Sharing Info : Thorne Gut Test

[John_morris71]

Please note : This is not an endorsement. Wanted to share with everyone. Hope it helps you. ( Also, I am not a doctor and should not be considered and medical advice

Given the recent news that there is high probability that PD starts in the gut and travels to the brain (Alpha Synuclein found in gut of almost all PD patients vs controls), I got a Gut Test done for my mother using Thorne Website.

Results take 6-7 weeks after sample is delivered.

Cost is $198 for the test. You have to provide them with a sample of your poop in a specially designed kit and post it to them. (Easy to do, you will be using the special wipe they provide in the kit).

thorne.com/products/dp/gut-...

Based on their analysis, they also provide 'Recommendations' - typically a list of any Probiotics -Prebiotics/Supplements (mainly Thorne Brand - no surprise!) to alleviate or improve the condition and also any changes to your diet. (They ask you to provide some details when you build your profile - about diet, what drugs you are taking, life style etc.)

For my mother they recommended :

* No change in diet.

* 2 types of Prebiotic/Probiotic, 1 GABA supplement, and 1 Multi Vitamin.

(Of course you can decide what you want. FYI, I have chosen to give the GABA supplement and 1 of the 2 pre/pro biotics).

The results are divided into these main categories, with a Score for each Category/ Sub Category - High/Low or optimal range - and an explanation (insight) in to each. List of published papers are also provided that (I believe) support their analysis/ clinical evidence.

Following are the categories of test done and the discussion on each of these.

1) General Overview.

2) Gut Pillars -

a) Digestion;

(Level of bacteria present associated with ammonia production; level of bacteria present associated with amino acid degradation)

b) Inflammation;

(Species causing an inflammatory response and elevated calprotectin synthesis in the gut; Enterobacteriaceae &Pseudomonas levels and Veillonella level - an organism associated with lipopolysaccharide production ).

c) Gut Dysbiosis;

( Faecalibacterium prausnitzii level; Bifidobacterium level; Akkermansia muciniphila level; Blautia level; Parabacteroides level)

d) Intestinal Permeability;

(Intestinal Permeability Score is low, means you are at low risk for experiencing a leaky gut. Also more details and explanation of the high levels)

e) Nervous System.

( A high Nervous System Imbalance Score and are therefore at high risk for an enteric nervous system (ENS) imbalance. Also more details and explanation of the condition).

3) General Health -

a) Diversity Score;

(Beta diversity score indicates your microbiome is dissimilar to other healthy adults. Beta diversity is a measure of the quantity and the quality of microbes in your gut and compares it to other healthy adults).

b) Immune Readiness Score;

((Prevotella level; Faecalibacterium prausnitzii level; Bifidobacterium level; Akkermansia muciniphila level; Blautia level. )

4) Pathogens - list of various pathogens and if they are present and if so their levels. They listed 12 pathogens.

(Blastocystis parasite level; Campylobacter bacteria level; Clostridioides difficile bacteria level; Cryptosporidium parasite level; Dientamoeba fragilis parasite level; Entamoeba histolytica parasite level; Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria level; Giardia intestinalis parasite level; Helicobacter pylori bacteria level; Salmonella enterica bacteria level; Vibrio cholerae bacteria level)

Additional Insight : (with scores and brief explanation of each type)

* Good Bacteria - The "good bacteria" below are well-researched and found to be highly beneficial for health. Your goal is to have and maintain average or better levels for each strain. Your percentile is compared to healthy adults.

For mood issues or depression, you will want to pay attention to your levels of the following bacteria species, because research has associated these strains as being particularly beneficial to your condition: Coprococcus and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.

For dementia, you will want to pay attention to your levels of the following bacteria species, because research has associated these strains as being particularly beneficial to your condition: Ruminococcus.

( Akkermansia muciniphila; Alistipes; Bifidobacterium; Coprococcus; Eubacterium; Eubacterium rectale; Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; Lachnospiraceae (- Blautia); Oscillospira;Parabacteroides; Roseburia; Ruminococcus (- R bromii); Ruminococcaceae )

* Conditional Bacteria - Based on conditions you reported in your health profile, the Conditional Bacteria below have established associations with certain health conditions and are displayed based on the best levels for you. Similarly, your personalized dietary recommendations will help achieve optimal levels for you and the conditions you reported. Your percentile is compared to healthy adults.

( Bacteroides; Lactobacillus; Methanobacteria; Oscillibacter; Prevotella; Ruminococcus bromii )

* Bad Bacteria - The Bad Bacteria below are well-researched and are associated with various health conditions adverse to your overall health. Your percentile is compared to healthy adults; the goal is to maintain a level that is below the 85th percentile for best health associations.

As someone who reported a Parkinson's disease diagnosis, recent research has found E. faecalis and E. faecium convert the Parkinson's drug L-Dopa into dopamine, causing GI side effects and limiting L-Dopa serum availability to the brain. You will want to make sure you and your health-care professional discuss your medications and your microbiome results.

( Blautia; Citrobacter freundii; Clostridioides difficile; Eggerthella; Eggerthella lenta;Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriaceae + Pseudomonas; Enterococcus; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus faecalis + faecium; Escherichia; Escherichia coli; Klebsiella; Ruminococcus gnavus; Ruminococcus torques; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus;Streptococcus (- thermophilus and salivarius); Veillonella;Yersinia enterocolitica )

* Short Chain Fatty Acid - This section reports your gut's capability to produce short-chain fatty acids and lactate based on the microbes present that are known to produce them.

This is an area you can improve upon ‐ your goal is to fall in the optimal range for each. Short-chain fatty acids have numerous health benefits and are known to have anti-inflammatory effects, improve gut motility, reduce gut permeability, reduce intestinal lumen pH, and provide an important energy source.

Lactate is an example of a biochemical byproduct produced by various microbes that, in excess, can negatively impact your health. Lactate at low levels can be normal in healthy individuals and have no significant impact. Still, as lactate begins to accumulate, it can further drive inflammatory and disease processes and lead to further complications of various conditions.

(Butyrate; Lactate; Propionate; Valerate )

* Micronutrients - The list of micronutrients below reflects your gut's capability to produce the following B vitamins based on the bacteria present.

(Vitamins, B3, B6, B9 and B12)

* Probiotics - The list of probiotics below includes the majority of commercially available strains and provides insight into which are present or missing from your gut. Also, use this list to check that your current prebiotic or probiotic supplement regimen is working for you by supporting the strains you are now consuming. Your goal is to maximize the presence of species you have present because they have many associated health benefits.

It is important to note that not all of these probiotic strains are commercially available as supplements, although luckily, many can be increased in the gut through precise prebiotic regimens.

(Bacillus coagulans; Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis; Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis; Bifidobacterium bifidum; Bifidobacterium breve; Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis; Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum; Lactobacillus acidophilus; Lactobacillus brevis; Lactobacillus casei; Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus; Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii; Lactobacillus fermentum; Lactobacillus gasseri; Lactobacillus helveticus; Lactobacillus planterum; Lactobacillus reuteri; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; Lactobacillus salivarius; Lactobacillus lactis; Propionibacterium freudenreichii; Streptococcus salivarius; Streptococcus thermophilus)

* Total Fungi- Your Total Fungi score is a percentile rank comparing the total fungi ‐ both good and bad ‐ in your sample to samples of healthy adults.

Low score is desirable. Elevated score puts you at a higher risk for developing Candida or other fungal infections.

[Bolt_Upright]

That sounds very cool.

[John_morris71 in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Please note - my computer crashed. I will post more details later.

[John_morris71 in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Just now updated it with more info. All done.

[Esperanto]

Thank you for sharing with us what such a test looks like. For a layman almost unreadable and what is the meaning of this actually. My doubts were well expressed in an article by Everyday Health about home tests for the health of the intestines and whether they are worth it. Although there is a lot of interest in the microbial flora in the intestines and its potential health benefits, experts are skeptical about the reliability and value of these tests. As with the Thorn test, the recommendations with supplements and probiotics preferably from their own brand, sometimes even tailor-made, are dubious. €€€$$$£££¥¥¥¥

Science does not seem sufficiently advanced yet to reliably interpret the results of these tests. If you have to do it yourself even almost impossible. The microbiome in the intestines is constantly changing, and one sample does not provide an accurate picture of this complex ecosystem. In addition, factors such as diet, stress and medication can influence the results. In addition, the technology is limited and only a fraction of the bacteria in the sample can be identified.

Healthy gut health depends on a balanced diet, sufficient fiber intake, good sleep, exercise and stress reduction. For the advice to eat more vegetables, exercise and reduce stress, you don’t need to have expensive home tests done. The article therefore concludes that home tests for intestinal health do not provide in-depth insights and there is no evidence that the results can lead to actual changes in the intestinal microbiome.

everydayhealth.com/digestiv...

[John_morris71 in reply to Esperanto]

I agree with your input. My intent was to share. I am sure each will decide whether to give it a try or just wait it out/ignore the tests.