Why are bile acids not included in the test?

Bile acids are not reported because current testing methods are not practical for Microbiome Explorer kits.
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- Accurate bile acid testing requires a 4-day diet and 48-hour stool collection, which is not feasible with the single swab method.
- Microba’s Science Team evaluated a single-point faecal bile acid test, but it was not validated, had no established reference ranges, and showed a high rate of false positives/negatives depending on the cutoff.
- Microba continues to monitor developments in this area. If a reliable test becomes available that doesn’t place a heavy burden on patients, it may be added.
- If bile acid malabsorption is suspected (e.g., osmotic diarrhoea, faecal urgency), the gold standard diagnostic is a SeHCAT scan or a 48-hour faecal bile acid test, both of which can be arranged by a GP.
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12003-z

10.14309/ajg.0000000000000696