Gut Microbiome Test in Australia

What Is the Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome, sometimes called your gut flora or gut microbiota, is the community of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living throughout your digestive tract, or GI tract, from your small intestine to your large intestine, where the largest concentration is found. It's a unique microbiome, shaped by your diet, environmental factors, and genetics, which is why no two people have exactly the same one.

A healthy gut microbiome includes beneficial bacteria, often called good bacteria, that support digestion, immune function, and the production of certain vitamins. It also naturally contains some harmful or disease-causing bacteria, which are usually kept in check. Problems tend to start when these overgrow and contribute to digestive problems or other symptoms. A healthy gut microbiome tends to have high bacterial diversity, with many different types of bacteria living in balance. An unhealthy gut microbiome is often marked by lower overall diversity and an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, a state known as dysbiosis.

Your gut microbiome is closely linked to digestive health, immune function, and even mental health via the gut-brain axis and nervous system, which is why it's considered so important for human health, and for your overall health well beyond your digestive system.

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What Does the Everlab Gut Microbiome Test Check For?

Our gut microbiome test analyses your stool sample across three panels, each using a different, purpose-built lab method, and sits alongside our full range of biomarkers if you want the broader picture. Select a marker below for a plain-English explanation of what it means for your gut health.

7 GI Markers (ELISA)

An assessment of gut function and environment, built to give you actionable insights and flag potential red flags early:

1. ‍Faecal occult blood - Tests for hidden blood in the stool that isn't visible to the eye. It can be an early sign of bleeding, irritation, or inflammation in the gut lining.
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2. ‍Calprotectin - A protein released by immune cells when there's active inflammation in the gut. Elevated levels can reflect gut microbiome imbalance and help distinguish inflammatory gut conditions from purely functional ones.
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3. ‍Lactoferrin - Another marker released during active gut inflammation, often read alongside calprotectin to build a clearer picture of what's driving your gut symptoms.
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4. ‍Pancreatic elastase - An enzyme the pancreas produces to help digest food as it moves through the gut. Low levels can point to reduced pancreatic function, which may explain bloating or poor nutrient absorption.
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5. ‍Secretory IgA - An antibody that forms your gut's first line of immune defence. It helps keep your gut microbiome in balance by controlling which bacteria can attach to the gut wall, and unusual levels can signal immune stress or a more permeable gut lining.
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6. ‍Zonulin - Regulates how tightly the cells lining your gut are joined together. Elevated zonulin is linked to increased gut permeability and often goes hand in hand with an imbalanced gut microbiome, sometimes called a leaky gut.
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7. ‍Faecal pH - Reflects the balance of fermentation happening in your gut microbiome, which shifts depending on which types of gut bacteria are dominant.

16 Microbiome Markers (Metagenomics)

This goes beyond identifying which microbes live in your gut microbiome. Metagenomics works by sequencing the DNA and RNA of the microorganisms present in your stool sample, so we can see not just who's there but what they're doing:

1. ‍Microbial diversity - How many different types of microbes live in your gut microbiome. Higher gut microbiome diversity is generally linked to better resilience and gut health.
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2. ‍Microbial richness - The total number of distinct microbial species present in your gut microbiome, regardless of how abundant each one is.
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3. ‍Butyrate-producing microbes - Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid made by gut bacteria that fuels the cells lining your colon. Low levels of butyrate-producing microbes in the gut microbiome have been linked to weaker gut barrier health.
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4. ‍Propionate-producing microbes - A short-chain fatty acid produced by your gut microbiome, involved in regulating appetite, cholesterol production, and blood sugar control.
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5. ‍Acetate-producing microbes - The most abundant short-chain fatty acid in the gut microbiome, involved in energy metabolism and supporting the gut lining.
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6. ‍Hydrogen sulphide-producing microbes - Useful in small amounts, but excess hydrogen sulphide from gut bacteria can irritate the gut lining and has been linked to bloating.
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7. ‍Trimethylamine (TMA)-producing microbes - Produced when gut bacteria in your microbiome break down nutrients found in red meat and eggs, then converted by the liver into a compound studied for its links to heart health.
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8. ‍3-indolepropionic acid (IPA)-producing microbes - IPA is a tryptophan-derived compound made by gut bacteria, shown to support gut barrier integrity and reduce inflammation.
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9. ‍Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-producing microbes - Certain microbes in the gut microbiome produce BCAAs, which are linked to metabolic health and how your body responds to insulin.
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10. ‍Beta-glucuronidase-producing microbes - This enzyme, produced by certain gut bacteria, can reactivate compounds the body has already processed for elimination, including some hormones, which is why elevated levels are linked to hormone recirculation.
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11. ‍Hexa-LPS-producing microbes - LPS is a component of certain bacterial cell walls found in the gut microbiome. Its most inflammatory form, hexa-LPS, has been linked to low-grade systemic inflammation when elevated.
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12. ‍B.fragilis toxin-producing microbes - A toxin-producing strain of an otherwise common gut bacterium, associated with gut lining disruption and inflammation when present in excess in the gut microbiome.
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13. ‍Methane-producing archaea - Microorganisms in the gut microbiome that produce methane as a byproduct of digestion. Higher levels have been linked to slower gut transit and constipation-type symptoms.
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14. ‍Mucin-consuming microbes - Gut bacteria that feed on the protective mucus layer lining your gut. Normal in balance, but excess mucin consumption can thin that protective barrier.
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15. ‍Oxalate-consuming microbes - Gut bacteria that break down dietary oxalate in the gut. Lower levels in the gut microbiome have been linked to a higher risk of oxalate-related kidney stones.
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16. ‍Oral species - Bacteria that normally belong in the mouth but are sometimes found in the gut microbiome, which can be a sign of disrupted gut transit or reduced stomach acid.

18 Pathogen Targets (RT-PCR)

A targeted panel to identify pathogenic bacteria and protist parasites in the gut that may need medical attention:

1. ‍Salmonella spp - A common cause of bacterial food poisoning that disrupts gut balance, usually from contaminated food or water, causing diarrhoea, fever, and cramps.
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2. ‍Campylobacter spp - One of the most common bacterial causes of gut infection and gastroenteritis, typically from undercooked poultry or contaminated water.
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3. ‍Shigella spp./EIEC - Causes bacterial dysentery and gut inflammation, with symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps.
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4. ‍Yersinia enterocolitica - Can cause gut infection and gastroenteritis, particularly from undercooked pork, with symptoms that sometimes resemble appendicitis.
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5. Vibrio spp - Most often linked to contaminated seafood or water, and capable of causing significant gut and gastrointestinal illness.
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6. Aeromonas spp - Found in water and undercooked seafood. Can disrupt gut balance and cause diarrhoea, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.
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7. E. coli O157 - A toxin-producing strain of E. coli that can cause severe gut cramps and bloody diarrhoea, and in rare cases serious kidney complications.
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8. Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) - Disrupts gut balance and is associated with persistent watery diarrhoea, particularly in travellers and children.
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9. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) - Disrupts the gut lining and is a common cause of diarrhoeal illness, especially in young children.
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10. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) - The most common cause of traveller's diarrhoea, producing toxins in the gut that trigger fluid loss.
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11. Shiga toxin - A toxin produced by certain E. coli strains that can damage the gut lining and, in severe cases, the kidneys.
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12. Clostridium difficile toxin B - A toxin often linked to antibiotic use and gut microbiome disruption, that can cause anything from mild diarrhoea to severe colitis.
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13. Hypervirulent Clostridium difficile - A more aggressive strain of C. difficile that disrupts the gut microbiome further, associated with more severe illness and higher relapse rates.
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14. ‍Cryptosporidium spp - A parasite that causes watery diarrhoea and gut irritation, often from contaminated water, including swimming pools.
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15. Giardia lamblia - A parasite that disrupts gut balance, causing bloating, cramps, and diarrhoea, often linked to contaminated water.
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16. Entamoeba histolytica - A parasite that can cause gut dysentery and, in rare cases, spread beyond the gut.
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17. Dientamoeba fragilis - A parasite associated with chronic gut symptoms, sometimes implicated in unexplained IBS-like symptoms.
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18. Cyclospora cayetanensis - A parasite linked to prolonged watery diarrhoea and gut upset, often traced to contaminated fresh produce.

Who Is the Gut Microbiome Test For?

Gut health looks different for everyone, so here's who tends to get the most out of testing their gut microbiome with us:

• Digestive symptoms: if you're dealing with bloating, irregular bowel movements, reflux, or symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), testing your gut microbiome can help identify what's driving them.
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• Post-antibiotic recovery: antibiotics and long-term medications like PPIs can disrupt your gut microbiome. Testing helps us see how your gut is recovering and guide that process.
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• Food reactivity: we can't diagnose allergies or intolerances, but a gut microbiome test adds real context around diversity, inflammation, and digestive capacity that's often missing from an elimination diet alone.
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• Immune and inflammatory concerns: an imbalance in the gut microbiome, known as dysbiosis, has been linked to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, so testing can be a useful piece of the puzzle if this is a concern for you.
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• Preventative health: if you're in your 30s-50s and focused on long-term health, or have a family history of chronic disease, testing your gut microbiome now gives you a baseline to work from.
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• Athletes and high performers: your gut microbiome plays a role in nutrient absorption, recovery, and inflammation, all of which affect performance.
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• Older adults: gut function and microbiome composition shift with age, which can affect appetite, fibre tolerance, and digestion.
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• Stress, sleep, and high mental load: the gut-brain axis closely links your gut microbiome to your nervous system and mental health, and has been associated with mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Chronic stress and poor sleep can show up as changes in your gut microbiome, and vice versa.
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• Women's health: hormonal shifts through PMS, perimenopause, or pregnancy can affect gut function, and a gut microbiome test can help contextualise what you're experiencing.

How Much Does the Gut Microbiome Test Cost?

The Gut Microbiome Test costs $899 for Everlab members and $999 for non-members. That price covers the gut microbiome lab analysis across all three panels, the gut health questionnaire, doctor review, dietitian interpretation, your video walkthrough, and a follow-up dietitian consult, not just the raw test.

How Do I Prepare for the Test?

2 weeks before

• Maintain your normal diet and lifestyle. Don't start a new diet, cleanse, or supplement regimen in this window. We need your usual gut microbiome, not a disrupted one.

3 days before

• Avoid alcohol.
• Avoid collecting your sample during menstruation, or in the 3 days after.

48 hours before

• Avoid significant changes to exercise, supplements, or diet.
• Avoid NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen, aspirin) unless directed by your doctor.

On collection day

• Collect and label your sample on a Monday or Tuesday, and return it before 1pm the same day. This keeps it within our optimal lab processing window.
• Don't collect if you've recently started antibiotics, as these disrupt your gut microbiome and will skew your results.

How Does the Gut Microbiome Test Work?

Step 1: Testing & Sample Collection

We send a test kit to your door with detailed instructions for collecting your stool sample at home.

• You return your sample to our lab using the prepaid packaging provided.
• Results are typically ready around four weeks after we receive your sample.

Step 2: Review, Insights & Support

Once your gut microbiome results are in, our clinical team takes over.

• Our doctors and dietitians review your results alongside your broader Everlab health profile.
• You receive a detailed report and a personalised plan.
• One of our accredited dietitians walks you through your gut microbiome results in a video, explained in plain English.
• You can book a follow-up call with your dietitian to work through next steps and how to apply any dietary or lifestyle changes.

What's Included in the Gut Microbiome Test?

• A clear picture of your gut function and any gut microbiome imbalance patterns
• Your microbial diversity score
• 7 GI markers, 16 microbiome markers, and 18 pathogen targets, tested across ELISA, metagenomic, and RT-PCR methods
• A personalised diet, lifestyle, and supplement plan
• A video walkthrough plus a follow-up consult with one of our accredited dietitians

Who Reviews My Gut Microbiome Results?

Every result is reviewed by one of our doctors first, to check whether anything needs further clinical discussion or follow-up testing. From there, one of our dietitian interprets your gut microbiome results and turns them into a practical, personalised plan, covering diet, lifestyle, and where relevant, supplementation.

We read your gut microbiome results alongside the rest of the health information we already hold on you, so the plan you get back reflects your full picture, not your gut microbiome in isolation.

Why Choose Everlab Over an At-Home Gut Test?

Most direct-to-consumer gut microbiome tests give you a list of bacteria and a generic report, with no clinical context and no one to talk to about what it means.

• Limited clinical context: no link to inflammation markers, blood sugar trends, or your medical history.
• Generic advice: reports that are vague, or gut health guidance that isn't built around you specifically.

Every Everlab Gut Microbiome Test is reviewed by a doctor and interpreted by a dietitian as standard. It's not an add-on, it's how we run the test.

Are There Limitations to Gut Microbiome Testing?

Yes, and we think it's worth being upfront about them. Gut microbiome testing is a fast-evolving area of science. We don't treat it as a stand-alone diagnostic tool, and it doesn't diagnose conditions like food allergies or intolerances on its own. What it gives us is a meaningful piece of your gut health picture, which our doctors and dietitians interpret alongside everything else we know about you, so any recommendations we make are grounded and realistic, not generic.

It's also fair to ask about privacy when you're sharing something as personal as your gut microbiome data. Our laboratory partner handles sample processing, and your results are then reviewed and interpreted by your own Everlab doctor and dietitian as part of your confidential health record. The regulatory landscape for at-home and direct-to-consumer gut microbiome testing is still developing internationally, which is one more reason we build clinical oversight into every result rather than leaving interpretation up to you.