Method: Shotgun metagenomic sequencing (CLIA 21D2062464); not cleared or approved by the FDA. Results reflect relative microbial abundance for wellness education purposes. Not intended to diagnose or treat disease and not a substitute for clinical consultation. Microbial associations are based on emerging scientific research and may change over time. Derived from laboratory results. This score or index is not an FDA-cleared test. It aids clinician-directed assessment and is not a stand-alone diagnosis.
A derived biomarker is a value that is calculated from other directly measured biomarkers rather than being measured directly in the lab.
Key benefits of Ammonia testing
- Gut ammonia production capacity tracking
- protein fermentation byproduct assessment
What is Ammonia?
This metric estimates your gut microbiome's capacity to produce ammonia - a byproduct of amino acid and protein fermentation by colonic bacteria. Derived from the abundance of deaminase and urease-encoding genes detected by shotgun sequencing.
Why is Ammonia important?
Gut-produced ammonia is absorbed and processed by the liver. Excess colonic ammonia production may contribute to nitrogen burden and, in the context of compromised liver function, to hepatic encephalopathy risk. In healthy individuals, monitoring ammonia production capacity may provide insight into protein fermentation balance.
What insights will I get?
Your gut ammonia production capacity may reflect the balance of proteolytic bacterial activity in your colon. Elevated capacity alongside high protein intake may inform dietary adjustments to reduce colonic protein fermentation and shift toward more carbohydrate fermentation.
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