The gut and brain are in constant communication, a bidirectional network that influences not only digestion and immunity, but also mood, focus, and behavior. Known as the gut–brain axis, this connection is reshaping how integrative providers approach mental health and chronic symptoms that don’t fit neatly into one body system.
Vibrant Wellness’ Gut–Brain Axis Bundle combines two advanced panels, the Gut Zoomer and the Neurotransmitters Panel, to give clinicians a deeper view of how the microbiome and neurochemistry interact. It provides a comprehensive profile of microbial balance, neurotransmitter activity, and inflammatory markers to help uncover root contributors to anxiety, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction.
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Clinical Applications: Translating Data into Personalized Care |
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| Inside the Neurotransmitters Panel: Measuring Chemical Messengers |
The gut communicates with the brain through neural, endocrine, and immune pathways, a
Recent studies show that up to 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, where microbes help synthesize and modulate neurotransmitters such as dopamine, GABA, and acetylcholine. Dysbiosis, inflammation, and/or intestinal permeability can disrupt this signaling, contributing to anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
The gut–brain axis has also been linked to disorders like IBS, chronic fatigue, and mood instability, where immune activation and microbial imbalance play key roles. Functional testing allows providers to map these interactions and design targeted interventions for improved emotional and neurological health.
The Vibrant Gut Zoomer brings the gut ecosystem into focus with a stool-based profile of 200+ microbes (commensals, opportunists, pathogens) plus integrated readouts of inflammation, barrier integrity, digestion and malabsorption, gut antibodies, and microbial metabolites. The result is a single, comprehensive snapshot that helps explain microbiome balance and its potential links to stubborn GI and gut–brain symptoms.
Functional Insights Include:
By integrating microbial, inflammatory, and metabolic data, the Gut Zoomer uncovers how microbial imbalances may influence brain health through immune, endocrine, and metabolic pathways.
The Vibrant Neurotransmitters Panel is a urine-based look at neurochemistry that brings the essentials into one view, inhibitory tone, excitatory drive, and pathway context via key metabolites and ratios. It also includes a four-point diurnal catecholamine series to reveal day–night stress patterns and inform timing for support. Taken together, it provides a concise map of tone, turnover, and timing that supports evaluation of mixed mood, sleep, energy, and focus concerns.
Functional Insights Include:
These results help providers identify biochemical patterns associated with anxiety features, low motivation, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and mood variability, offering a structured view of neurochemical balance that can support evaluation and care planning.
The Gut Zoomer + Neurotransmitters Bundle views the gut–brain axis from both ends of the communication loop. Gut Zoomer highlights how microbial imbalance, inflammation, barrier stress, and digestive insufficiency may disrupt neurotransmitter synthesis and signaling. The Neurotransmitters Panel then shows how those upstream issues may manifest as inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, pathway bottlenecks (via metabolites/ratios), and day–night stress-pattern shifts. Seen together, they turn broad symptom lists into staged, mechanism-based care.
How the pieces fit
Example: Dysbiosis with elevated β-glucuronidase and low butyrate may promote inflammation and hormone recirculation, which can correlate with lower serotonin or dopamine output. Running both panels clarifies where these mechanisms overlap and where to intervene.
Providers can use bundle insights to design targeted treatment plans that integrate gut restoration with neurochemical rebalancing:
This integrated model links symptoms (e.g., brain fog, irritability, fatigue) to objective findings and supports evaluation and staged care planning, improving patient engagement and long-term outcomes.
The Bottom Line
The Gut–Brain Axis Bundle unites two complementary perspectives, gut mechanisms
Available now: The Gut–Brain Axis Bundle, Gut Zoomer + Neurotransmitters Panel is live in your provider portal. Order today to begin offering a compelling, single-story readout of the gut–brain axis and experience our most comprehensive approach to gut–brain testing.
Order the Gut–Brain Axis Bundle in your provider portal to start delivering a clearer, mechanism-driven plan for your patients.