The Gi-Map + Zonulin performs a comprehensive analysis of your gut health. This is combined with the MRT Food Sensitivity test, to understand exactly which foods may be causing issues.
The GI-MAP and the MRT (Mediator Release Test) work in a complementary way to not only show us what your body is reacting to (foods) but also why.
WHY:
The gut is often referred to as the “second brain”. Gut health impacts your overall health, especially for fertility. Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of beneficial and pathologic microbes, can significantly affect hormones and is also associated with infertility. GI-Map is a comprehensive stool analysis that will check if there are known or suspected gut issues.
The MRT test screens for 170 food and chemical sensitivities. This test allows us to see what foods are currently causing an inflammatory burden in your body so we can personalize your nutrition guidelines and instantly take some stress off your body.
THE GI-MAP + ZONULIN EVALUATES:
Calprotectin– a measure of inflammation in the gut. Can be a sign of Crohn’s disease or IBD
Pancreatic elastase– the level of enzyme activity- how good are your levels of enzymes that digest protein, fat, carbs, and fiber.
Secretory IgA– a marker of the ‘reactivity’ of your gut immune layer. It represents the first line of immune defense of the gut. This is important when evaluating food intolerances
Zonulin– a marker of leaky gut (intestinal permeability)
B-glucoronidase- a measure of re-circulating toxins between the gut and the liver. You’ll see this marker elevated with excess estrogen and in people with poor liver detoxification
Steatocrit- amount of fat in the stool- measures fat absorption
Gliadin IgA– an excellent measure of gluten intolerance
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM GUT TESTING:
There are many connections between gut health and fertility including:
Hormone Balance: Your gut directly plays a role in balancing the levels of estrogen in your body.
Nutritional Absorption: By assessing dysbiosis and intestinal health markers we are helping to optimize nutrient absorption which has a direct impact on egg quality, hormones, and metabolism.
Inflammation: When we work on fertility, we are always wanting to reduce inflammation. If toxins from the GI tract leak into the bloodstream, it causes an immune response by the body, and triggers inflammation. By testing Zonulin, we can find out if leaky gut is playing a factor in fertility challenges. By analyzing the results from the MRT, we can reduce inflammation to make your body a more welcoming environment for a baby by working to rebalance hormones and nutrients in the body.
The GI-MAP +Zonulin allows us to create personalized treatment protocols to address gut dysfunction based on which infections are urgent, which areas of the gut are already optimized, and which areas should be addressed after an infection is resolved.
The Lifestyle Eating and Performance or LEAP is a specialized food plan based on the results from the MRT that is tailored to you and your body’s needs.
WHY THIS GUT TEST:
At Blue Ova, we use the GI MAP + Zonulin because we believe it provides the most comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiome compared to any other gut health test on the market. The test looks at the specific genomes of these organisms that reside in the intestinal ecology. It’s a “Quantitate DNA test” – or real-time test – which differentiates this test from other tests on the market.
The GI-MAP will actually measure how much of each strain exists in the gut, rather than just looking at a percentage.
A blinded peer reviewed scientific study showed MRT to have the highest level of accuracy of any food-sensitivity blood test.
COLLECTION:
GI-MAP + Zonulin
Testing performed: At home
Specimen type: Stool
Shipment: The test is shipped directly to your home in 2-3 days. Once completed, you drop ship the sample in the provided return envelope.
Estimated Turnaround Time: 14 days
MRT
Testing performed: Local Testing Center
Specimen type: Blood
Shipment: We ship the test to you, or you can pick up in our office.
Estimated Turnaround Time: 2-5 days
COST:
$1460 (current clients) / $1560 (new clients) - includes both labs, results interpretation, virtual review for both tests with our functional medicine practitioner and tailored recommendations. (Note: new clients will have additional time during their review for their health history intake)
