Reading Your GI-MAP™ in Canada: Section-by-Section, Marker-by-Marker

How the GI-MAP™ Report Is Organized

The report runs top to bottom in rough order of clinical urgency, and most practitioners scan it in that same sequence. If you haven't seen one yet, open our sample report in another tab and follow along. (New to the test itself? Start with what the GI-MAP™ is.)

1. Pathogens. The opening section screens for bacterial, parasitic and viral pathogens. Because the GI-MAP™ uses quantitative PCR (qPCR), a detection comes with an amount — how much of that organism's DNA was found — rather than a bare positive. A trace detection in someone symptom-free reads very differently from high abundance in someone acutely unwell, which is the first of many places practitioner context earns its keep.

2. H. pylori and virulence factors. The report quantifies H. pylori and flags virulence genes that speak to how aggressive a given strain may be. This section is deep enough that we gave it its own article — see the H. pylori guide — and if H. pylori is your only question, the standalone H. Pylori Profile ($299.99 CAD) covers it without the full panel.

3. Commensal and keystone bacteria. The residents you want, measured against expected ranges. Low diversity or depleted keystone species is where a lot of quiet dysfunction shows up; low Akkermansia gets its own section further down this page.

4. Opportunistic flora. Organisms that live in healthy guts at low levels but are associated with symptoms when they overgrow. Detections here are rarely alarming on their own — abundance and symptoms decide whether anything needs doing.

5. Fungi, parasites and viruses. Candida and other fungi, plus qPCR parasite targets. If parasites are your main worry, read our honest companion piece on parasite testing in Canada before assuming the worst.

6. Intestinal health markers. The function panel: calprotectin, secretory IgA, anti-gliadin IgA, pancreatic elastase-1, steatocrit, beta-glucuronidase and occult blood, with zonulin available as an add-on. This is the section people struggle with most, so the rest of this guide walks it marker by marker.

The Intestinal Health Markers, One by One

A reminder that repeats on purpose: "high" and "low" flags are conversation starters. The 85+ markers on this test were designed to be interpreted together, by a practitioner, against your history — not read line-by-line as verdicts.

Calprotectin — what a high result is associated with

Calprotectin is a protein released by immune cells in the gut wall, so elevated fecal calprotectin is associated with inflammation of the intestinal lining. Conventional gastroenterology uses the same marker to help distinguish inflammatory conditions (such as IBD) from functional ones (such as IBS). Mild elevations can accompany infections, recent NSAID use or a generally irritated gut. Markedly elevated results — labs commonly flag the range above roughly 250 µg/g — are the clearest "book a physician visit" signal on the whole report. Your provider interprets the number against your symptoms; a high calprotectin is a reason to involve a GI physician, never a substitute for one.

Secretory IgA — high and low point different directions

Secretory IgA (sIgA) is the antibody your gut lining secretes as its first line of defense. A high result is associated with an actively provoked mucosal immune system — something (an infection, a food protein, an irritant) currently has its attention. A low result is associated with a depleted defense; practitioners often see it after long-running infections, chronic stress or prolonged irritation. Neither direction names the trigger. That is what the rest of the report, and the person interpreting it with you, are for.

Should you avoid NSAIDs before collecting your sample?

Yes — that is standard prep guidance for this panel. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can irritate the intestinal lining, which can push inflammation-sensitive markers — calprotectin and occult blood especially — upward and muddy your baseline. Follow the prep instructions included with your kit, and one non-negotiable caveat: if a physician has prescribed an NSAID or any other medication, ask them before pausing anything. Details on collection and shipping are on how it works.

Pancreatic elastase-1 — what a low result is associated with

Elastase-1 is an enzyme the pancreas releases for digestion, and a low fecal value is associated with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency — the pancreas under-producing digestive enzymes, which shows up as bloating, poorly formed stools and undigested food. Practitioners read it alongside steatocrit (fat in the stool) for a fuller digestion picture. One honest technical note: very watery samples can artificially lower the value. A clearly low elastase-1, especially with weight loss or oily stools, is worth physician follow-up.

Beta-glucuronidase — high and low

This bacterial enzyme is one reason gut and hormone conversations overlap. A high result is associated with certain bacterial overgrowth patterns and is often discussed in relation to estrogen recirculation, because the enzyme can unpackage estrogens the liver had prepared for excretion. A low result is associated with reduced microbial activity or diversity. In both directions, practitioners read it against the commensal section rather than in isolation — the same number means different things in different microbial contexts.

Zonulin — the add-on gut-barrier marker

Zonulin is measured on the GI-MAP™ + Zonulin panel ($869.99 CAD) rather than the standard report. A high result is associated with increased intestinal permeability — the "leaky gut" conversation — because zonulin helps regulate the tight junctions between intestinal cells. It remains a research marker rather than a diagnostic one, and an honest practitioner will treat it as one data point among several. If barrier symptoms are why you're testing, our piece on signs of leaky gut covers the fuller picture.

Anti-gliadin IgA — high means reactivity, not celiac

A high fecal anti-gliadin IgA is associated with an immune response to gliadin — a gluten protein — at the gut lining. Two cautions we repeat with every client. First, this is not a celiac test: celiac disease is diagnosed through physician-ordered blood serology and biopsy, and you must still be eating gluten for those tests to be valid (Mayo Clinic explains why). Second, a normal result doesn't rule gluten out — especially if you had already removed it from your diet before sampling.

Low Akkermansia — and the Questions People Actually Ask

Akkermansia muciniphila lives in and feeds on the gut's mucin layer, so a low result on the commensal section is associated with a thinner protective mucus lining and is a common finding in people with barrier-related complaints. On how to increase it: the levers with the most research behind them are dietary — fermentable fibre and polyphenol-rich foods (berries, green tea and similar) are associated with higher Akkermansia abundance, though the evidence is still evolving and results vary person to person.

And a clarification for anyone who searched "Akkermansia side effects": that question is almost always about Akkermansia probiotic supplements, a separate product category with its own evidence base and tolerability questions. A stool test can tell you your abundance is low; it cannot tell you whether a supplement is right for you or how you would tolerate one. That is a practitioner conversation — and often diet gets tried first.

Pairing Gut and Hormone Testing

For the many people who ask: practitioners frequently pair the GI-MAP™ with the DUTCH™ hormone test (available to Canadians at dutchtestcanada.com) for a two-lens gut-plus-hormone picture, with beta-glucuronidase often serving as the bridge marker between the two.

What This Guide Is — and Isn't

This page is orientation, not diagnosis. The GI-MAP™ does not diagnose disease, and no web page replaces a practitioner sitting with your full report and history. What we can promise Canadians is the practical part: transparent CAD pricing ($769.99 Standard, $869.99 with Zonulin, $299.99 H. Pylori Profile — full cost breakdown), free two-way Canada Post shipping, results about 7–9 business days after the lab receives your sample, and HSA eligibility. If a marker on your report worries you — calprotectin and occult blood above all — bring it to a physician promptly. More questions are answered in our FAQ.