Gut-Immune health
The microbiome runs 70% of your immune system, shapes inflammation, mood, and metabolism. Read the ecosystem directly.
No charge. No card. No pressure.
Recognition
The read
The gut is an ecosystem. Trillions of bacteria, an intestinal barrier one cell thick, the immune cells lining it, and the vagus nerve connecting it to the brain. The bacteria are not passengers. They produce short-chain fatty acids that fuel your colon cells, they ferment fibers your enzymes cannot reach, and they communicate with your immune system in real time.
Microbial diversity first. Then the presence of keystone beneficial species (Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium) and any opportunistic overgrowth. Calprotectin and secretory IgA for inflammation and immune tone. Pancreatic elastase for digestion. Short-chain fatty acid production. Each one points to a different lever.
The markers
Microbial diversity
The single strongest predictor of resilience.
Keystone beneficial species
Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium presence.
Opportunistic overgrowth
Pathobionts that crowd the system.
Calprotectin
Inflammation, directly measured.
Secretory IgA
Immune tone at the mucosal barrier.
Pancreatic elastase
Digestive function upstream of absorption.
Short-chain fatty acid production
Whether the bacteria are doing their job.
The panel
The one panel I read for gut. Microbial diversity, digestion, absorption, inflammation, and pathogens in a single at-home collection. Read against optimal, not reference.
The member workup
Labs at vendor cost. Interpretation included in your membership. The Plan is built around the data. The retest closes the loop.
GI Effects vendor lab cost placeholder. Pending Dr. Tagge sign-off.
Standalone option
GI Effects as a one-time read. Lab cost plus an interpretation fee for a written read and a single review visit. Useful as a starting point. The deeper value is the retest that confirms your work landed.
Standalone interpretation fee placeholder. Pending Dr. Tagge sign-off.
Members-only vs. standalone availability pending Dr. Tagge confirmation.
Inside the Partnership
You baseline. You intervene. You retest at three to six months to confirm the diversity and the markers actually moved.
A single GI Effects with one review is the weakest version of that. The value compounds inside the membership, where the panel is read, the Plan is built, and the retest closes the loop.
Common questions
What stool test do you use?
Genova GI Effects is the panel I use most. It covers digestion, absorption, inflammation, microbial diversity, and pathogens in a single collection.
Do you treat SIBO?
Yes, when the data supports the diagnosis. SIBO is often a downstream symptom of a deeper motility, immune, or dietary issue, so I treat the cause as much as the colonization.
What about probiotics?
Targeted, sometimes. Generic high-count probiotics do less than people think. The right strain for your data, for a defined duration, with measurement before and after is the standard I work to.
Is this an at-home test?
Yes. A mailed stool collection kit, returned to the lab in a pre-paid container. The collection happens at home over a single morning.
How is this different from a food-sensitivity test?
It is not IgG food-sensitivity testing. I do not order or interpret IgG food panels. The GI Effects panel reads the ecosystem itself. Microbial diversity, digestion, inflammation, and pathogens. Not antibody patterns against food proteins.
Read the ecosystem. Move the markers. Confirm with a retest.
No charge. No card. No pressure.