Polyamine production

Stool
check icon Optimal Result: 7.08 - 17.93 Healthy Relative Abundance IQR (%).

Polyamines like putrescine, spermidine, and cadaverine are metabolites of arginine and tyrosine that have many important roles in the gut like stabilizing RNA and DNA structures, supporting protein synthesis, and scavenging free radicals. However, high amounts of polyamines can be toxic to the gut microbiome. Gut bacteria primarily synthesize amines from amino acids. Generally speaking, Gram-positive bacteria tend to reduce the concentration of amines, while Gram-negative species produce amines and increase their concentration.

What does it mean if your Polyamine production result is too high?

Elevated Putrescine Levels

What Elevated Levels Signify:

Elevated levels of putrescine in the gut can indicate several potential issues or conditions:

  1. Overconsumption of Protein: High levels of putrescine are often associated with an excessive intake of dietary protein. Proteolytic fermentation of proteins by gut bacteria leads to increased production of putrescine.

  2. Gut Microbiota Imbalance: An elevated abundance of protein-degrading organisms, such as Bacteroides, can lead to higher levels of putrescine. This may reflect an imbalance in the gut microbiota, known as dysbiosis.

  3. Increased Polyamine Production: Elevated levels of putrescine can also indicate an overproduction of polyamines, which, while beneficial in moderate amounts for gut health and cellular functions, can become cytotoxic when excessively produced.

  4. Gut Health and Function: While polyamines like putrescine are essential for intestinal epithelial cell proliferation, oxidative stress relief, and gut integrity, excessively high levels might indicate underlying stress or inflammation in the gut.

What To Do About It:

To address elevated putrescine levels, consider the following steps:

  1. Dietary Adjustments:

    • Reduce Protein Intake: Evaluate and potentially reduce the intake of high-protein foods, especially those rich in polyamines, such as soybeans, mushrooms, wheat germ, beef, pork, chicken livers, oranges, and green tea leaves.
    • Balanced Diet: Ensure a balanced diet with adequate fiber to support a healthy gut microbiome.
  2. Support Gut Microbiota:

    • Probiotics and Prebiotics: Incorporate probiotics and prebiotics to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and restore balance to the gut microbiome.
    • Fermented Foods: Include fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, which can help maintain a healthy microbial balance.
  3. Monitor and Manage Gut Health:

    • Regular Testing: Keep track of putrescine levels and other gut health markers through regular testing.
    • Anti-inflammatory Strategies: Use anti-inflammatory diets or supplements to reduce gut inflammation and stress.
  4. Consult Healthcare Professionals:

    • Personalized Guidance: Work with a healthcare provider, such as a gastroenterologist or a functional medicine practitioner, to get personalized recommendations and address any underlying health conditions.
  5. Lifestyle Modifications:

    • Hydration: Ensure adequate hydration to support overall metabolic and gut health.
    • Stress Management: Incorporate stress management techniques, as stress can impact gut health and microbiota composition.

Addressing elevated putrescine levels involves a holistic approach to diet, gut health, and overall lifestyle. Working with healthcare professionals can provide tailored advice and support for optimal gut health.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

What does it mean if your Polyamine production result is too low?

Polyamines are organic compounds that play critical roles in cellular functions, including DNA stabilization, protein synthesis, and cell growth. Decreased polyamine production on a BiomeFx test report may signify several potential issues related to gut health and overall physiological functions:

  1. Compromised Gut Health: Polyamines such as spermidine, spermine, and putrescine are essential for maintaining the integrity of the gut lining and supporting the regeneration of gut epithelial cells. Lower production might indicate a compromised gut barrier, potentially leading to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

  2. Impaired Cellular Functions: Polyamines are vital for cellular growth and differentiation. Reduced levels may impact the normal turnover and repair of cells in the gut and other tissues, potentially affecting overall health and vitality.

  3. Microbial Imbalance: Polyamines are produced by certain gut bacteria. Reduced production might reflect an imbalance in the gut microbiome, possibly due to a decrease in beneficial polyamine-producing bacteria. This could be a sign of dysbiosis, where harmful bacteria outnumber beneficial ones.

  4. Inflammatory Conditions: Low polyamine levels might be associated with increased inflammation in the gut. Polyamines have anti-inflammatory properties, and their deficiency could contribute to or result from chronic inflammatory conditions.

  5. Nutrient Absorption Issues: Polyamines are involved in nutrient absorption processes. Decreased production could indicate or contribute to malabsorption issues, affecting the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients from the diet.

  6. Stress and Aging: Polyamine levels can be influenced by physiological stress and aging. Reduced levels might indicate increased stress or age-related decline in gut health and function.

To address decreased polyamine production, it's important to consider dietary and lifestyle modifications that support gut health, such as:

  • Prebiotics and Probiotics: Enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria through dietary prebiotics (fibers that feed good bacteria) and probiotics (live beneficial bacteria) can help.
  • Balanced Diet: Consuming a balanced diet rich in polyamine precursors, such as certain fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods, can support polyamine synthesis.
  • Reducing Stress: Managing stress through mindfulness, exercise, and adequate sleep can positively impact gut health.
  • Regular Monitoring: Regular gut health assessments can help track changes and guide interventions.

If you have specific concerns or symptoms related to decreased polyamine production, consulting with a healthcare professional or a specialist in gut health is advisable.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image