No, this is a gut-metabolic balance test. Traditional microbiome (stool) tests look at which bacteria live in your gut. Our Gut Health Test looks at what they’re actually doing – through signals measured in your blood. By combining these different signals, the test gives you a snapshot of whether your gut-metabolic system is leaning toward balance or toward stress. No messy stool collection needed, just a drop of blood from a simple finger prick, to give you a better understanding of how your gut and body function together as a response to your current diet and lifestyle.

Traditional stool tests tell you which microbes are present in your gut. But presence alone doesn’t reveal function. This test measures specific functional signals in your blood – focusing on a key metabolite your gut bacteria produce and how your body is processing tryptophan, an essential amino acid from food. Your gut isn’t just where you digest food, it’s a powerful control center that sends signals shaping your metabolism, mood, immune system, and more. The key to a higher quality of life lies in whether your gut microbiome breaks down what you eat into compounds that support your health. Revealing those signals in your blood will give you clues on what to eat and how to live to support a healthier, more resilient body from the inside out. Whether you’re at the start of your health journey or focused on prevention and optimization, this gut-metabolic balance test gives you a deeper view of what is happening beneath the surface.​

Stool tests can tell you which microbes are present in your gut, and that information is useful for research. But presence alone doesn’t reveal whether those microbes are active, what they are producing, or how your body is responding to them.

Our Gut Health Test goes a step further by measuring specific metabolites in your blood. This gives an indirect but meaningful picture of microbial activity (through IPA, produced by beneficial gut bacteria) and immune-linked tryptophan metabolism (through the KYN/TRP ratio). These markers are scientifically associated with gut microbial diversity, fiber intake, and immune stress and immune activation – aspects stool tests cannot capture on their own.

Your test results are presented as 5 clear, science-based markers, offering insights into how your gut microbes and your body are working together. Each marker focuses on different aspects of how your gut bacteria are processing health-supportive metabolites and whether your metabolism is trending towards balance and support, or towards immune stress responses. Your test results are always analyzed in strict confidentiality by Vitas AS, an independent chemical analysis laboratory, before being translated into a personalized test report. The information in your report is based on the information retrieved from a single drop of blood, measuring three metabolites (IPA, KYN, TRP) and their ratios (IPA/KYN, IPA/TRP, KYN/TRP). You can use these insights as your guide to create a personalized diet and supplement routine that supports your gut, metabolic balance, and overall health from the inside out.

Yes. All samples are analyzed by Vitas AS, an independent chemical analysis laboratory and world leader in dried blood spot testing. The analytical method is based on recognized technology, and a formal validation study has confirmed its accuracy and reliability.

You take the test in the comfort of your home. No messy stool collection, just a drop of blood from a simple finger prick. It only takes a few minutes, and your results are ready at zinzinotest.com in no more than three weeks. The metabolites measured vary depending on dietary intake throughout the day. To optimize your results, you should take this test on an empty stomach in the morning after a water-only overnight fast of at least 10 hours.

The state of our gut health is dynamic. Any changes in our lifestyle, diet or daily routines affect how we respond to food and our nutritional uptake. This test measures your tryptophan metabolism and gut microbiome, both of which are influenced by what you eat and how you live. The results from the first test give you a baseline measure of your current status. The second one tracks your progress, and we recommend allowing at least 120 days before retesting to see meaningful changes. To remind you when it’s time to retest, you’ll receive your second test separately after four months. This is a perfect interval to check your body’s response to any dietary or lifestyle changes, and take the opportunity to make more changes if your gut health hasn’t improved.

For the Gut Health Test, there is not enough scientific data to support child values, thus we mainly recommend the test to adults. The same metabolites are measured in both children and adults so there is no harm in testing a child, but the target values are based on scientific data mainly from adults. Children’s metabolism and gut microbiota are still developing, which means their levels may not be directly comparable to adult values. The test can still provide useful insights for children, but results should be interpreted with this in mind. Over time, as more data become available, specific reference values for different age groups may be established.

Your Gut Health Index gives you a snapshot of how your gut, immune and metabolic systems work together to support your body. This index is dynamic, and changes with your diet and lifestyle, and the overall physiological state of your body. By supporting your microbiome with prebiotics, fiber, and restorative nutrients, balancing fats, and managing stress, you create conditions that help your index move in a positive direction over time, which can help you improve your Gut Health Index.

These markers are influenced by many factors, including diet, lifestyle, genetics, and the overall physiological state of your body – so we cannot guarantee that your results will improve. What we can say is that certain choices are strongly linked to positive changes: increasing fiber intake (ZinoBiotic+), balancing fatty acids (BalanceOil+), and filling nutritional gaps with essential vitamins, minerals, and beta-glucans (Xtend/Xtend+). These supplements are designed to support, not replace, a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

For the best chance of improvement, we recommend focusing on a diverse, whole-food diet (whole grains, vegetables, leafy greens, legumes), including fermented foods (such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt with live cultures), polyphenol-rich plant foods and extra virgin olive oil, along with regular physical activity, stress management, quality sleep, and caring for your general health. Zinzino supplements are designed to support, not replace, these healthy choices, helping you cover nutritional gaps and reinforce what your body needs to thrive.

Yes. The test is based on established scientific evidence into tryptophan metabolism and its links with gut and metabolic health. The markers measured (IPA, KYN, TRP, and their ratios) are widely studied in peer-reviewed science as indicators of microbial activity, and immune-linked metabolism.

All analyses are performed by Vitas AS, an independent chemical analysis laboratory and world leader in dried blood spot (DBS) testing. The analytical method is validated, and the findings are supported by a growing body of international research into the role of these metabolites in gut health, immune regulation, and systemic balance.

Metabolic health is key to overall health. It refers to how efficiently your body turns food into energy and maintains balance across key functions like blood sugar regulation, fat metabolism, and energy use. When these processes work smoothly, they support steady energy, good recovery, and overall resilience. When they are out of balance, it can place extra strain on your body and affect how you feel every day. A high-fiber diet is the way in. A diverse and balanced gut with a mix of bacteria maintains a metabolic balance by keeping the good bacteria strong enough to digest the nutrients in food and turn food into energy more easily.​ When the systems are off, you might feel tired, gain weight easily, struggle with focus, or even put yourself at risk for chronic diseases.

Gut microbiome diversity refers to the variety of different microbes living in your gut. A diverse microbiome is generally considered a sign of gut health, because different microbes carry out different functions.​ You need a variety of prebiotic fibers to ensure that you feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. When we eat food rich in fiber from plants like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains, our gut bacteria break down fiber, and produce metabolites that can benefit gut, metabolic, and immune balance.

It describes what your gut bacteria are doing, how active they are, how they break down food, and what they are making as a result. If your gut is a factory, the microbial activity is what the workers (the bacteria) are doing on the job, whether they’re running smoothly, or causing trouble when things are out of balance.​ The Gut Health Test doesn’t measure everything your microbes do directly. Instead, it looks at key metabolites in your blood that reflect both microbial activity and your body’s responses. This gives you an indirect but meaningful picture of how diet, lifestyle, and your gut microbes are working together.