The Microbiome Edge™
Gut Health & Functional Gut Testing in Charlotte, NC
Your gut is where lasting health begins.
Bloating, irregular digestion, food reactions that keep multiplying, skin flares, and fatigue often trace back to the gut. Dr. Natasha Ryan, a functional medicine doctor with more than 20 years in practice, uses comprehensive gut testing to find what's driving your symptoms, then builds a plan to rebuild your gut foundation.
Sound familiar?
It's not "just" a sensitive stomach.
Gut symptoms are common, but they're not normal. And they rarely stay in the gut. The same imbalance that causes bloating can show up in your skin, your energy, your mood, and your hormones.
- Bloating that builds through the day
- Gas, constipation, or loose stools
- Reactions to more and more foods
- Adult acne, rosacea, or eczema
- Digestion that changed in your 40s or 50s
- Joint aches and inflammation with no clear cause
- Heavy periods and other signs of estrogen imbalance
- Fatigue and brain fog after meals
- Symptoms that started after antibiotics, travel, or food poisoning
- A diagnosis of IBS, with no plan beyond managing it
Why the gut matters
More than digestion.
Your gut lining decides what gets into your body and what stays out. The bacteria living there help regulate inflammation, blood sugar, mood, and even how much estrogen stays in circulation. When the lining is under strain or the microbiome is out of balance, the effects reach well beyond your stomach.
For women in midlife there's another layer. Estrogen helps support the gut lining and microbial diversity, so as it changes through perimenopause and menopause, digestion often changes with it. That's why the Microbiome Edge looks at your gut and your hormones together.
How The Microbiome Edge works
We don't guess. We test.
Initial consultation
An hour on your symptoms, history, diet, medications, and what you've already tried. Then Dr. Ryan chooses the testing that fits your situation.
Comprehensive testing
Stool testing for inflammation, infections, digestion, and the microbiome, plus food sensitivity testing and other labs where they're relevant.
Your gut protocol
Remove what's irritating your gut, treat any infection or overgrowth, replenish what's missing, and rebuild the gut lining and microbiome.
Ongoing support
Follow-ups, foods reintroduced step by step, and repeat testing where it's useful, so you can see what's changed.
What we look at
The tests behind the plan.
The specific tests depend on your symptoms and history. These are the ones most commonly used in the Microbiome Edge.
Read more: What a comprehensive stool test can tell you
- Comprehensive stool testInflammation, infections, digestion, gut immune function, and the balance of your gut bacteria
- IgG food sensitivity testingDelayed food reactions across 100+ foods, used to guide a short elimination and reintroduction
- SIBO breath testingWhen bloating and timing point to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
- Inflammation markersCalprotectin in the stool and inflammation markers in the blood
- NutrientsIron, B12, vitamin D, and others that poor absorption can deplete
- HormonesEstrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and thyroid, which all affect digestion
Food sensitivities
A map, not a life sentence.
Delayed food reactions are hard to pin down because symptoms can show up a day later. IgG testing gives a starting point. It's used for a short, structured elimination of the strongest reactions, followed by reintroducing foods one at a time.
The goal is a wider diet, not a narrower one. Once the gut is healing, many foods are tolerated again.
The gut lining
Repair what's underneath.
A strained gut lining lets more through than it should, which can keep inflammation going. Stress, alcohol, regular NSAID use, infections, and a low-fiber diet all add pressure.
Rebuilding starts with removing those stresses, feeding the microbiome with a wide variety of plants and fermented foods, and treating what's underneath. Targeted supplements support the process once the basics are in place.
Google Reviews
What women say.
"She was the first to introduce me to the gut-hormone connection, a vital aspect regular doctors miss. My go-to recommendation for anyone in the USA."Melissa Neill · Google Review
"The extensive testing unveiled the 'why' for so many health issues I'd endured for years. She connected the dots holistically, developed a custom plan, and coached me through the process with quality follow-up check-ins."Teria Sheffield · Google Review
"Dr. Ryan cares and listens — she came up with a plan that finally worked after 10 years of searching. I have less pain, I'm regaining a metabolism, and I'm finally losing weight."Dhebi DeWitz · Google Review
Working with Dr. Ryan
Charlotte in person. Everywhere else virtually.
From The Journal
Gut health, explained.
Articles by Dr. Ryan on what's happening in your gut and what helps, each with references to the research.
Gut testing
The gut lining and microbiome
The gut and your hormones
Common questions
Before you book.
Is IgG food sensitivity testing the same as allergy testing?
No. Allergy testing looks for IgE antibodies, which cause fast reactions like hives or swelling. IgG testing looks for a different antibody linked to slower, delayed symptoms. It doesn't diagnose a food intolerance on its own. It's used as a guide for a short elimination and reintroduction, where your response to each food gives the real answer.
What does a comprehensive stool test show?
Depending on the panel, it can show inflammation in the gut, infections such as parasites, how well you're digesting food, immune activity in the gut lining, and the balance of your gut bacteria. Some markers, like calprotectin for inflammation, are well established. Others, like the detailed microbiome results, are best read as patterns alongside your symptoms.
How long does it take to improve gut health?
Many women notice changes in bloating and digestion within the first few weeks. Rebuilding the microbiome and gut lining usually takes several months, and the plan is adjusted along the way based on how you respond.
Do I need to live in Charlotte?
No. Dr. Ryan sees women in person in Charlotte, NC and virtually across all 50 states. Most gut testing is done with kits at home or at a lab near you.
Is this covered by insurance?
The practice is cash-pay. HSA and FSA funds are accepted, and third-party financing may be available. Pricing is discussed openly on your complimentary discovery call.
Take the first step
Find out what your gut is telling you.
Book a complimentary 15-minute discovery call. Bring your HormoneIQ™ results if you have them, and we'll start there.
Or call (980) 677-1342