Gut health, diet and appropriate supplements can deliver fast results

The right changes can yield fast results in gut health (and the myriad of health benefits that improving gut health delivers).

Gut microbiome testing is showing far more accurate information than ever before, enabling health professionals to help their patients – both with dietary changes AND the use of the right prebiotics, supplements and probiotics.

This recent (2025) ABC radio discussion outlines the most up to date understandings and nuances of the microbiome space.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/understand-your-microbiome/105871678

When exploring gut issues, I often suggest that patients access this stool test to help direct us with more specific solutions. This test also helps me understand the degree of compromise or imbalance in your gut microbiome. A new feature is an assessment of oral derived microbe species found in the stool – which actually come from your saliva – so we get more of a whole-body view.

This testing reveals the DNA of a whole range of gut microbes, like bacteria, fungi, parasites and archaea. The numbers and types of these organisms can gives us clues as to the degree of gut/systemic inflammation, gut lining integrity and mucous protection, any outright pathogenic species and what protective or adverse metabolites of these organisms are being produced in your body. The number of species (diversity) and the variety of types (richness) gives an overall indicator of your general gut health.

We use this information to use particular foods or supplements to enhance the ‘good’ bugs and minimize the ‘offensive’ or ‘ excess’ other bugs. If there are particularly toxic bugs uncovered, a different approach is taken. Naturopathically speaking, we aim to help the body to do it’s best to get back to balance or dynamic homoeostasis.

Within 2 to 4 weeks of purely dietary changes, the gut microbiome has been shown to alter for the good. It may take a bit longer for you to actually feel a lot better. It depends on the degree of damage and your internal vitality for repair responses…

Get in touch with your trusted Naturopath to see if it’s worthwhile you exploring this great tool. It’s not appropriate for everyone, but can certainly help shed light on a range of subtle gut issues.