What low Faecalibacterium prausnitzii means, and how to raise it
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What is Faecalibacterium prausnitzii?
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is one of the single most abundant bacteria in a healthy human colon, typically 5 to 15 percent of total gut bacteria, and one of the most important. It is a butyrate-producing organism. That means it ferments dietary fibers into a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate, which your colon cells use as their primary fuel and which calms inflammation throughout the gut wall. Loss of F. prausnitzii is one of the most reproducible findings in Crohn's disease research, and depletion is also seen in ulcerative colitis, IBS, and obesity. Unlike many other commensals, F. prausnitzii is exquisitely oxygen-sensitive. It dies on contact with air, which is why it has been hard to study and why probiotic versions don't yet exist commercially. The way to raise it is through the diet. Specifically, fermentable fibers (resistant starches and inulin-type fibers) that reach the colon intact and feed it directly.
What does low Faecalibacterium prausnitzii indicate?
F. prausnitzii is one of the most important butyrate producers in the human colon. Low levels are linked to inflammatory bowel conditions and poor mucosal barrier integrity. This protocol provides specific resistant starch substrates that F. prausnitzii preferentially ferments into butyrate.
Symptoms commonly reported
- chronic diarrhea
- loose stools
- intestinal inflammation
- post-antibiotic gut symptoms
- IBD-like symptoms
- low energy
Not everyone with this finding has every symptom. Many people have several without realizing they share a root cause.
Reference ranges
A value just over the threshold is usually less urgent than a value many times outside the range. Trend across retests matters more than a single number.
The 6-week protocol for low Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
A phased plan with 11 food prescriptions across three phases. Below is the first phase preview. Upload your lab to unlock the full protocol with exact quantities, frequencies, and conflict-resolved sequencing.
- Cooked and cooled potatoes See your personalized dose
- Cooked and cooled white rice See your personalized dose
Unlock your full personalized protocol
Most people have 4 to 7 abnormal markers on a single test. Upload your PDF and we'll build the 6-week protocol that handles all of them in the right order, with conflicts resolved and a grocery list ready to send to Instacart or Kroger.
Upload my lab PDFWhich tests measure Faecalibacterium prausnitzii?
- GI-MAP (Diagnostic Solutions)
- Genova GI-Effects
- Biomesight
- Thorne Gut Health Test
Different labs use different methodologies (qPCR, 16S sequencing, shotgun metagenomics), so absolute numbers may not be directly comparable across tests. We accept GI-MAP, Genova GI-Effects, and Biomesight PDF uploads today.
