InstalabMicrobiomix
Should you take a Microbiomix test?
This test is most useful if any of these apply to you.
60 biomarkers included
- Shannon Diversity IndexSummarizes how many microbial types you carry and how evenly balanced they are; a broad, even community is generally linked to resilience.A low score suggests a less resilient community, though diversity alone does not confirm disease.
- Hexa-lipopolysaccharide (hexa-LPS) productionEstimates capacity to make lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial surface molecule that can trigger inflammation if it crosses the gut lining.Higher predicted LPS output may reflect a more inflammation-prone community.
- Methane productionReflects methane-producing microbes, gases linked to slower gut transit.High methane potential often tracks with constipation-predominant symptoms.
- Trimethylamine productionEstimates trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver converts to TMAO, a compound tied to heart risk.Higher capacity may raise a heart-relevant metabolite; blood TMAO is the validated marker.
- Ammonia (urease) productionReflects urease activity that makes ammonia from protein breakdown, a protein-fermenting signal.High ammonia output can indicate protein fermentation dominating over fiber fermentation.
- B. fragilis toxin productionFlags capacity to make a toxin from Bacteroides fragilis that is linked to gut inflammation.Presence may point toward a more inflammatory or barrier-disrupting community.
- Beta-glucuronidase productionAn enzyme that can reactivate compounds the liver tried to clear, including hormones and some drugs.High activity may affect estrogen recycling and clearance, though clinical thresholds are not set.
- Hydrogen sulfide productionReflects sulfur-gas output; small amounts help the gut, excess can irritate the lining.High sulfide potential may accompany bloating or an inflammatory pattern.
- Branched chain amino acids productionEstimates branched-chain amino acid output, a protein-fermentation signal linked in studies to insulin resistance.Higher output may reflect a metabolic pattern worth pairing with blood sugar testing.
- Oxalate consumptionReflects microbes that break down oxalate, a compound involved in kidney stones.Low oxalate-degrading capacity may matter for stone-prone people.
- GABA productionReflects microbes making GABA, a calming signaling molecule studied in the gut-brain connection.Altered GABA handling is of research interest for mood, not a diagnostic finding.
- GABA consumptionReflects microbes that consume GABA, balancing the community's net calming-signal output.High consumption with low production may lower net GABA availability.
- 3-indolepropionic acid (IPA) productionEstimates IPA, a metabolite tied in studies to a healthier heart and stronger gut barrier.Lower IPA capacity has been associated with cardiovascular disease in human studies.
- Histamine productionReflects microbes that generate histamine, which some people react to with digestive or allergic-type symptoms.High histamine potential may matter for people with histamine-intolerance symptoms.
- Butyrate productionEstimates output of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that fuels colon cells and calms inflammation.Low butyrate capacity is one of the most consistent signals of an imbalanced gut.
- Lactate productionReflects lactate, an intermediate that balanced communities normally convert onward to other fatty acids.Lactate buildup can signal an unbalanced fermentation chain.
- Propionate productionEstimates propionate, a short-chain fatty acid involved in appetite and cholesterol handling.Propionate capacity contributes to the overall fiber-fermentation picture.
- Acetate productionEstimates acetate, the most abundant short-chain fatty acid and a building block other microbes turn into butyrate.Acetate feeds the cross-feeding that raises butyrate; context matters more than the number.
- Cobalamin (B12) productionReflects microbial capacity to synthesize vitamin B12.Adds context to B-vitamin status but does not replace a blood B12 test.
- Folate (B9) productionReflects microbial capacity to make folate, or vitamin B9.Contributes to the community's overall vitamin-production picture.
- Biotin (B7) productionReflects microbial capacity to make biotin, or vitamin B7, involved in metabolism and skin health.Low capacity is of interest but not diagnostic on its own.
- Riboflavin (B2) productionReflects microbial capacity to make riboflavin, or vitamin B2.Part of the functional readout of a nutrient-supportive microbiome.
- Vitamin K productionReflects microbial capacity to make vitamin K, involved in blood clotting and bone health.Adds to the vitamin-synthesis picture of your community.
- Firmicutes_AA major group containing many fiber-fermenting, butyrate-producing bacteria.Higher abundance generally aligns with a fermentation-oriented community.
- BacteroidotaA dominant phylum that breaks down complex carbohydrates and proteins.Its balance with Firmicutes shapes overall fermentation style.
- FirmicutesOne of the two largest gut phyla, rich in fiber fermenters.Read alongside Bacteroidota rather than as a standalone ratio.
- ProteobacteriaNormally a minor phylum; includes many potentially inflammatory bacteria.Expansion is a recognized signal of an imbalanced, inflammation-prone community.
- ActinobacteriotaA phylum that includes the beneficial Bifidobacterium.Depletion can reflect loss of protective, fiber-loving microbes.
- Firmicutes_CA Firmicutes subgroup adding to the community's fermentation capacity.Interpreted as part of the broader Firmicutes picture.
- Desulfobacterota_AA phylum of sulfur-reducing bacteria that generate hydrogen sulfide gas.Overgrowth can align with excess sulfide and gut irritation.
- AgathobacterA butyrate-producing genus that helps maintain the gut lining.Lower levels align with reduced butyrate and loss of resilience.
- AkkermansiaA mucus-associated genus linked to barrier integrity and metabolic health.Depletion is associated with obesity and diabetes in human studies.
- BilophilaA bile-tolerant genus that makes hydrogen sulfide and can rise on high-fat diets.Overabundance may reflect an inflammatory, sulfide-heavy pattern.
- CampylobacterA genus that includes intestinal pathogens.Elevated levels warrant clinical attention for infection.
- CitrobacterA Proteobacteria genus that can bloom in imbalanced communities.Expansion adds to a Proteobacteria-driven imbalance signal.
- ClostridioidesGenus including C. difficile, a cause of antibiotic-associated colitis.Elevation, especially after antibiotics, warrants clinical follow-up.
- CorynebacteriumA genus more typical of skin that can appear in gut samples.Interpreted in the context of the overall community.
- DesulfovibrioA sulfate-reducing genus that produces hydrogen sulfide.Higher abundance can pair with sulfide-related bloating and inflammation.
- EggerthellaA genus that can rise in inflammatory gut states.Enrichment may accompany a less favorable, inflammatory profile.
- EnterobacterA Proteobacteria genus that can expand during imbalance.Part of the Enterobacteriaceae bloom pattern seen in inflammation.
- EscherichiaGenus including E. coli; usually minor but can expand in inflamed guts.Expansion is a classic marker of inflammation-associated imbalance.
- FaecalibacteriumOne of the most important butyrate producers, valued for its anti-inflammatory effects.Low Faecalibacterium is among the most reproducible imbalance findings in human studies.
- HelicobacterGenus including H. pylori, tied to ulcers and stomach conditions.Detection may prompt dedicated H. pylori evaluation.
- KlebsiellaA Proteobacteria genus that can bloom and drive inflammation.Overgrowth adds to a Proteobacteria-driven imbalance signal.
- LactobacillusA widely known genus involved in lactate and lactic-acid fermentation.Levels help describe fermentation balance, not a simple good or bad readout.
- OxalobacterA specialist genus that degrades oxalate, relevant to kidney-stone risk.Low or absent Oxalobacter may matter for stone-prone individuals.
- PorphyromonasA genus linked to oral and gut inflammation.Enrichment can reflect an inflammatory community pattern.
- PrevotellaA fiber-associated genus common on plant-rich diets.Its abundance largely reflects long-term dietary pattern.
- RoseburiaA butyrate-producing genus that supports gut-barrier health.Reduced Roseburia tracks with lower butyrate and a more inflammatory profile.
- RuminococcusA genus that breaks down complex fibers and resistant starch.Contributes to fiber fermentation and butyrate cross-feeding.
- SalmonellaA genus of classic intestinal pathogens.Detection warrants clinical evaluation for infection.
- StreptococcusA broad genus; some members expand in small-intestinal overgrowth.Elevation may fit an overgrowth or imbalance pattern.
- MethanogensMethane-producing microbes tied to slower transit and constipation.High levels often accompany constipation-predominant symptoms.
- BlastocystisA common single-celled gut organism of uncertain significance.Presence is frequent in healthy people and not automatically harmful.
- CandidaA yeast that can overgrow when bacterial balance is disrupted.Overgrowth may follow antibiotics or an imbalanced community.
- SaccharomycesA generally benign yeast, also used as a probiotic.Usually not a concern and can reflect diet or supplements.
- BifidobacteriumA cornerstone beneficial genus that ferments fiber and feeds butyrate producers.Depletion signals loss of protective, fiber-loving microbes.
- ClostridiumA large genus with both beneficial fermenters and potential pathogens.Meaning depends heavily on which species dominate.
- EnterococcusA genus that can expand and carry antibiotic resistance.Overgrowth may reflect imbalance or recent antibiotics.
- FusobacteriumA genus linked in studies to gut inflammation and colorectal cancer.Enrichment is a signal worth clinical attention.
About Microbiomix
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that do real work: they ferment the fiber you eat, make vitamins, help train your immune system, and produce chemicals that reach your heart and brain. This panel looks at that community from three angles at once, its overall variety, who is present, and what those microbes are capable of producing.
This is an exploratory panel. It is used mainly in research and functional-health settings to map patterns of balance or imbalance, and standardized clinical cutoffs for most of its markers do not yet exist. Read it as a detailed snapshot to track over time, not as a diagnosis.
What This Panel Reveals
The core idea is that no single microbe defines gut health. Two communities can look similar on a species list yet behave very differently depending on what they produce. Combining who is present with what they can make captures that net functional state better than any one number can.
Diversity is the panel's summary statistic. In human studies, a richer, more even community is generally described as more stable and resilient, and lower variety has been observed in many diseases. But the link is inconsistent: across many conditions, the average difference in diversity between healthy and sick people is small or absent, so diversity alone is not a health score. In biopsy-proven fatty-liver disease, for example, the Shannon diversity score (a measure of how varied and evenly balanced your microbes are) ran 7% lower in people without cirrhosis and 14% lower in those with cirrhosis compared with controls.
The taxonomic markers sort your community into groups that lean toward fiber fermentation and stability versus groups more often tied to inflammation. A recurring imbalance pattern in human disease is loss of butyrate-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium and Roseburia alongside expansion of the Proteobacteria group, including Escherichia and Klebsiella. The popular ratio of the two largest gut groups, Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, is too variable between healthy people to stand on its own.
The functional markers estimate what your microbes can produce: short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate that fuel the gut lining, gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide, vitamins, and signaling molecules. Function often explains relevance to your body better than a species list, because many different bacteria can perform the same job.
How to Read Your Results Together
The patterns matter more than any single line. A few combinations are worth paying attention to.
| Pattern | What it may suggest |
|---|---|
| Low diversity with low butyrate and low Faecalibacterium or Roseburia | A classic loss-of-resilience pattern; fermentable fiber is the main lever |
| Expansion of Proteobacteria (Escherichia, Klebsiella) with high lipopolysaccharide (a bacterial surface molecule that can inflame) potential | An inflammation-prone community worth pairing with an inflammation blood marker |
| High methane or high hydrogen sulfide potential with symptoms | May align with constipation (methane) or bloating and irritation (sulfide) |
| High trimethylamine or low 3-indolepropionic acid capacity | Metabolites studied in heart risk; confirm with blood testing, not stool alone |
A protein-fermenting signal, meaning higher ammonia and branched-chain amino acid output with lower short-chain fatty acids, points toward a diet-driven shift you can often influence by adding more plant fiber.
What to Do with Your Results
Treat this panel as a starting map, not a verdict. If pathogenic genera such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, or Clostridioides appear, that warrants prompt clinical evaluation rather than self-management. For most other findings, the most reliable lever is diet: fermentable fiber shifts both composition and short-chain fatty acid output within one to six weeks in human trials.
Pair concerning functional signals with validated blood tests. A high trimethylamine capacity is best followed up with cardiovascular markers, low vitamin-production markers with a blood B12 or folate level, and an inflammation-heavy profile with a high-sensitivity inflammation marker. Because major guidelines do not yet endorse microbiome panels for diagnosis, use this one to generate questions for a clinician, not to replace standard testing.
Serial tracking is where this panel earns its place. Day-to-day readings are noisy; in densely sampled adults, most bacterial genera varied more within one person over time than between different people. Retesting therefore makes the most sense after a sustained change, on the order of eight to twelve weeks, rather than days apart.
When Results Can Be Misleading
Several factors move the whole panel at once. A single stool sample is a snapshot of a shifting system, and recent diet, especially fiber and protein intake, strongly shapes both which microbes show up and the chemicals they make. Recent antibiotics, bowel prep, acute illness, and even how the sample was collected and stored can all change the readout.
Fecal metabolite levels are also indirect. Stool short-chain fatty acids reflect what remains after absorption in the lower colon, so a low or high number does not cleanly equal low or high production. In fact, higher fecal short-chain fatty acids have been linked to dysbiosis, obesity, and hypertension in some studies, so more is not simply better. This is one reason the panel is best read as a pattern over time rather than a set of fixed values.