Ixcela Gut Health Test$499

Why is gut health so important?

The metabolites behind the most advanced gut health blood test

 
What is gut health?

Gut health is connected to all systems of your body. It plays a significant role in how you feel, sleep, and perform. Your gut is made up of body parts involved with food intake and output. Gut health refers to the state of your microbiome – the environment inside your intestine where good and bad bacteria live and interact. They process nutrients and produce compounds that your body needs for various systems. A good balance of the right bacteria leads to the absorption of useful byproducts into the bloodstream and decreased permeability of the gut. A poor balance of bacteria is called dysbiosis. This can lead to leaky gut, which is an increase in gut permeability. A poor balance of bacteria can result in the absorption of potentially harmful chemical compounds. Digestive diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO), celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease can be improved with a healthy gut microbiome. Emerging evidence has found that an unhealthy gut may be linked with migraines, chronic pain, inflammation, depressed mood, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia. Unhealthy food and beverages, as well as missing nutritious ingredients, can make your gut leaky, angry, and inflamed. Before you know it, your life ambitions and goals get delayed or even derailed by your body. Figuring out the root cause can be tricky. Traditional stool sample tests can be difficult to collect and only tell you what types of bacteria are leaving the gut in your stool. The Ixcela Gut Health Test goes beyond the standard by analyzing the interaction of your gut bacteria with your body. This test requires just a few drops of blood to detect the activity of your metabolites, which are chemicals produced in your gut.

 
What is a leaky gut?
 
Gut health + celiac disease
 
Recovery + celiac disease

Gut health is connected to all systems of your body. It plays a significant role in how you feel, sleep, and perform. Your gut is made up of body parts involved with food intake and output. Gut health refers to the state of your microbiome – the environment inside your intestine where good and bad bacteria live and interact. They process nutrients and produce compounds that your body needs for various systems. A good balance of the right bacteria leads to the absorption of useful byproducts into the bloodstream and decreased permeability of the gut. A poor balance of bacteria is called dysbiosis. This can lead to leaky gut, which is an increase in gut permeability. A poor balance of bacteria can result in the absorption of potentially harmful chemical compounds. Digestive diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO), celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease can be improved with a healthy gut microbiome. Emerging evidence has found that an unhealthy gut may be linked with migraines, chronic pain, inflammation, depressed mood, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia. Unhealthy food and beverages, as well as missing nutritious ingredients, can make your gut leaky, angry, and inflamed. Before you know it, your life ambitions and goals get delayed or even derailed by your body. Figuring out the root cause can be tricky. Traditional stool sample tests can be difficult to collect and only tell you what types of bacteria are leaving the gut in your stool. The Ixcela Gut Health Test goes beyond the standard by analyzing the interaction of your gut bacteria with your body. This test requires just a few drops of blood to detect the activity of your metabolites, which are chemicals produced in your gut.

Take this test if you...

Have celiac disease or carry the HLA gene for celiac disease
Have gut problems like bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, or acid reflux
Want to find out what to do to improve your gut health
Experience brain fog, trouble focusing or concentrating with everyday tasks
Want to improve emotional balance and mental health
Are looking to reduce instances of illness

How it works

Our 4 step process provides affordable, convenient, and highly accurate gut testing in the comfort of your home

1

Order online

Delivered to your doorstep with just a few clicks

2

Collect at home

Complete your test at home, and ship it using the prepaid envelope

3

Get secure results

Receive your confidential test results in about 10 days

4

Join a dietitian session

Join a group virtual review session with an Ixcela dietitian

The gut health test details

Know your gut microbiome with a simple blood test

Why test?
Easy collection
Secure results
Personalized recommendations

The Ixcela Gut Health Test looks at 11 metabolites that are extremely important to your health. The metabolites are grouped into five categories of health where they play a key role:

  • Gastrointestinal fitness
  • Immuno fitness
  • Emotional balance
  • Cognitive acuity
  • Energetic efficiency

Ixcela gut health test empowerdx-metabolite-chart, isolated, no background.png

TEDx Talks | Your Gut Microbiome

The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of | Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle Ph.D., the creator of the Ixcela Gut Health Test

Questions?

When will my kit be delivered?

Your order will be delivered with FedEx within 5 business days. At-home tests are shipped Monday – Friday. Make sure to order in advance to avoid possible shipping delays.

Does this test require fasting?

Fasting is not required for the Ixcela Gut Health Test. You should keep to your normal routine. In addition, you should avoid taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) for 72 hours prior to collecting your sample.

My test has arrived, what is my next step?

It's important to plan to collect your sample and ship it on the same day. Your kit will need to be registered on Ixcela's website at ixcela.com/register-edx to receive your result.

When will I receive my results?

You will receive results within 10 days of the lab receiving your sample. To avoid delays, be sure to follow the instructions included in the box to register your test kit and complete your health profile.

How long does my sample last after collection?

You should plan to ship your sample back the same day you collect it. Within 24 hours of sample collection, put your sample and information card into the provided FedEx 2-day shipping clinical pack and drop it off at your nearest FedEx location or FedEx Drop Box.

What should I do if there is an issue with my kit or I have a question about my result?

Please contact Ixcela directly by email or phone.

Email: support@ixcela.com Phone: +1 781-538-6614

Is this test available for all United States residents?

No, at this time the Ixcela Gut Health Test is unavailable for people living in New York or Maryland.

References
  1. Chyan, Yau-Jan, et al. “Potent Neuroprotective Properties against the Alzheimer β-Amyloid by an Endogenous Melatonin-Related Indole Structure, Indole-3-Propionic Acid.” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 274, no. 31, 1999, pp. 21937-21942. doi: 10.1074/jbc.274.31.21937. www.jbc.org/content/274/31/21937.
  2. Wikoff, William R., et al. “Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Large Effects of Gut Microflora on Mammalian Blood Metabolites.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 106, no. 10, 2009, pp. 3698-3703. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0812874106. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656143/.
  3. Kaufmann, Stefan H. E. “Indole Propionic Acid: a Small Molecule Links between Gut Microbiota and Tuberculosis.” Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, vol. 62, no. 5, 2018. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00389-18. aac.asm.org/content/62/5/e00389-18.
  4. Roager, Henrik M., et al. “Microbial Tryptophan Catabolites in Health and Disease.” Nature Communications, vol. 9, no. 3294, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05470-4.
  5. Davis, Ian and Liu, Aimin. “What Is the Tryptophan Kynurenine Pathway and Why Is It Important to Neurotherapy?” Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, vol. 15, no. 7, 2015, pp. 719-721. doi: 10.1586/14737175.2015.1049999. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4482796.
  6. Hinz, Marty, et al. “5-HTP Efficacy and Contraindications.” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, vol. 8, 2012, pp. 323-328. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S33259. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415362/.
  7. O’Mahony, S.M., et al. “Serotonin, Tryptophan Metabolism and the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis.” Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 277, 2015, pp. 32-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.027.
  8. Griffiths, William J., et al. “Tryptophan and Sleep in Young Adults.” Society for Psychophysiological Research, vol. 9, no. 3, 1972, pp. 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1972.tb03218.x.
  9. Frazer, Alan and Hensler, Julie G. “Serotonin Involvement in Physiological Function and Behavior.” Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular and Medical Aspects, 6th Edition, 1999, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27940/.
  10. Yano, Jessica M., et al. “Indigenous Bacteria from the Gut Microbiota Regulate Host Serotonin Biosynthesis.” Cell, vol. 161, no. 2, 2015, pp. 264-276. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.047. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393509/.
  11. Gardier, Alain. “Mechanism of Action of Antidepressant Drugs: Importance of Genetically Modified Mice in the Pharmacological in Vivo Approach.” Therapie, vol. 60, no. 5, 2005, pp. 469-476. https://doi.org/10.2515/therapie:2005067.

Free health quiz

Not sure what test you need? Take our brief health quiz to find out.

Gut health articles you'll love

Learn more about how celiac disease is related to your HLA genes and nutrient deficiencies.

Our customers love us

almost as much as we love them

I decided to try Ixcela because I was interested in gut health. I found out from the Ixcela results I had been ignoring foods that I needed to prioritize. The dietitian review was very helpful and the kit was easy to use. I liked that the recommendations were reasonable and are part of a holistic approach to health.

- Catherine

I decided to look into ways to understand my gut better and take steps to improve it. This is when I found Ixcela. They have actually found a way to quantify the performance of the gut in a simple numeric score. That is the kind of simplicity that I can follow easily.

- Greg

The most valuable part of Ixcela was realizing that small changes could have a big impact. I really liked the personalized approach of getting a real dietitian to explain the results. I recommend Ixcela because the transparency you get into your gut health is very impactful. Amazing product and service - life-changing!

- Elizabeth

I decided to try Ixcela because I was interested in gut health. I found out from the Ixcela results I had been ignoring foods that I needed to prioritize. The dietitian review was very helpful and the kit was easy to use. I liked that the recommendations were reasonable and are part of a holistic approach to health.

- Catherine

I decided to look into ways to understand my gut better and take steps to improve it. This is when I found Ixcela. They have actually found a way to quantify the performance of the gut in a simple numeric score. That is the kind of simplicity that I can follow easily.

- Greg

The most valuable part of Ixcela was realizing that small changes could have a big impact. I really liked the personalized approach of getting a real dietitian to explain the results. I recommend Ixcela because the transparency you get into your gut health is very impactful. Amazing product and service - life-changing!

- Elizabeth

Why empowerDX?

At home testing

We send accurate health tests to your door so you can get tested in the comfort of your home.

CLIA-certified laboratories

Get faster, accurate results from real labs and real experts, and get the best care possible right from home.

Secure results

Your health is your business – so our online portal delivers secure test results.

Convenient and easy collection

Get tested on your schedule, and use our step-by-step guide to collect your sample.

Eligible for HSA/FSA

All tests are eligible for HSA and FSA purchasing.

Cutting edge and evidence-based

We use the latest technologies to provide you with the health information you need.

How to collect

With a simple finger prick from home