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Robert’s Note:

Who is the Gut Health Test for?

If you’ve ever struggled with bloating, anxiety, fatigue, weight challenges, or mood swings, this test and this article are for you.

For years, the only option to learn about your gut was through a stool (yes, poop) test, which can cost between $400 and $800. Those tests simply identify which bacteria are in your gut. The problem is, knowing what’s there doesn’t tell you how your gut is functioning or what to do to fix it.

That’s where the Gut Health Test changes everything. Instead of analyzing stool, it uses a simple, at-home dried blood spot test to show how your gut, metabolism, and immune system are working together. It reveals what’s happening at a deeper level, in a way that’s scientifically validated, affordable, and actionable.

In this article, you’ll learn why your gut plays such a powerful role in your overall health, and why this test is one of the smartest investments you can make for your well-being.

Read it with curiosity and an open mind, because when you understand your gut, you unlock one of the greatest keys to lasting health.

…………..

You’ve heard about gut health, and maybe you’ve heard terms like microbiome (my-kro-bye-ohm) or microbiota (my-kro-bye-oh-tuh). The curiosity has you thinking, “I need to learn more about this.” Next thing you know, you’re taking a probiotic and trying to eat more fermented foods. Then, someone suggests you try this supplement or that one. You hope it’s working, but you don’t really know.

And of course, there’s always that person who swears their product is the magic fix.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to guess anymore. There’s a test called the Gut Health Test, and in this article, you’ll learn about this first-of-its-kind test and how a simple dried blood spot (you’ll learn more about what that means later in the article) can reveal what’s really happening inside your gut.

Your Gut: The Hidden Control Center

Think of your gut as an extremely active city, full of movement and life 24 hours a day. Within this city are trillions of tiny workers – microbes – comprising bacteria, yeasts, and other microscopic organisms that live and work together. These little workers help digest food, manage traffic, build defenses, and send messages all over your body. When your “gut city” is thriving, everything runs smoothly.

💡 Did You Know?
Your gut is home to over 100 trillion microbes, tiny living organisms like bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, that work together to protect your body, balance your metabolism, and support your immune system.

However, when one family of microbes moves in and starts overpopulating, or when another community becomes run down, the city starts to struggle. Suddenly, you might feel the effects of traffic jams (bloating), pollution (inflammation), or even power outages (fatigue).

Every gut city has its own unique design; no two are the same. And just like a real city leaves behind clues about how it’s functioning, your gut leaves signals in your blood. These are like chemical footprints that indicate which systems are functioning well, which are stressed, and whether your immune system is at rest or under pressure.

🩺 Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, once said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Thousands of years later, science has finally caught up to prove how right he was. The Gut Health Test allows us to see what Hippocrates could only predict: how the condition of your gut affects nearly every part of your health, from digestion and immunity to energy and mood.

The big discovery? It’s not just about who lives in your gut, it’s about how they’re functioning. Your microbes work together like departments in a city, cooperating and communicating to maintain balance.

That’s exactly what the Gut Health Test measures. Instead of using stool samples, it analyzes the chemical messages your gut city sends through your blood. These messages reveal how your body processes an essential nutrient called tryptophan, an amino acid that influences your gut health, mood, and overall well-being.

 From Guesswork to Certainty

Caption: Move from guessing to knowing. The Gut Health Test assesses not only the health of your gut but also its overall function.

Microbiome vs. Microbiota (Say What?)

Now that you have a picture of your gut as a busy, organized city, it’s time to learn about two extremely important parts that make it all work in harmony: the microbiota and the microbiome.

If your gut were a city, then:

• The microbiota are the citizens, the actual bacteria, yeasts, and other tiny organisms that live and work there.
• The microbiome is like the city’s master blueprint, the network of genes and communication signals that guide how the citizens function and interact. Think of it as the Wi-Fi system that keeps every department connected and operating in sync.

💡 Here’s something most people don’t know:
You have multiple microbiomes, one on your skin, another in your mouth, and even in your lungs. Each has its own community and purpose. However, in this article, we’re focusing on your gut microbiome, the one that primarily resides in your intestines. This is the hub that communicates with nearly every system in your body, including your brain, immune system, and metabolism.

Together, your gut microbiome and microbiota govern your inner city, producing nutrients, protecting your barriers, managing resources, and maintaining harmony among neighborhoods.

The Four Highways of Health: How Tryptophan and Your Gut Shape Your Well-Being

If the gut is a city, tryptophan is one of its most valuable raw materials. It’s an amino acid found in foods like eggs, turkey, salmon, and chickpeas, and it helps create important compounds that affect your mood, sleep, and immune system.

Inside your gut city, tryptophan travels down four main “highways.” Each one leads to a different destination, but together, they shape your health from digestion to mood:

1. The Serotonin Highway: This is the route that triggers the feel-good sensation. It helps your gut produce serotonin, the chemical that supports digestion, improves mood, and regulates sleep.
2. The Kynurenine (KYN) Highway: This is the stress route. When your immune system is under strain, more tryptophan takes this detour, leading to inflammation, fatigue, or brain fog.
3. The Indole Highway: This is the gut health route, where tryptophan is turned into protective compounds like indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), which helps maintain your intestinal barrier and immune balance.
4. The Gut–Brain Highway: This is the communication superhighway. Signals constantly travel between your gut and brain, influencing mood, focus, motivation, and even decision-making.

When all four highways are flowing smoothly, your gut city runs like a well-managed operation. But if too much traffic gets stuck on the stress route, or communication breaks down between the gut and brain, your whole system can slow down.

The Four Highways of Health

Why This Test Is So Different

Most gut tests are like taking a census of your gut city, they count how many citizens (microbes) are living there and may even sort them into categories or “neighborhoods.” You’ll see names like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus; these are examples of microbes, the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut and help keep things running smoothly, much like how a census might sort people into groups such as Black, Asian, Hispanic, or Caucasian.

While that’s interesting, it doesn’t tell you whether the city is actually functioning well. Are the citizens working together? Are they keeping the streets clean and the energy grid running? Or are they struggling to cooperate, creating traffic jams and chaos?

That’s where the Gut Health Test stands apart. Instead of looking at who’s living in your gut, it looks at what they’re doing and how well they’re communicating.

It’s not about taking attendance. It’s about measuring function, and that’s where the real story of health begins.

How the Gut Health Test Works

The Gut Health Test measures five key indicators that provide a full snapshot of your internal balance:

1. Gut Health Index: A summary score showing how well your gut, metabolism, and immune systems are working together.
2. IPA Level: Shows how much of the beneficial compound indole-3-propionic acid your gut bacteria are producing.
3. Microbiome Immune Support: Reveals whether your gut is sending “calm” or “stress” signals through compounds like kynurenine.
4. Gut Microbiome Efficiency: Indicates how effectively your gut converts tryptophan into health-promoting compounds.
5. Immune Stress Indicator: Detects whether your immune system is balanced or under chronic strain.

It’s a window into your body’s inner ecosystem, and the best part is, it requires only a simple dried blood spot, not a stool sample.

What Is a Dried Blood Spot, and Why Does It Matter

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Gut Health Test is its simplicity. Instead of using a stool sample or visiting a lab for a blood draw, you just collect a few drops of blood from your fingertip using a small lancet (like a glucose test for diabetics). Those drops are placed on a special collection card and allowed to dry; this is what’s called a dried blood spot (DBS).

Once your sample dries, it’s mailed to Vitas Analytical Services, a third-party laboratory based in Norway that specializes in scientifically validated testing methods. Vitas is a global leader in DBS analysis, with over two decades of experience in clinical and nutritional biomarker testing.

Because Vitas is independent, not affiliated with any product or supplement company, you can trust that your results are completely objective and unbiased. Their methods are certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the world’s most recognized authority on testing and quality control, and are utilized in medical research worldwide, ensuring the highest levels of accuracy and reliability.

In short, the Gut Health Test doesn’t just give you results; it gives you verified science you can trust.

The Gut–Brain Connection: Where Mental Health Begins

The connection between your gut and your brain is so strong that scientists now call the gut the “second brain.” But in truth, it might deserve to be called the first.

When your gut microbes are healthy and producing the right balance of tryptophan metabolites, your body creates more serotonin, the same chemical that improves mood and emotional stability. A balanced gut also sends “feel-good” signals to your brain, supporting focus, motivation, and restful sleep.

On the flip side, when your “gut city” is struggling, when stress, poor diet, or inflammation take over, your brain feels it too. That’s why issues like anxiety, depression, fatigue, and brain fog often have roots in poor gut health.

Taking care of your gut isn’t just about digestion; it’s about emotional resilience, mental clarity, and overall balance.

How to Support Your Gut City

• Feed your citizens right. Eat tryptophan-rich foods (such as eggs, turkey, salmon, and chickpeas) with carbs like rice or oats.
• Add fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, or yogurt to boost communication among your microbial neighborhoods.
• Reduce processed seed oils and excess sugar, as they can disrupt the microbial balance.
• Manage stress, since chronic stress diverts tryptophan away from the healthy serotonin and indole pathways.
• Stay consistent. Rebuilding a strong “gut city” takes time, but your body responds quickly when given the right support.

Ready to Get Your Gut City in Balance?

To learn more about the Gut Health Test or to purchase it, contact the person who shared this article, email me at robert@dietfreelife.com, or call 805-906-1470 to schedule a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I get the test, what will it tell me?
   It reveals how your gut, metabolism, and immune systems are functioning together, showing whether your body is in balance or experiencing stress or inflammation.
2. Does the test tell me what to do?
   Yes, once you receive your results, you’ll receive clear guidance on how to improve your balance, along with personalized nutrition and supplement recommendations tailored to your unique gut chemistry.
3. When should I test again?
   It’s recommended to retest after three months. That’s enough time for your gut to adjust and for you to see measurable improvements in your internal balance.
4. What if I feel fine? Should I still test?
   Absolutely. Many people with early signs of imbalance do not yet have noticeable symptoms. This test helps you stay ahead of potential problems before they appear.
5. Why does gut health affect mood and focus?
   Because about 90–95% of serotonin, your “feel-good” chemical, is made in the gut. When your gut microbes are in balance, your body produces the right amount of serotonin, which naturally supports mood, focus, sleep, and energy.

Final Thought

Just like a city needs good planning and cooperation to thrive, your gut needs balance to keep your body and mind working at their best. The Gut Health Test is like your personal city inspection, simple, precise, and powerful. It helps you identify which systems need support, so you can create a thriving, healthy gut, which is the foundation of whole-body health.

References

1. 1. Arseneault-Bréard, J., Rondeau, I., Gilbert, K., Girard, S. A., Tompkins, T. A., Godbout, R., & Rousseau, G. (2012). Combination of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 reduces post-myocardial infarction depression symptoms and restores intestinal permeability in a rat model. British Journal of Nutrition, 107(12), 1793–1799. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114511005137
   2. Clarke, G., Stilling, R. M., Kennedy, P. J., Stanton, C., Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G. (2014). Minireview: Gut microbiota: The neglected endocrine organ. Molecular Endocrinology, 28(8), 1221–1238. https://doi.org/10.1210/me.2014-1108
   3. Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G. (2012). Mind-altering microorganisms: The impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(10), 701–712. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3346
   4. Dodd, D., Spitzer, M. H., Van Treuren, W., Merrill, B. D., Hryckowian, A. J., Higginbottom, S. K., … & Sonnenburg, J. L. (2017). A gut bacterial pathway metabolizes aromatic amino acids into nine circulating metabolites. Nature, 551(7682), 648–652. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24661
   5. Huang, T., Xu, Y., & Cai, Z. (2019). The role of indole-3-propionic acid in regulating gut–brain axis in health and disease. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, 293. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00293
   6. Jenkins, T. A., Nguyen, J. C., Polglaze, K. E., & Bertrand, P. P. (2016). Influence of tryptophan and serotonin on mood and cognition with a possible role of the gut-brain axis. Nutrients, 8(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8010056
   7. Mei, J. V., Zobel, S. D., Hall, E. M., De Jesús, V. R., & Adam, B. W. (2019). Performance properties of dried blood spot materials for newborn screening assays. Clinica Chimica Acta, 493, 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2019.02.004
   8. Reigstad, C. S., Salmonson, C. E., Rainey, J. F., Szurszewski, J. H., Linden, D. R., Sonnenburg, J. L., … & Kashyap, P. C. (2015). Gut microbes promote colonic serotonin production through an effect of short-chain fatty acids on enterochromaffin cells. Cell, 161(2), 264–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.047
   9. Valles-Colomer, M., Falony, G., Darzi, Y., Tigchelaar, E. F., Wang, J., Tito, R. Y., … & Raes, J. (2019). The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology, 4(4), 623–632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0337-x
   10. Vitas Analytical Services. (2024). Scientific validation of dried blood spot analysis and biomarker precision for clinical nutrition research. Retrieved from https://www.vitas.no

 ________
Robert Ferguson is a California- and Florida-based single father of two daughters, clinical nutritionist, Omega Balancing Coach™, researcher, best-selling author, speaker, podcast and television host, health advisor, NAACP Image Award Nominee, creator of the Diet Free Life methodology, and Chief Nutrition Officer for iCoura Health. He also serves on the Presidential Task Force on Obesity for the National Medical Association and the Health and Product Advisory Board for Zinzino, Inc.

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