Gastrointestinal Health
Clinical Testing Guide
Uncovering powerful insights — helping clinicians match the dominant presentation to the most relevant testing lens.
How Testing from Mosaic Diagnostics
Supports Clinical Insight
Why We Need to Look Deeper
Gastrointestinal complaints often reflect overlapping biologic patterns rather than a single clear starting point or one single symptom. An integrated testing overview may help clinicians match the dominant presentation to the most relevant testing lens — whether the question is primarily microbial/dysbiosis-related, food-antigen-related, mold/toxicant-related, or metabolic — while keeping interpretation grounded in the broader clinical picture rather than any one result alone.
Explore Testing Lenses
When Might Providers Consider Additional Functional Testing?
Examples of patient presentations may include:
Bloating, gas, or abdominal distension
Altered bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or mixed patterns)
Abdominal pain or visceral hypersensitivity
Nausea, vomiting, or early satiety
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Functional dyspepsia & upper-GI symptoms
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis)
Food sensitivities & non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity
Candida & fungal GI dysbiosis
Celiac disease & malabsorption syndromes
GI symptoms with overlapping fatigue, brain fog, headaches, skin, or mood changes
Individual results may vary.
A structured approach to targeted testing
Match the dominant presentation to the most relevant testing lens — then explore the exact panels that answer the clinical question.
Exposure Oriented
Connection
Concerns about toxins from mold, chemicals, heavy metals, or pesticides
DIG DEEPER
Environmental toxicant exposure — including mold-derived mycotoxins, plasticizers, pesticides, and heavy metals — has been linked to gut microbiota disruption and intestinal barrier dysfunction relevant to dysbiosis-pattern GI symptoms.
Recommended Tests
WHEN TO TEST
- History of water-damaged building or known mold/chemical exposure
- Dysbiosis-pattern GI symptoms unresponsive to standard microbiome- or diet-focused treatment
- GI symptoms co-occurring with fatigue, headache, or other systemic complaints
Metabolic Connection
Energy, nutrients & oxidative stress concerns
DIG DEEPER
OAT captures bacterial, fungal, and Clostridia-driven microbial byproducts alongside mitochondrial, nutrient, and toxin-related markers relevant to GI symptom patterns.
Recommended Tests
WHEN TO TEST
- GI symptoms suggestive of bacterial or fungal overgrowth (bloating, gas, altered bowel habits)
- Nutrient insufficiency or malabsorption
- suspected alongside GI complaints
- GI complaints co-occurring with fatigue,
- cognitive changes, or mood symptoms
Gut-Brain Connection
GI issues, microbiome disruption & gut-immune connection
DIG DEEPER
Gut microbiome composition, dysbiosis, pathogen burden, and intestinal inflammation markers directly reflect the gut-immune signaling implicated in IBS, IBD, and functional GI symptom patterns.
Recommended Tests
WHEN TO TEST
- History of significant antibiotic use, recurrent GI illness, or an IBD-type presentation
- GI symptoms accompanied by systemic
- inflammatory or immune-related complaints
Food-Related
Connection
Symptoms linked to meals, specific foods, or food sensitivities
DIG DEEPER
Delayed IgG-mediated food reactivity, along with Candida and yeast sensitivity, may drive GI inflammation, intestinal permeability and symptom flares tied to specific foods or meals.
Recommended Tests
WHEN TO TEST
- GI symptoms reliably follow specific meals or occur hours to days after eating
- Suspected non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity or Candida-related dysbiosis
- Patient reports symptom improvement with elimination or restricted diets
Case Study: From puzzling symptoms to a clear path
The Challenge
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Bloating
- Leaky Gut
- Stomach Discomfort
Donna did not feel like herself and was struggling to function day to day
The Breakthrough
MosaicDX testing revealed:
- Candida and Clostridia Overgrowth
- Mold Exposure
- Oxalates and Glutathione imbalance
The Transformation
After targeted treatment:
- Digestive symptoms resolved
Sleep improved & mood stabilized - Energy & daily
- function restored
Ann-Marie Barter,
DC
“She is back to a normal symptom-free existence. She now hikes daily, lifts weights, spends time with her grandbabies, and she is very pleased with the treatment.”
*Results shared by treating clinician. Individual outcomes may vary.
This webpage is intended for licensed healthcare professionals and is for informational and educational purposes only. The test results are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. All clinical interpretation should be done by a qualified healthcare professional in the context of the individual patient. Statements regarding associations between health symptoms and conditions do not constitute diagnostic claims.
References
- Shaikh SD, Sun N, Canakis A, Park WY, Weber HC. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Gut Microbiome: A Comprehensive Review. J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2558.
- Rao SSC, Rehman A, Yu S, Martinez de Andino N. Brain fogginess, gas and bloating: a link between SIBO, probiotics and metabolic acidosis. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2018;9(6):162.
- Michielan A, D’Incà R. Intestinal Permeability in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Pathogenesis, Clinical Evaluation, and Therapy of Leaky Gut. Mediators Inflamm. 2015;2015:628157.
- Zhang X, Chen L, Zhang T, et al. Duodenal microbiota dysbiosis in functional dyspepsia and its potential role of the duodenal microbiota in gut-brain axis interaction: a systematic review. Front Microbiol. 2024;15:1409280.
- Atkinson W, Sheldon TA, Shaath N, Whorwell PJ. Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Gut. 2004;53(10):1459-1464.
- Uhde M, Caio G, De Giorgio R, Green PH, Volta U, Alaedini A. Subclass profile of IgG antibody response to gluten differentiates non-celiac gluten sensitivity from celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2020;159(5):1965-1967.
- Christensson B, Sigmundsdottir G, Larsson L. D-arabinitol—a marker for invasive candidiasis. Med Mycol. 1999;37(6):391-396.
- Liew WP, Mohd-Redzwan S. Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018;8:60.
- Walsh L, Hill C, Ross RP. Impact of glyphosate (Roundup™) on the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2023;15(2):2263935.
- Ghosh S, Nukavarapu SP, Jala VR. Effects of heavy metals on gut barrier integrity and gut microbiota. Microbiota Host. 2024;2:1.
Not sure which testing path fits your patient?
Our clinical team helps you choose the right panel and interpret results with confidence.