Probiotics
It's advisable to pause any probiotic supplements at least 2 weeks prior to taking the gut health test. This ensures an accurate representation of your gut profile without any external influence from the probiotics.
If you’re planning to retest, the waiting period can be particularly helpful to ensure the probiotics don’t distort the results. Retests are commonly taken 3-4 months apart, which allows enough time for meaningful changes in your gut microbiome to be identified.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics can alter the landscape of your gut microbiome. If you are in the midst of a course of antibiotics, you have two options for proceeding with your ZOE test:
Blood sugar and blood fat results, however, remain unaffected regardless of whether you are currently on antibiotics.
Wait and Reassess: Give yourself three months after finishing the antibiotics before starting the test. This allows your gut time to return to its normal state, ensuring an authentic snapshot of your usual gut profile.
Test and Learn: Take the test while on antibiotics to explore how your gut profile adapts to the medication. This may offer a unique perspective on how your body reacts to these treatments.
Whatever path you choose is perfectly acceptable. If you'd like personalized guidance or have any questions, don't hesitate to connect with us through the chat feature in the app.
Omeprazole and Other Medications
If you are taking Omeprazole or similar medications, it’s recommended to wait three months before proceeding with the test. This ensures the most accurate representation of your gut microbiome.
Retesting Timelines and Kit Storage
Retesting is most effective when conducted approximately 3-4 months apart to reflect significant changes in your gut profile. There is an expiration date for your testing kit—store it safely until you are ready to proceed and ensure your kit is within it's expiration date before using it.