Lactobacillus sakei is a lactic acid–producing bacterium found in many fermented foods, especially kimchi and traditional cured meats. In the gut, it acts as a beneficial commensal—it helps to acidify the local environment, competes with less desirable microbes, and supports a resilient microbial community.
How Results Are Reported
Gut Zoomer shows L. sakei as Detected/Not Detected or as a relative abundance against a reference range. Keep in mind that stool levels are influenced by diet, medications, and variability in what gets shed, so results may fluctuate day to day.
Why It Matters
-
Microbial Balance: Lactic acid bacteria like L. sakei help lower colon pH, making conditions less hospitable for unwanted microbes.
-
Barrier Support: By producing antimicrobial compounds and competing for space and nutrients, L. sakei helps keep the gut lining healthy.
-
Diet Linkage: Its presence usually mirrors intake of fermented vegetables and dietary fiber. Regular consumption of these foods tends to support higher levels.
-
Emerging Research: Studies show people with ischemic stroke often have lower L. sakei counts, but whether this plays a protective role or is a marker remains unclear.
How to Interpret Your Result
Not Detected / Low
-
What it means: L. sakei is absent or below the threshold. This is common and not usually a problem—levels vary due to diet, timing, and antibiotic use.
-
Context clues: If other beneficial bacteria are also low, it may reflect low fiber/fermented food intake or recent antimicrobial use.
-
Next steps:
-
Add fermented vegetables like kimchi or sauerkraut.
-
Gradually increase prebiotic fiber sources: onions, garlic, leek, asparagus, artichoke, bananas, or fiber supplements if tolerated.
-
Include polyphenol-rich foods such as berries, cocoa, olives, and herbs.
-
Review any antibiotic or antimicrobial use—allow 2–4 weeks post-treatment before retesting.
-
If digestion is sensitive, introduce changes slowly.
-
In Range / Typical
-
What it means: Typical commensal levels.
-
What to do: Sustain habits that help maintain this—varied plant fibers, regular fermented foods, movement, sleep, and stress management.
Elevated (Above Reference)
-
What it means: Higher-than-reference abundance, usually not concerning. Often reflects a diet rich in fermented foods.
-
When to look closer: If elevation coincides with GI symptoms and several lactic-acid–producers are high, discuss with a clinician.
-
Practical tweaks (if symptomatic):
-
Rotate types of fermented foods.
-
Balance meals with non-fermentable fibers and enough protein/fats.
-
Consider temporarily lowering fermented food portions to see if symptoms improve.
-
What Can Influence Results
-
Recent diet (fermented vegetables, fiber-rich foods)
-
Medications (antibiotics, antimicrobials, acid-suppressants)
-
Illness, travel, or bowel prep
-
Collection timing and day-to-day gut variability.
Ways to Support a Healthy Profile
-
Aim for 20–30 types of plant foods per week.
-
Include fermented foods as tolerated (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, pickles).
-
Prioritize minimally processed foods and use broad-spectrum antimicrobials only as needed.
-
Support overall gut health with good sleep, regular movement, and stress management.
When to Follow Up
-
If symptom-free, treat findings as informative context within your Gut Zoomer panel.
-
If persistent GI symptoms or widespread imbalance markers, discuss targeted nutrition or a stepwise plan with your clinician or dietitian.
-
Consider retesting after 8–12 weeks of dietary consistency if monitoring progress.
Key Takeaways
-
L. sakei is generally beneficial and linked to fermented food intake.
-
Low or undetectable levels are rarely a concern unless part of a broader pattern.
-
Elevated levels usually reflect diet; only consider changes if gut symptoms are present.
-
Interpret results alongside the whole panel and symptom history.
Stroke Association: Current Science
Lower gut levels of Lactobacillus sakei have been observed in patients with ischemic stroke compared to controls, but direct causation is not established as of 2025. This finding suggests a potential link between gut microbial balance and host health, but it is not yet proven that L. sakei influences stroke risk or outcomes. Research is ongoing.
- https://lactobacto.com/2017/02/10/gut-bacteria-associated-with-strokes/
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0171521
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.715475/full
- https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2472-0712/ERHM-2022-00040
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10222668/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944501323001404
- https://hello.vibrant-wellness.com/hubfs/Gut-Zoomer-Key-Clinical-Messages%20(1).pdf
- https://vibrant-wellness.com/tests/gut-health/gut-zoomer
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8995494/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9152006/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096999612500052X
- https://authentichealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MK-0026-13-Gut-Zoomer-3.0-Sample-Report-2.pdf
- https://lantohealth.com/blogs/health-articles/why-lactobacillus-sakei-for-sinusitis
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2021/1391384
- https://well-choices.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MK-0026-13-Gut-Zoomer-3.0-Sample-Report.pdf
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11250-0
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.036800
- https://annicscholer.com/app/uploads/2025/04/Gut-Zoomer-3.0-Interpretation-Guide.pdf
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7761388/
- https://www.annapinnock.co.uk/gut-zoomer-stool-test-uk/
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What does it mean if your Lactobacillus sakei result is too low?
Low or undetectable levels of Lactobacillus sakei mean that this beneficial bacterium was either not found or was below the reporting threshold in your sample. This is quite common and not automatically a sign of poor gut health — levels naturally fluctuate depending on recent diet, digestive patterns, and use of medications like antibiotics or antimicrobials.
Clinical Context
L. sakei helps maintain a resilient gut community by producing lactic acid and competing with less desirable microbes. Having lower levels doesn’t mean your gut is unhealthy; many healthy people have low or undetectable amounts. Scientific studies indicate L. sakei presence may reflect regular intake of fermented vegetables (like kimchi or sauerkraut) and diverse dietary fibers. If other beneficial bacteria are also low, it can suggest recent antibiotics or low consumption of foods that support commensals.
What to Consider Next
-
Dietary Boost:
-
Add fermented vegetables (such as kimchi or traditionally fermented sauerkraut) to your meals.
-
Increase prebiotic fibers gradually, with foods like onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, or fiber supplements if tolerated.
-
Emphasize polyphenol-rich plant foods (berries, cocoa, olives, herbs) that often co-support beneficial bacteria.
-
-
Review Medications: If you’ve recently taken antibiotics, wait 2–4 weeks before retesting to allow your microbiome to recover.
-
Go Slow: If you tend to have sensitive digestion, make dietary changes gradually to avoid discomfort such as bloating.
Scientific Notes
Current research shows people with ischemic stroke often have lower L. sakei counts in their gut, but it is not yet proven this bacteria directly affects stroke risk. For most people, a low finding simply guides toward broader nutrition and lifestyle that supports overall gut health.
Key Takeaways
Low or undetectable L. sakei is rarely a cause for worry if you feel well. Focus on eating a variety of plant fibers and fermented foods as tolerated, and consider the bigger picture of your gut panel and symptoms. If many beneficial bacteria are low and GI symptoms are present, discuss next steps with your healthcare provider or dietitian.
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.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced 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
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- 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
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$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
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
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 10000+ 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.
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.