Microbiome report
Additional information
The microbial diversity describes the variety of your gut microbiome and is made up of species richness and species evenness. Diversity is the most important parameter for analysing the health of your gut microbiome. It measures how many different bacterial species (species richness) are present in the gut and how evenly they are distributed among the individual species (species evenness).
A bacterial community with high diversity therefore consists of many different species and the individuals are evenly distributed.
Diversity is calculated using the "Shannon-Index" - the number you see in the graphic. This index takes into account both species richness and evenness (the distribution of individuals among those species). The higher the value, the better!
Research shows that low diversity can be linked to various health problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases, among others.
Species richness: Indicates the number of different bacterial species in a stool sample. A high value indicates a high species richness.
Species evenness: Provides information on how balanced the frequency of the different types of bacteria is in your gut. A more even distribution helps to prevent the dominance of a few species, making the microbial community less susceptible to disturbances or adverse changes.
Additional information
Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in your gut microbiome, where potentially harmful bacteria outnumber beneficial ones. This imbalance can result from various factors, including an unbalanced diet high in ultra-processed foods, lifestyle habits such as chronic stress, lack of physical activity, or insufficient sleep, and the regular use of medication. Certain medical conditions, particularly inflammatory bowel disease, can also increase the risk of dysbiosis. The dysbiosis index quantifies the severity of this imbalance and can be useful for monitoring changes in the microbiome during treatments or dietary adjustments.