristol Stool Chart is free, requires no equipment and can be performed by anyone, anywhere.
As such, it’s a valuable tool in your gut health arsenal.
You needn’t be “stool-gazing” every time you go to the loo, but aim to check your stool once every few weeks, noting any changes in consistency/appearance.
If you spot blood or mucus in your stool, the toilet bowl, or toilet paper, consult your GP.
Whilst blood in your stool is often the result of haemorrhoids; it can be a sign of more severe conditions, such as ulcerative colitis.
Remember that blood may not appear red in the toilet bowel and that a black, tarry stool can also indicate blood in your stool. If in doubt, your GP can test your poo to rule out the possibility of bleeding in the GI tract.
☝DID YOU KNOW? ☝ One gram of faeces contains over one hundred billion microbes!
2.) The gut transit test
The gut transit test measures how long food takes to pass through your system, offering clues about your digestive health.
A gut transit test measures how quickly food passes through your GI system, or from table to toilet, as we like to say. The test can suggest whether your digestive tract is operating normally and give clues about your microbiome function.
Numerous factors can influence digestion, including stress, medications, dehydration and a lack of fibre. Transit time varies widely among individuals, with anything between 14 and 70 hours considered “normal”.
A gut transit time of anything over 72 hours is considered a sign of constipation, whilst a gut transit time under 10 hours suggests you are not properly digesting nutrients and likely have diarrhoea.
You can test gut transit time in multiple ways, but the most accessible and affordable method is by eating distinctly coloured foods. We suggest either red beats or food coloured with edible dye.
According to a study published in the journal Gut, a colonic transit test is a better measure of microbiome function than either the Bristol Stool Chart or Stool frequency tests.
Longer gut transit times were associated with enrichment in specific bacterial species, such as Akkermansia Muciniphila, Bacteroides spp and Alistipes spp.
Furthermore, gut transit was independently associated with postprandial response (blood sugar levels) and visceral fat levels.
In general, shorter transit times were associated with lower visceral fat and more stable blood sugar levels.
1.) Eat the red beats or dyed food and note the time and date. Make sure you don’t eat the marker food for up to a week before the test.
2.) After eating the food, keep your eye out for the distinctive colour when passing a stool, and note the time and date when you see this.
3.) Calculate the time between ingesting the distinct marker and its,ahem, reappearance in the toilet bowl.
☝TOP TIP☝ Its recommend performing the test a few times to collect an average score, as this increases the accuracy of the results. Make sure you use the same food type in each test.
3.) Stool frequency test
When it comes to bowel movements, anywhere between three times a day to three times a week is considered normal.
A stool frequency test involves measuring how often you go to the toilet. Generally speaking, going to the bathroom anywhere between three times a day to three times a week is considered normal, called the “three and three rule”.
Going less or more frequently may indicate gut health issues such as gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome or gastroenteritis.
With that said, it pays to “know your normal”; if you experience a sudden change in bowel habits without any probable cause, flag it up with your health professional, even if you fall within the three and three rule.
☝TOP TIP☝ Think of each test as a puzzle piece; combined, they can offer a clearer picture of your overall digestive health.Take the next step in your gut health journey with the Atlas Microbiome Test
Whilst all the tests listed in this article are cheap and accessible ways to get an insight into your gut health; they can only tell you so much.
There have come slightly more sophisticated technology to get more in-depth insights into your microbiome and gut health. Which if you ask me are not required if you know what to do.
It's like this, what are you going to do with that detailed report or that extra report for which the action to be taken it going to be the same.
And, Amazingly all the action are equal, you can not increase one Microbe and leave another, because they are all required, they live together and need each other for living and thriving.
Instead get on my webinar, being a Gut Health Consultant & nutritionists myself I can help you manage digestive issues and optimise your diet for better gut health.
All these are a part of my Program.
Article summary
The consistency and appearance of your stool can offer clues about your digestive health, as can the frequency of your bowel movements
The Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid categorising poo into seven types, which can be used to diagnose constipation and diarrhoea
The stool frequency test measures how often you have a bowel movement. Generally speaking, anywhere between three times a day to three times a week is considered normal
The gut transit test measures how long it takes for food to travel throughout your GI tract. According to one study, it is a better measure of microbiome function than the Bristol Stool Chart or Frequency test. Generally, anywhere between 14-70 hours is considered “normal.”
It is important that you “know your normal” and discuss sudden changes with your Consultant or your Nutritionists. If something seems abnormal, trust your gut feeling and raise your concerns with a doctor.
Get a Program consultation with your Gut Health Consultant, but before that watch this Short Video CLICK HERE
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