Close-up of smooth sand patterns with water gently flowing over them.
Excellent 4.6 out of 5
Functional / Intestinal Health

Host DNA Gut Microbiome Test

Take the Host DNA Test to learn how your DNA affects your gut health and receive clear, practical steps to support better digestion.

With Superpower, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.

Test for Host DNA Test
Cancel anytime
HSA/FSA eligible
Results in a week
Physician reviewed

Every result is checked

·
CLIA-certified labs

Federal standard for testing

·
HIPAA compliant

Your data is 100% secure

Key Insights

  • See how much of your own DNA appears in a stool sample to reflect gut lining turnover, inflammation, and overall sample quality.
  • Spot signs of mucosal irritation or injury that may help explain symptoms like persistent diarrhea, cramping, or urgency.
  • Clarify how recent antibiotics, infections, NSAID use, or high stress may be impacting your gut barrier and epithelial shedding patterns.
  • Support clinician-guided decisions by pairing host DNA with established stool markers (e.g., fecal calprotectin, lactoferrin) and clinical history.
  • Track trends over time to gauge recovery after a GI bug, medication changes, or dietary shifts that affect gut integrity.
  • If appropriate, integrate findings with microbiome sequencing, occult blood testing, and systemic inflammation markers to build a fuller picture of gut and immune health.

What is a Host DNA Test?

A host DNA test measures the amount of human genetic material, shed from your own intestinal lining and immune cells, present in a stool sample. In practice, the lab quantifies human DNA using methods such as quantitative PCR or by mapping reads in sequencing data to the human genome. Results are typically reported as a proportion of total DNA (human vs. microbial) or as an absolute signal per gram of stool. Because the gut continuously renews its lining, small amounts of host DNA are expected; higher levels can indicate increased epithelial turnover or inflammation. This measurement also helps confirm that a sample is adequate and not overly diluted.

Why it matters: host DNA offers a direct window into gut barrier activity. The intestinal lining is a dynamic interface where cells absorb nutrients, interact with microbes, and regulate immune responses. When the barrier is calm and intact, cellular shedding stays relatively steady. When irritated by infection, inflammatory conditions, medications, or extreme stress, shedding can rise. Interpreted alongside symptoms and other biomarkers, host DNA helps translate biology into signals about gut integrity, immune activation, and sample quality. Although methods differ across labs, the underlying principle remains consistent: human DNA in stool reflects the state of the host, not just the microbes.

Why Is It Important to Test Your Host DNA?

In real life, the line between “just a stomach bug” and “something that needs attention” can feel blurry. Host DNA testing adds context. Elevated human DNA in stool can align with mucosal inflammation or injury, which often accompanies symptoms like watery diarrhea, urgency, or abdominal pain. It can also help clarify the after-effects of an acute infection, a course of antibiotics, or frequent NSAID use during marathon training. For people monitoring known GI conditions with their clinicians, host DNA complements validated stool markers by highlighting epithelial shedding patterns during flares and recoveries.

Zooming out, gut barrier health influences systemic inflammation, nutrient handling, and immune tone. Tracking host DNA across time reveals patterns — for example, whether your lining settles after a stressful month, a travel-related GI illness, or a big diet change. The goal isn’t to “zero out” the signal; it’s to understand your baseline and notice meaningful departures from it. Research continues to refine how best to interpret thresholds, and cutoffs vary by assay, so results are most useful when viewed within your broader clinical picture and in collaboration with a healthcare professional.

What Insights Will I Get From a Host DNA Test?

When host DNA sits in an expected range for the platform, it tends to align with efficient digestion, intact barrier function, and low inflammatory signaling. When it is elevated, it may coincide with immune cell presence in stool and loss of beneficial barrier proteins — a pattern seen in infections and inflammatory conditions in clinical studies, though exact cutoffs differ by test. Importantly, red blood cells do not carry DNA; therefore, host DNA reflects epithelial and white blood cell contributions rather than occult blood alone. Abnormal findings are not a diagnosis; they are a prompt to consider context and, when appropriate, to pair with established markers (e.g., fecal calprotectin) or medical evaluation if symptoms persist.

Big picture: host DNA is most powerful when integrated with your symptoms, diet, medications, and other biomarkers over time. Side-by-side with microbiome data and inflammation panels, it helps personalize strategies aimed at supporting barrier integrity and calm immune tone. Assay differences, sample handling, and timing matter — so consistent collection methods and trend tracking enhance confidence in what the numbers mean for your day-to-day health.

Superpower also tests for

See more diseases

Frequently Asked Questions About Host DNA Test

What does the host dna test measure?

The Host DNA Test analyzes the genetic material of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms found in stool to identify which species are present, their relative abundance, and their functional potential (for example, metabolic capabilities and other inferred microbial functions).

Results describe microbial diversity and balance—metrics like species richness and relative abundance—and are intended to characterize microbiome state, not to diagnose specific diseases; they indicate patterns associated with health or dysbiosis but do not prove disease presence.

How is a host dna sample collected?

The host dna test is a simple, at‑home stool collection using a small swab or a vial provided in the kit; you collect a tiny sample by swabbing the stool or placing a small amount into the supplied vial, secure it in the provided container, and return it following the kit’s shipping instructions.

Cleanliness, clear labeling, and following the kit instructions exactly are essential to avoid contamination and ensure accurate sequencing results—wash your hands before and after collection, avoid touching the swab tip or vial opening, seal and label the sample with the provided ID, include any required forms, and follow timing and storage directions precisely.

What can my host dna test results tell me about my health?

Host DNA test results can reveal insights about digestion, inflammation, nutrient absorption, metabolism, and gut–brain communication by showing how your genetics and host–microbiome interactions influence digestive enzyme function, immune activity in the gut, micronutrient handling, metabolic tendencies (for example lipid and glucose processing), and signalling pathways between the gut and nervous system.

These results highlight patterns and potential predispositions, but microbiome patterns can correlate with, but don’t diagnose, specific health conditions; they are one piece of information best interpreted alongside clinical tests, symptoms, and medical advice.

How accurate or reliable are host dna tests?

Next‑generation sequencing (NGS) platforms provide high‑resolution microbial and host DNA data, allowing sensitive detection and detailed characterization of sequences; however, interpretation of Host DNA Test results is probabilistic rather than absolute—reported proportions, species assignments or risk associations are estimates that depend on sequencing depth, reference databases, lab methods and bioinformatic/statistical models, so they should not be treated as definitive diagnoses.

Results reflect a snapshot in time and can vary with recent changes such as diet, stress, sample collection or handling, and especially recent antibiotic or other medication use, so repeat testing or clinical correlation is often needed to draw reliable conclusions.

How often should I test my host dna?

Many people test their host DNA once per year to establish a baseline; if you’re actively changing diet, taking probiotics, starting medications, or pursuing other interventions, testing every 3–6 months can help you see how those changes are affecting your profile.

More important than any single result is the trend over time — comparing repeat tests lets you detect meaningful shifts, confirm whether interventions are working, and avoid overinterpreting one-off readings.

Can host dna populations change quickly?

Yes — microbial populations, and the amounts or types of host DNA detected in host-associated samples, can shift within days in response to dietary changes, medications, travel, illness or other lifestyle factors; however, more stable community patterns and baseline levels usually emerge over weeks to months as the ecosystem reaches a new equilibrium.

For meaningful comparisons, keep diet, medications and other behaviors as consistent as possible before retesting — maintaining the same routines for several weeks helps ensure observed differences reflect true biological change rather than short-term fluctuations.

Are host dna test results diagnostic?

No — host DNA test results highlight patterns of imbalance or resilience in biological pathways and risk factors; they are not medical diagnoses.

These results must be interpreted alongside symptoms, medical history, and other laboratory or biomarker data by a qualified clinician who can integrate the information into an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care plan.

How can I improve my host dna after testing?

Host DNA test results can help guide evidence-based adjustments to diet and lifestyle — for example tailoring total and types of fiber (soluble vs. insoluble), selecting specific prebiotic fibers, choosing strain-specific probiotics when indicated, ensuring adequate hydration to support digestion, and targeting stress-management practices that affect gut and metabolic health. Test findings may indicate which interventions are more likely to be effective for you, but they are one piece of the picture rather than a definitive prescription.

Because genetic influences interact with current health, medications, microbiome, and environment, individualized strategies should be developed with a healthcare professional (for example a physician, genetic counselor, or registered dietitian) who can interpret your results, monitor outcomes, and adjust recommendations safely over time.

How it works

1

Test your whole body

Get a comprehensive blood draw at one of our 3,000+ partner labs or from the comfort of your own home.

2

An Actionable Plan

Easy to understand results & a clear action plan with tailored recommendations on diet, lifestyle changes, supplements and pharmaceuticals.

3

A Connected Ecosystem

You can book additional diagnostics, buy curated supplements for 20% off & pharmaceuticals within your Superpower dashboard.

Superpower tests more than 
100+ biomarkers & common symptoms

Developed by world-class medical professionals

Supported by the world’s top longevity clinicians and MDs.

Dr Anant Vinjamoori

Superpower Chief Longevity Officer, Harvard MD & MBA

A smiling woman wearing a white coat and stethoscope poses for a portrait.

Dr Leigh Erin Connealy

Clinician & Founder of The Centre for New Medicine

Man in a black medical scrub top smiling at the camera.

Dr Abe Malkin

Founder & Medical Director of Concierge MD

Dr Robert Lufkin

UCLA Medical Professor, NYT Bestselling Author

membership

$17

/month
Billed annually at $199
A smartphone displays health app results, showing biomarker summary, superpower score, and biological age details.
A website displays a list of most ordered products including a ring, vitamin spray, and oil.
A smartphone displays health app results, showing biomarker summary, superpower score, and biological age details.A tablet screen shows a shopping website with three most ordered products: a ring, supplement, and skincare oil.
What could cost you $15,000 is $199

Superpower
Membership

Your membership includes one comprehensive blood draw each year, covering 100+ biomarkers in a single collection
One appointment, one draw for your annual panel.
100+ labs tested per year
A personalized plan that evolves with you
Get your biological age and track your health over a lifetime
$
17
/month
billed annually
Flexible payment options
Four credit card logos: HSA/FSA Eligible, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard.
Start testing
Cancel anytime
HSA/FSA eligible
Results in a week
Pricing may vary for members in New York and New Jersey **

Finally, healthcare that looks at the whole you