STAT January 2, 2024
The blue muffin challenge. Food sensitivity tests. Microbiome test kits.
Self-help gastrointestinal health is all the rage. Rightly so: One in four Americans is affected by digestive disorders. And we’re all eating worse, sleeping less, and experiencing more stress, leaving our guts feeling twisted.
Gastroenterologists like me often see patients who have spent hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in out-of-pocket costs on microbiome kits, food sensitivity tests, black mold testing, and more. While appealing, these “tests” rarely provide actionable advice and usually lead to more questions than answers. Even worse, they can lead to a sense of complacency or a missed diagnosis because a patient chose not to pursue professional support.
Consumer-based microbiome tests are a particular concern for me....
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