How To TRULY Know What's Going On In Your Gut

Moore explained that many people cycle through probiotics without seeing improvement because they never address the underlying 'anchoring elements.' He likened the situation to a boat with an anchor: to move it, you must first lift the anchor. The test looks at specific taxa and functions that pull the microbiome into a dysbiotic state. By targeting those with evidence-backed natural antimicrobials or binding agents like activated charcoal, you create vacancies. Only after those niches open can probiotic strains effectively engraft. Fasting, when used appropriately, is another potent depopulation tool that he has published on. The appendix's role as a source of inoculum also means that individuals without an appendix may need a longer or more carefully managed repopulation phase. He stressed that these recommendations are personalized using metadata from an intake questionnaire.

During the probiotic panel discussion, Ben disclosed that he alternates between Seed and Just Thrive based on a theory that switching keeps the microbiome adaptable. When Moore pulled up the digital twin recommendations, one item surprised Ben: instead of alternating, the model recommended taking Just Thrive in the morning and Seed in the evening—stacking them within a single day. Moore explained the recommendation is derived from the digital twin's simulation of how the strains interact with Ben's unique community and dietary metadata. This is a concrete example of how a machine learning model can produce counterintuitive but actionable personalization that goes beyond standard advice.

While discussing Ben's nutrient generation panel, Moore noted that lactate levels were slightly low. He connected this to exercise physiology: traditionally, lactate was viewed as a dead-end waste product that caused muscle burn, but recent work shows it is shuttled to the liver for gluconeogenesis (Cori cycle). Moore added a novel twist: lactate can also cross from the bloodstream into the gut lumen, where specific bacteria can ferment it into other metabolites, effectively repurposing it. This means intense exercise might feed the gut microbiome, creating a second mechanism for lactate clearance beyond the liver. It also suggests that a low lactate production score in a highly active person like Ben could be influenced by this consumption, making the low score an interesting reflection of metabolic interplay rather than a deficiency.