Important Guidance:
To identify their “normal” gut microbiome profile, patients should maintain their routine diet, medications, and supplements unless specifically instructed otherwise by their healthcare provider. This approach ensures results reflect their usual physiological state. If you are currently following a specific/therapeutic diet (e.g., low FODMAP, ketogenic, elimination diets, etc.), continue following your prescribed regimen. Do not change your diet for sample collection purposes unless explicitly advised by your health care provider. Changes without medical guidance could affect the clinical relevance of your results.
Test Interference:
Test interference occurs when a food, supplement, or medication alters the sample or directly interferes with testing reagents. Test interference causes an inaccurate result (e.g., false positive, false negative, false higher, or false lower).
Biological Effects:
Even without interfering with the test, some substances can influence your body’s biomarkers, affecting your results by increasing or decreasing the biomarker. However, biological effects do not interfere with test performance, accuracy, or validity. Results will be accurate as measured.
RECOMMENDED: Preparing for the Test to Avoid Test Interference
- Medications: Do not discontinue any prescribed medication without your healthcare provider’s instruction. Avoid antibiotics, antifungals, or antiparasitics for 72 hours before collection.
- Hydration: Ensure adequate hydration by drinking 8 glasses of water per day for 2-3 days before the test. On the collection day, do not drink more than 8 oz of water 1 hour prior to urine collection.
Post-colonoscopy or barium enema: Wait 2 weeks before collecting.
OPTIONAL: Preparing for the Test to Avoid Biological Effects
- Diet: Avoid probiotic-rich foods (yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi) for 48 hours before collection. Avoid high-fat foods (e.g., fried foods, butter, cheese, fatty fish, avocados, nuts, oils) and excessive red meat (17g fat per serving or a food where fat is >35% daily calories) for 24 hours before collection. Probiotic-rich foods, fatty foods, and red meat have a biological effect on gut commensal bacteria, digestive, malabsorption, and metabolite markers.
- Supplements: Avoid laxatives/stool softeners, which have a biological effect on digestive, immune balance, and malabsorption markers for 72 hours before collection. Avoid probiotics, digestive enzymes, and antacids for 48 hours before collection. Consult your health care provider before stopping any prescribed supplements.
- Environmental Factors: Avoid intense physical exercise and exposure to environmental pollutants (e.g., cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes) 24 hours before the test.
Sample Collection: WHEN TO COLLECT
Avoid collection: If you have actively bleeding hemorrhoids or if you are menstruating.
Fasting: Recommended. No food/beverages (except water) for 8 hours prior.
Collection Timing: Samples may be collected at any convenient time of the day, unless otherwise instructed.