As the diagnosis of gut diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease and food allergies are on the rise, researchers are proposing a non-invasive test as an alternative to the dreaded colonoscopy. The study, which was recently published in Experimental Physiology, suggests a new test that measures the concentration of gut bacterial products using a 1-ml blood and stool sample could help screen for and monitor gut diseases. This method could also enable earlier diagnosis of gut disorders, because they generally occur prior to visible structural changes that are uncovered during a colonoscopy, which is the standard way of diagnosing and evaluating IBD.

“This may be a very important tool for diagnosis and treatment of gut and other diseases, using the leaky gut as a marker for disease, as well as a potential target for treatment,” said Marcin Ufnal, a senior author on the study, in a press release.

Researchers believe that the non-invasive test could help diagnose the above-mentioned disorders as well as other diseases that result in a leaky gut, including heart failure, high blood pressure and liver issues.