Gut Health &
Microbiome Testing
Your gut does more than digest food. It plays a central role in your immune system, hormone balance, mood, and overall wellbeing.
When the gut is out of balance, it can show up as bloating, reflux, fatigue, skin issues, autoimmunity, or even mood changes.At Essencia Wellbeing, I offer a suite of advanced gut tests that provide clear, scientific insights into your microbiome, barrier function, digestion, and small intestine health. These premium tests are processed by accredited Australian laboratories and give us the data we need to guide targeted care.
Tests are processed by leading accredited Australian and international laboratories.
Not sure which test is right for you?
Book a free 10-minute discovery call to discuss your symptoms and options, or book an appointment to fully assess your health situation.
Our Gut Test Range
GI360 Microbiome Profile
A multi-technology stool test that detects pathogens, inflammation, and microbiome imbalance.
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MetaXplore GI Plus
An advanced metagenomic test mapping over 28,000 microbial species and key gut biomarkers, providing deep insights into microbiome function and long-term health.
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Gut Barrier Panel
A simple blood-spot test measuring zonulin, occludin, LPS, and Candida antibodies to assess intestinal permeability.
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SIBO Comprehensive Breath Test
A non-invasive breath test measuring hydrogen and methane gases to detect bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.
GI360 Microbiome Profile.
The GI360™ uses advanced DNA mapping and MALDI-TOF technology to provide a complete snapshot of the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal environment. This test identifies beneficial bacteria, pathogens (including parasites and yeast), digestive function markers, inflammation, and immune status—all crucial data for personalised gut health strategies.
What it Measures:
Pathogens: bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses
Beneficial/commensal bacteria (abundance and diversity)
Inflammation: calprotectin, lactoferrin, secretory IgA, zonulin
Digestion: pancreatic elastase, short-chain fatty acids, stool pH, putrefactive metabolites
Dysbiosis Index – validated scoring of microbiome balance
Who Benefits:
Individuals with IBS, IBD, bloating, food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and skin issues will gain insight into hidden causes and directed solutions.
Why it’s Useful:
Combines multiple technologies for greater clinical accuracy
Identifies both infections and functional imbalances
Includes antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide targeted care
Best for complex GI cases, unresolved symptoms, or inflammatory gut conditions
Sample: Simple home stool collection.
Turnaround time: 3–4 weeks
Want deeper insight into your gut health? Book an Initial health consultation →
MetaXplore GI Plus
MetaXplore GI Plus delivers next-generation gut microbiome and gastrointestinal health analysis.
It combines whole-genome metagenomic sequencing with GI marker analysis to reveal microbial community balance, gut function, and inflammation for truly personalised gut care. It measures bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and archaea while also exploring functional pathways such as butyrate production, methane, histamine, vitamin synthesis, and toxin metabolism. Biomarkers like calprotectin, zonulin, secretory IgA, lactoferrin, and pancreatic elastase give additional insight into inflammation, barrier integrity, and digestive function.
What it Measures:
Full microbial spectrum: bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, archaea
Functional potential: butyrate and SCFA synthesis, methane, histamine, vitamin pathways, toxin metabolism
Biomarkers: calprotectin, secretory IgA, zonulin, lactoferrin, pancreatic elastase
Microbiome diversity and resilience scores
Who Benefits:
Those with abdominal discomfort, bloating, IBS, constipation or diarrhoea, immune and metabolic issues.
Why it’s Useful:
Offers the broadest microbial coverage available worldwide
Goes beyond detection to explain how microbes are functioning
Links gut ecology to mood, cognition, metabolism, and immune health
Best for chronic, systemic, or complex conditions, and for patients interested in long-term prevention and resilience
Sample: Home stool sample kit.
Turnaround: 4-5 weeks.
Supplier: Co-Biome
Technology: Whole-genome shotgun metagenomic sequencing (approximately 28,000 species) plus ELISA biomarkers and qPCR.
Want deeper insight into your gut health? Book a consultation →
Gut Barrier Panel
This panel measures markers of gut lining health: Zonulin (tight junction integrity), Occludin, Candida reactivity, and LPS (endotoxin exposure). Results clarify gut permeability (“leaky gut”), digestive inflammation, and immune reactivity.
What it Measures:
Zonulin and occludin: gut junction integrity
LPS antibodies: bacterial endotoxin leakage
Candida antibodies: fungal overgrowth or mucosal disruption.
Who Benefits:
Chronic GI symptoms, food reactions, autoimmune issues, fatigue, skin problems.
Why it’s Useful:
Focused evaluation of intestinal permeability, also known as “leaky gut”
Explains systemic symptoms such as fatigue, skin flares, and autoimmunity
Supports personalised gut repair strategies including dietary support, mucosal nutrients, anti-inflammatories, and probiotics
Best for clients with systemic inflammation or immune issues linked to gut dysfunction.
Sample: Blood sample.
Turnaround: 3-4 weeks
Supplier: Doctors Data (USA), via RN Labs, Australia
Technology: Blood-spot immunoassay (zonulin, occludin, LPS, Candida antibodies).
Want deeper insight into your gut health? Book a consultation →
SIBO Comprehensive Breath Test
The SIBO Comprehensive breath test detects hydrogen and methane bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine—clinically linked to IBS, bloating, and nutrient malabsorption.
What it Measures:
Hydrogen and methane gases over time
Options for glucose, lactulose, or fructose substrates
Who Benefits: Those with IBS, chronic bloating, unpredictable bowels.
Why it’s Useful:
Detects bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
Differentiates hydrogen-dominant versus methane-dominant SIBO
Explains symptoms such as bloating, reflux, diarrhoea, constipation, or IBS-like patterns
Best used when symptoms or other test results suggest small intestinal overgrowth is a likely driver.
Sample: At-home breath collection kit
Turnaround: 1–2 weeks
Supplier: SIBO test via RN Labs, Australia
Technology: Hydrogen and methane breath gas analysis after carbohydrate challenge.
Want deeper insight into your gut health? Book a consultation →
Gut Function Testing – FAQs
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No. They identify imbalances and functional issues that help guide treatment, but they do not provide medical diagnoses.
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Not automatically. We use results to create a tailored plan. Food elimination is guided by both test findings and your symptom history, often with a structured re-introduction phase.
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For the most accurate results, avoid testing straight after antibiotics, probiotics, or during strict elimination diets, as these can mask findings. Testing is most useful when your routine is stable, and not during an acute flare-up.
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Your practitioner will use the results to design a targeted plan, which may include dietary adjustments, probiotics, or other supportive therapies.
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Yes. Antibiotics taken in the last 4–6 weeks can alter microbiome results. Always let your practitioner know about recent medication use before testing.
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Yes. Antibiotics taken in the last 4–6 weeks can alter microbiome results. Always let your practitioner know about recent medication use before testing.
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Sometimes. Retesting a few months after intervention can help track progress and fine-tune your treatment plan, but it’s not always necessary.
Ready to uncover what’s really happening in your gut?
Book your free 10-minute discovery call to discuss how we might work together, or dive in fully with an initial consultation.
For more information about fees and packages, visit our Fees & Bookings page