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Persistent digestive symptoms don't always have a simple explanation. When bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, or recurring gut concerns continue despite treatment, a GI-MAP® stool test can provide a more detailed look at your gut microbiome, digestive function, inflammation, and potential pathogens.
Completed from the comfort of home, the GI-MAP uses DNA technology to identify bacteria, parasites, yeast, and other microorganisms that may be contributing to symptoms, while also measuring markers of digestion, immune function, and gut health.
GI-MAP is a comprehensive DNA-based stool test that analyzes microorganisms living in your digestive tract.
Unlike traditional culture methods, which rely on organisms growing in a laboratory, the GI-MAP detects microbial DNA. This allows it to identify and measure a wide range of beneficial bacteria, opportunistic organisms, parasites, fungi, and H. pylori, while also assessing important markers of digestive function and gut inflammation. Everything is completed using a single stool sample collected at home.
The GI-MAP looks at more than just your microbiome. Depending on the panel ordered, it can assess:
Looking at these markers together provides a more complete picture of how your gut is functioning—not just which microbes are present.
The biggest difference is the technology. The GI-MAP uses DNA (PCR) analysis to detect microorganisms rather than relying on culture techniques alone. It also combines microbiome information with markers of digestion, inflammation, and immune function, helping us understand not only what's living in your gut, but how your digestive system is functioning. Not everyone needs this level of testing, but for persistent digestive symptoms or specific clinical questions, it can provide valuable information that helps guide care.
GI-MAP testing is most useful when we're investigating ongoing digestive symptoms, recurrent gut infections, suspected pathogens, or questions about digestive function and gut inflammation. We'll recommend the test that's most likely to answer your clinical questions and support your health goals.
Sources: CDHF (2025); NCCID Canada (2024); GI Society (2026). Human Microbiome Project; NIH
The report is only the beginning. We review your results alongside your symptoms, medical history, diet, and goals to identify the findings that are most clinically meaningful. Depending on what your testing shows, your plan may include nutrition and lifestyle strategies, targeted supplementation, digestive support, treatment directed at specific organisms when appropriate, or recommendations to support your gut lining and microbiome.
Follow-up testing may be recommended when it helps monitor progress or reassess important findings. The goal isn't simply to collect more data, it’s to use the results to create a practical, personalized plan that helps you move forward.
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