Method: Shotgun metagenomic sequencing (CLIA 21D2062464); not cleared or approved by the FDA. Results reflect relative microbial abundance for wellness education purposes. Not intended to diagnose or treat disease and not a substitute for clinical consultation. Microbial associations are based on emerging scientific research and may change over time. Derived from laboratory results. This score or index is not an FDA-cleared test. It aids clinician-directed assessment and is not a stand-alone diagnosis.
A derived biomarker is a value that is calculated from other directly measured biomarkers rather than being measured directly in the lab.
Key benefits of Indole-3-propionic acid testing
- Gut-produced neuroprotective metabolite capacity tracking
- tryptophan microbial metabolism assessment
What is Indole-3-propionic acid?
Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) is a microbiome-derived metabolite produced from tryptophan by specific gut bacteria. This metric estimates the gut microbiome's functional capacity to produce IPA from available genes. IPA has been studied for potential neuroprotective and gut-barrier supportive properties.
Why is Indole-3-propionic acid important?
IPA is one of the more researched gut-brain axis metabolites. It is produced from dietary tryptophan by bacteria including Clostridium sporogenes and related species. Higher IPA production capacity may reflect a microbiome ecosystem well-equipped to produce this potentially beneficial compound.
What insights will I get?
Your IPA production capacity may indicate how well your gut microbiome can convert dietary tryptophan into this metabolite. Low capacity may reflect reduced IPA-producing species or insufficient dietary tryptophan, with implications for gut barrier support and potential neurological metabolite production.





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