Content:
IntroWho Would Benefit From a GI Map Stool Test
The GI MAP Test- What is it?
What does GI MAP tell you?
What outcomes can you expect from the GI MAP test, and why is it so important?
Where can I get a GI MAP test done?
You’ve seen a dozen different medical professionals. Doctors have performed multiple tests, and the results are normal.Your symptoms, however—abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, and gas—certainly don’t seem typical.Suffering from these unexplained symptoms without solutions may be demoralizing and stressful.
While I’m sure your physicians are trying their best to help you, putting a “plan of action” into place when the tests they’re conducting can’t identify your issue is challenging.Or perhaps you were diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) without a precise explanation backed by testing. Additionally, you needed guidance on what to do following the diagnosis. It might be difficult.
But what if there was a test that most of your healthcare professionals had never considered using? And what if the results of this exam were to be the solutions you were seeking? The GI-MAP test is here. I would like to offer all the information regarding the test because it is the standard procedure that most of my patients use to receive answers.
Who Would Benefit From a GI MAP Stool Test?
Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that do everything from strengthening your immune system and creating your “happy” chemicals to extracting energy from your food. A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, and effective digestion, and it may help prevent some cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Most Hashimoto’s patients have gut dysbiosis. Dysbiosis worsens hypothyroid symptoms, even when patients are on the correct dose of thyroid hormone and have normal thyroid results on lab tests. The overgrowth of pathogenic flora must be corrected to reduce inflammation in Hashimoto’s Disease.
If YOU have the following symptoms:
You may want to consider doing a stool test. The G.I. MAP stool test I use in my practice.
The GI MAP test: What is it?
The GI Microbial Assay Plus test is another name for the GI MAP test. It is a thorough stool analysis and molecular test that examines the DNA and genes of particular intestinal microbes. Diagnostics Solutions Laboratory created the quantitative, real-time polymerase chase reaction test (PCR test). Yes, that is the same PCR test mentioned in relation to COVID-19 tests.
The GI MAP differs from other stool tests in that it provides quantitative information on the number of bacteria present in a sample and identifies specific microbes. This is significant because you can determine whether a particular parasite or pathogenic organism is successfully treated.
The GI MAP test also provides the following details and advantages:
The GI MAP test is much more sensitive than conventional stool tests, allowing it to detect the smallest amounts of microorganisms in a sample. It is a precise test that analyzes microbial DNA and offers a comprehensive picture of your GI health.
It makes sense why most functional medicine practitioners, including myself, use it as their go-to test.
What does GI MAP tell you?
Despite the complexity of the test’s results, reading your GI MAP Stool Test is, fortunately, relatively easy. Species will group your test findings and determine whether the species is pathogenic (harmful) or opportunistic.
The GI MAP stool test report includes the following categories:
The GI MAP also identifies pathogens that can lead to intestinal gastroenteritis, accompanied by diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, and nausea. This test can help identify bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella, parasites like Giardia, and viral pathogens such as adenovirus or norovirus.
You can compare your results to typical levels using the information on your GI MAP report. Your results will be highlighted in red and display the value if you have a high or abnormal result. Low-scoring results will be displayed in yellow.
The information will be most useful when you discuss the report with your healthcare physician, though you can conduct some independent research to understand what your results represent.
What outcomes can you expect from the GI MAP test, and why is it important?
I’m a huge believer that knowing about your gut health can improve your quality of life. Your general health and well-being are controlled by your stomach, which is a vital organ. This is what makes the GI-MAP test so useful.
My favorite feature is the GI MAP test’s ability to examine a wide range of gut bacteria rather than focusing only on one single microbe. It’s critical to approach health from a holistic perspective because your gut is the center of your health and sends signals to many organs and portions of your body.
Different reactions and symptoms can be brought on by each of the microorganisms that the GI-MAP screens for.
For instance, the GI MAP can identify pseudomonas, an inflammatory bacteria that can overgrow in your upper small intestine, which can cause food sensitivities. In addition to causing IBS symptoms, this inflammation makes it very difficult to digest gluten and may play a role in food sensitivity or allergy.
And this is just one of the amazing insights the GI MAP test may offer.
Where can I get the GI-MAP test done?
Although the GI MAP test is unique and simple to administer (you only need to provide a sample of your feces), you cannot obtain it online like other tests. Only a clinical provider can get this test for you. I can order this test for you. Simply click HERE to order your test.
I’m here to assist you in identifying the problem, no matter how complicated it may be.