Microbiome Test Interpretation Index

A structured reference for markers that appear on commercial gut and microbiome panels. Each row separates what is measured from what high or low values may indicate—and how much to trust the signal.

Marker interpretation table

Marker	What it measures	High value meaning	Low value meaning	Reliability	Notes
Akkermansia abundance	Relative proportion of A. muciniphila in detected bacteria	Associated with leaner metabolic profiles in some cohorts; not diagnostic	Reported in obesity/T2D studies; may be below detection on some assays	moderate	Example species-level marker; see species page for detail
Alpha diversity	Richness and evenness of microbial species in a sample	Often associated with more complex communities; context-dependent “health” meaning	May reflect reduced diversity; also normal in some individuals and after antibiotics	moderate	Depends on sequencing method, lab pipeline, and reference population
Calprotectin	Neutrophil protein in stool; marker of intestinal inflammation	Suggests active intestinal inflammation; may warrant clinical follow-up depending on level and symptoms	Less evidence of neutrophil-driven inflammation in stool sample	high	Validated clinical biomarker; not a direct microbiome measure
Zonulin	Protein linked to intestinal permeability in research literature	Some studies associate higher levels with increased gut permeability	Lower levels in some permeability-related research contexts	low–moderate	Assay standardization varies; interpret with caution