Yes, a single test is valuable as it provides a snapshot of your gut microbiome at the current point in time. While the microbiome can change very quickly, if diet, lifestyle, general health, supplements, medications and antibiotics exposure do not change then it is more likely to remain stable.
For those with all their individual sub-category test scores within the green (over 80% range), and no gastrointestinal complaints or other changing factors (such as those mentioned above), an annual or bi-annual test is likely sufficient.
For those with room for improvement we recommend retesting at least every 3 months in order to gauge whether the interventions you have chosen to implement are effective. Testing can be done more frequently, however it is best to allow the intervention sufficient time to have an effect before retesting to ensure the impact of the intervention is captured in the test. This period might be as little as 2 to 4 weeks depending on the intervention.
We would advise to perform a test as soon as possible if experiencing any of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks:
- Bloating and gas
- Constipation
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
Also note that when introducing new foods, fermented foods, prebiotic or probiotic supplements it is strongly advised to start slowly as a shift in your microbiome (even for the better) can result in excessive gas production in the short term.