Labs and testing · Hopkins, Minnesota
Gut Health Testing, Explained: SIBO, Stool Analysis,
H. pylori
You've lived with the bloating, the unpredictable bathroom trips or the stomach pain for months, and every online kit promises answers. At Panka Natural Health in Hopkins, we start with your story, choose the test that fits it, and walk you through every result.
Gut health testing works best when it answers a specific question. A SIBO breath test measures hydrogen and methane, gases made when gut microbes ferment a test sugar. A comprehensive stool analysis checks digestion, inflammation, infection and parasites. H. pylori is confirmed with a breath or stool antigen test. Consumer microbiome kits describe your gut bacteria but can't diagnose anything yet.
How we approach gut health testing at Panka Natural Health
Before we order anything, we review the labs, imaging and records you already have. That review is part of your visit, so you don't pay to repeat work. Adult first visits run two full hours, so we can map your symptoms, food, stress and sleep. Dr. Jacob focuses on gut–brain physiology, for when digestion moves with mood, focus or fatigue. Dr. Haley sees infants, kids and teens, complementing their primary care. When testing will change the plan, we pick the narrowest test that fits. You see the same two doctors at every visit, and your doctor goes over your results marker by marker through a functional lens. Questions later? Message us in the Charm portal; it's included, with no membership.
SIBO breath testing: what it measures and how to prepare
SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, means too many bacteria in the small intestine. Breath testing, described in the American College of Gastroenterology's SIBO guideline, is the standard way to check without a scope. You drink a glucose or lactulose solution, then breathe into tubes at set times for two to three hours. If microbes ferment the sugar too early, hydrogen (made by bacteria) or methane (made by microbes called archaea) rises in your breath. A methane-positive result is now often called intestinal methanogen overgrowth. To prepare, test at least four weeks after your last antibiotic course; never stop a prescribed one early. Pause laxatives and gut-speeding medicines for a week, if your prescriber agrees. Eat simply the day before, fast 8 to 12 hours, and don't smoke. Acid reducers such as PPIs can usually continue. Gut speed and diet can blur results, so we read them with your symptoms.
Comprehensive stool analysis: digestion, inflammation, infection
A comprehensive stool analysis looks at digestion, inflammation, and organisms that shouldn't be there. A key marker is calprotectin, a protein from white blood cells that rises in stool when the gut is inflamed. A 2023 review of 17 studies found it reliably helps separate inflammatory bowel disease from IBS in adults. A high value usually means a gastroenterologist visit. Parasitology checks for parasites and their eggs; the CDC recommends examining three samples collected two to three days apart when possible. We also offer antimicrobial susceptibility testing, which shows how an organism grown from your sample responded to prescription and natural agents in the lab. Lab results don't always predict your body's response, and any prescription goes through your prescribing clinician.
H. pylori breath and stool testing: a standard medical test
H. pylori is a stomach bacterium that can cause indigestion and ulcers and raises stomach cancer risk over time. It's confirmed with a urea breath test or a stool antigen test. Prep differs from SIBO testing: some medicines, including many taken for stomach symptoms, may need to pause for two weeks to a month, so we plan timing with you and your prescriber. Treatment is a prescription antibiotic regimen, then a retest to confirm the infection is gone, as the American College of Gastroenterology recommends. Minnesota NDs don't prescribe those medicines, so we coordinate with your primary care clinician. Celiac disease is screened with a blood test and usually confirmed by biopsy during an endoscopy; keep eating gluten until testing is done.
Microbiome tests, and how results become a plan
Microbiome sequencing shows which bacteria live in your stool and how varied they are. An international expert panel found little evidence yet for using these tests in everyday care, and home kits sold online haven't proven their value. So when we order a microbiome abundance and diversity profile, we read it as one clue next to the inflammation, digestion and infection markers, not as a diagnosis. Then your results become a plan you can live with: food changes, targeted supplements or herbs, and a retest only when it would change a decision.
This visit may fit if…
You've had gut symptoms for months and want to know which test, if any, fits your history.
Your earlier workup came back normal and you want it read through a functional lens.
Your child has ongoing digestive concerns such as constipation, reflux or bloating.
See someone else first if…
Blood in your stool, black or tarry stools, or anemia: get medical care promptly.
Severe or worsening abdominal pain, or vomiting that won't stop: seek urgent or emergency care.
Unintended weight loss, a lasting new bowel change, or a family history of colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease: see your primary care clinician first. At 45 or older, also ask about colon cancer screening.
A child with constipation plus blood in the stool, constant belly pain, vomiting or weight loss: call their pediatrician right away.
Bring a clearer picture to your visit
Past gut results: stool, breath, H. pylori or celiac tests, and colonoscopy, endoscopy or imaging reports.
Your medicines and supplements, including any antibiotics, acid reducers, laxatives or probiotics from the last three months.
A one- to two-week log of symptoms, stools and meals, if you can.
The full report from any consumer microbiome kit.
Common questions
Is gut health testing covered by insurance?
We're direct-pay and out-of-network with all insurers. We provide a superbill for possible reimbursement and accept HSA and FSA. Medicare and Medicaid don't reimburse naturopathic services in Minnesota. Your other providers may be able to order some tests through insurance, or you can pay cash for testing through us. Current fees are on our scheduling page.
Can I do gut testing through a telehealth visit?
Yes, across Minnesota and Wisconsin (Wisconsin visits are virtual only); you need to be in one of those states during the visit. Many breath and stool tests are collected at home, and we'll go over which tests are available where you live.
My stool test was normal. Does that mean my gut is fine?
Not necessarily. A normal calprotectin makes inflammatory bowel disease unlikely, which is good news, but it doesn't explain bloating or irregular stools. We read each value against your symptoms.
Do you test children?
Yes. Dr. Haley sees children from infancy through age 21 at reduced pricing, alongside their pediatrician. Pediatric visits are shorter and can be extended. Comprehensive stool testing with parasitology is one tool she uses for ongoing digestive concerns.
Real doctors. Real time with you.
Panka Natural Health is a family-owned clinic in downtown Hopkins, led by Drs. Haley and Jacob Panka since 2018. You see the same doctor at every visit.
Your first visit
1. Book a visit or a free 10-minute intro call. The intro call is a short conversation about fit, not a medical visit.
2. Time for your whole story. Adult first visits run two full hours; children's visits are shorter. Bring prior labs and the bottles or photos of what you take.
3. A written plan. What to try, what to test if anything, and when to reassess. We coordinate with your other clinicians.
4. Support between visits. Secure messaging with your doctor is included, with no membership.
Direct-pay practice: out-of-network with all insurers, superbills for possible reimbursement, HSA and FSA accepted. Medicare and Medicaid do not reimburse naturopathic services in Minnesota. Current fees are on our scheduling page. Telehealth for patients located in Minnesota or Wisconsin at the time of the visit (virtual only in Wisconsin). Ample parking in front of and behind the building; the entrance is up four steps with handrails; the office is not wheelchair accessible, and virtual visits are an alternative.
Dr. Haley Panka, ND: Women's health and hormones, pediatrics, holistic diabetes care, and supportive care for breast cancer patients and survivors.
Dr. Jacob Panka, ND, MS: Brain and neuroendocrine health, cardiovascular and metabolic health, gut–brain physiology, and men's health.
Sources and further reading
General education, not a diagnosis. We work alongside your primary care clinician and specialists, not instead of them. Care and testing depend on your history and clinical needs.
Your questions are a good place to start.
Book a visit, or begin with a free 10-minute call to see whether we're the right fit.