Instructions
Gut flora microbiome test: instructions for collecting your stool sample at home
You collect the stool sample at home, fill one or two tubes depending on the test, and take them to the post office the same day. A specialist laboratory in Germany analyzes the sample within 8 to 10 business days of receiving it. You can download your report as a PDF from the customer portal.
- One or two tubes, depending on the test
- Store in a cool place, do not freeze
- Shipping Monday to Thursday
In advance
What should you keep in mind before the microbiome test?
Read the instructions all the way through before you begin. The lab can only analyze the sample if you follow all the steps. Activate your test at mylab.mybody-x.com using the test kit code.
- Collect the stool sample immediately after a bowel movement, not during menstruation.
- Make sure no urine or water comes into contact with the sample.
- Store the sample in the refrigerator at 2 to 8 °C until shipping. Do not freeze it.
- The stabilizer in the tube is corrosive. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. If contact occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
- Keep the material out of reach of children.
- Use each sample tube only once.
- It’s best to take the sample to the post office that same day.
- The sample must arrive at the laboratory within five weeks of collection.
Step by step
How do you collect the stool sample for the intestinal test?
In four steps: prepare, fill one or two tubes depending on the test, and send them in.
Have these items ready:
- 1 stool catcher
- the stool sample tube with the brown cap (MIKROBIOM Complete only)
- the microbiome sample tube with the white cap (MIKROBIOM Complete, Essential, and Kids)
- one shipping container for each tube
- the plastic bag and the pre-addressed envelope
For a flat-bottom toilet, remove any toilet fresheners, flush once, and place toilet paper in the bowl so the stool does not fall into the water. For a siphon toilet, attach the stool catcher to the back of the seat so it does not come into contact with water or urine.
- Carefully open the tube.
- Use the spoon in the lid to collect small amounts of the sample from five to six spots, at the beginning, middle, and end.
- Fill the tube to the marked fill line, about halfway, and close it securely.
- Write your name and the collection date on the label.
- Place the tube in the shipping container with the brown lid and close it.
- Refrigerate until shipping, at 2 to 8 °C. Do not freeze.
- Label the kit with your name and the date.
- Turn the white sampling stick counterclockwise and carefully pull it out.
- Use the tip to collect a sample from three spots. Only the grooves should be fully covered.
- Wipe excess material off on the blue adapter, put the stick back, and turn the cap clockwise until it clicks into place.
- Place the tube in the shipping container with the white lid and seal it.
- Store this tube in a cool place as well, and do not freeze it.
- Place the shipping containers in the plastic bag and put the bag in the pre-addressed envelope. Peel off the protective strip from the adhesive and seal it carefully.
- Activate your test at mylab.mybody-x.com using the test kit code, if you haven’t already.
- Affix postage to the envelope and drop it off at the post office the same day as a “sampler” with a tracking number. Don’t send it before a public holiday or the weekend; Monday through Thursday is best.
- Send us the tracking number and shipping date via WhatsApp or email.
- From Switzerland, drop off the envelope at the counter of a Swiss Post branch. It needs a customs declaration, the green “duty-free” sticker.
Done
When will you get your result?
Usually 8 to 10 business days after your sample arrives at the lab. You’ll then receive an email and can download your report as a PDF from the customer portal. The report is not a substitute for a medical examination; it prepares you for a conversation with your doctor.
How does a microbiome test work?
At home, you collect a small stool sample and send it to the lab. The lab sequences the bacteria’s DNA, capturing species that cannot be cultured as well.
How can I get my microbiome tested?
With an at-home test kit: Activate the test at mylab.mybody-x.com, collect a stool sample, fill one or two tubes depending on the test, and take them to the post office between Monday and Thursday. The lab needs 8 to 10 business days after receiving it.
Which tubes are included in my gut test?
That depends on the test. MIKROBIOM Complete includes both: the stool sample tube with a brown cap and the microbiome sample tube with a white cap. Essential and Children’s tests include only the microbiome sample tube.
What exactly does the microbiome analysis show?
Depending on the test, the composition of your gut flora, the intestinal environment, and fungal colonization. MIKROBIOM Complete detects over 1,500 bacterial species and also determines the FODMAP index, enterotype, and zonulin. This is not a diagnosis.
Can I collect the stool sample during my period?
No. Take the sample outside of your menstrual period, and make sure no urine or water gets on it.
How should I store the stool sample until it is shipped?
In the refrigerator at 2 to 8 °C, not in the freezer. It’s best to take them to the post office the same day, or by the following day at the latest.
How often should I test my gut microbiome?
The gut flora changes over weeks. It makes sense to take a gut test every 6 to 12 months.
Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases. The content is for general information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Contact
Do you have questions about our tests?
Send us a message, and we’ll get back to you shortly. Or book a free appointment for a personal consultation.
- support@mybody-x.com
- +49 152 0880 7921Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Consultation
- Book a free appointmentPersonalized for the right test
How do you test your microbiome at home with the gut flora microbiome test?
Gut flora microbiome test instructions: How can you avoid mistakes when collecting a stool sample?
Collect the sample right after a bowel movement and outside your menstrual period, and keep it away from urine and water. Then refrigerate it; do not put it in the freezer.
For a flat-bottomed toilet, first remove any toilet bowl fresheners, flush once, and place toilet paper in the bowl. For a siphonic toilet, position the stool catcher at the back of the seat. You only need a small amount for the microbiome sample tube with the white cap: Use the tip of the collection stick to poke the sample in three places, covering only the grooves completely. Wipe off any excess on the blue adapter. Label each tube with your name and the date, and use it only once. The lab can analyze the sample only if you follow all the steps.
Microbiome Test Complete or Essential: Which tubes do you fill?
For the Complete Gut Microbiome Test, fill two tubes: the stool tube with the brown cap and the microbiome sample tube with the white cap. For the Essential Gut Flora Microbiome Test, you only need the tube with the white cap.
If you have the Essential, skip the step in the instructions involving the brown cap. The difference is in the scope; both use DNA sequencing. The Gut Microbiome Test | Complete detects over 1,500 bacterial species and measures additional indicators. The Gut Flora Microbiome Test | Essential shows the composition of your gut flora, the gut environment and its pH, and fungal colonization.
Microbiome testing: How long does it take from the test kit to the report?
Two separate timelines: According to the shipping policy, the test kit takes approximately 2 to 4 business days to arrive in Germany. After your stool sample arrives, the lab needs 8 to 10 business days.
For Austria and Switzerland, the shipping policy estimates approximately 4 to 7 business days for the kit. According to the instructions, the sample must arrive at the lab within five weeks of collection. Send it Monday through Thursday, not immediately before a public holiday or the weekend, as a “Sampler” with a tracking number. You pay the postage yourself. Send us the tracking number and shipping date by WhatsApp or email. Once the report is ready, you’ll receive an email and can download it as a PDF from the customer portal.
Microbiome analysis: What does the lab measure in your stool sample?
For the microbiome tests, a specialist laboratory in Germany sequences the DNA of the bacteria in your sample. This also detects species that cannot be grown on a culture medium.
This data creates a picture of your gut flora, your inner ecosystem: which bacteria are present and how they relate to one another, as well as the gut environment and fungal colonization, depending on the test. For the Complete, this covers more than 1,500 bacterial species. Gut flora changes over the course of weeks, unlike your DNA. A later follow-up test shows what has changed. You can find a comparison of all gut tests in the Gut tests category.
Understanding the gut flora: What can’t a microbiome test tell you?
It is not a diagnostic test. It cannot detect inflammatory bowel disease, a tumor, an infection, or celiac disease.
A microbiome test describes the composition of your gut flora. A medical examination can determine whether an illness is causing your symptoms. If your symptoms are persistent or severe, you should consult a doctor, and your report can help you prepare for that discussion. What you can take away from it are pointers for everyday life, such as dietary suggestions—not treatment.
What happens to your stool sample after the microbiome test?
A specialized laboratory in Germany analyzes it as soon as you activate your test at mylab.mybody-x.com. We promise to destroy the stool sample two months after the analysis is complete.
What remains is your PDF report in the customer portal. It describes your gut flora at the time the sample was taken. Because it changes over the course of weeks, a second test later on provides a new snapshot that you can compare with the first. You can discuss any questions about your results in a free personal consultation. Book an appointment in the contact section of this page.