Why Microbiome Testing Isn’t the Root Cause Solution You Think It Is
If you’ve been struggling with gut issues, chances are someone’s suggested microbiome testing as the solution. But what if I told you that microbiome testing isn’t showing you the root cause of your symptoms—and it’s certainly not going to fix them?
Our gut microbiome is incredibly responsive to its environment—everything from the health of your body to what it’s exposed to daily (think toxins, stress, processed foods, and medications). So, the state of your microbiome is more of a reflection of what’s going on inside your body, rather than the starting point of your issues.
As a gut health clinic specialising in complex gut health, you might expect that we’d be all about gut microbiome testing. But here’s why I’m not:
An Imperfect Microbiome is Expected If you’re experiencing gut issues, we already know your microbiome won’t be in perfect balance. The truth is, we know far less about the microbiome than many people think, and bacteria behave differently in different contexts. Making treatment decisions based on what shows up in one test won’t address the root cause.
It’s a Snapshot, Not the Whole Picture Microbiome testing is not a true reflection of your entire microbiome—it’s simply what your gut is choosing to push out in the stool that day. Stress, your last meal, hormone fluctuations—these can all change the results, and a test on a different day could look completely different.
You Need to Dig Deeper Think of testing the microbiome and addressing imbalances directly like trying to treat the leaves on a tree. The leaves (your microbiome) impact the health of the plant, but they aren’t the root cause. To restore balance, you need to look deeper—at the gut environment, toxins, digestion, and immune function. Probiotics and antimicrobials don’t address these core issues, and without fixing the root cause, the imbalances just return.
Yes, your microbiome is impacted if you have gut health issues. But it’s not where the problem starts. If you want true, lasting health—not just symptom management—you have to address the root cause. That means supporting your gut environment, detox pathways, and overall digestive health.