Transparency
We publish our full marker-to-food mapping logic — not a black box, not AI guesswork. Every food recommendation traces back to a specific biomarker, a defined threshold, and a published mechanism. This page is the source of truth.
How it works: Gut 2 Plate does not infer food reactions from AI predictions. The mapping between gut markers and food categories is hardcoded — each rule is explicit, auditable, and consistent across all users. The only role of AI is generating meal plans and recipes from the resulting food category lists.
Only flagged or abnormal values trigger food recommendations. Normal results are not penalized — a clean calprotectin result means no inflammatory foods are flagged. You're only restricted where your data shows a reason.
Every biomarker threshold and the foods it maps to are written as explicit logic in the parser. No weight matrices, no embeddings, no model output interpretation. Anyone can read the source and verify the mapping.
The same PDF uploaded by two different practitioners produces identical food recommendations. The parser extracts numeric thresholds from the PDF and applies fixed rules — no randomness, no session state.
Normal reference-range results are treated as a clean bill of health. No foods are flagged for avoidance unless the marker value crosses the defined threshold. Normal = not penalized.
Every Avoid or Encourage recommendation traces to a published mechanism: e.g., gluten triggers zonulin release, FODMAPs feed bacterial fermentation, sugar promotes Candida growth. Citations included where the science is well-established.
Normal values are not penalized. If your test shows all markers within reference range, Gut 2 Plate generates a gut-supportive meal plan without any foods flagged for avoidance. You receive a balanced, nutrient-dense plan regardless of test format. Try it with your report →
| Reaction Level | Category | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| 4+ (Severe) | Avoid | High IgG = significant immune activation on exposure. Repeated consumption drives chronic low-grade inflammation and gut barrier disruption. |
| 3+ (High) | Avoid | Same mechanism as 4+. Clinically significant reaction requiring elimination. |
| 2+ (Moderate) | Minimize | Moderate IgG reaction. Occasional exposure may be tolerable but regular intake perpetuates symptoms. |
| 1+ (Mild) | Enjoy | Low-level reactivity. Mild reactions typically diminish with gut healing over time. |
| Negative / 0 | Enjoy | No detectable IgG reaction. Safe to eat freely with no restriction. |
Gut Barrier Panel markers (FIT only):
| Marker | What it indicates | Food implication |
|---|---|---|
| Zonulin | Intestinal permeability / tight junction dysfunction | Strict gluten avoidance + minimize high-FODMAP foods |
| Occludin | Tight junction integrity (complementary to zonulin) | Reinforces zonulin signal — same gluten + FODMAP implication |
| LPS (Lipopolysaccharides) | Bacterial endotoxin translocation across gut barrier | Anti-inflammatory diet: strictly avoid alcohol, processed foods |
| Candida | IgG/IgA response to Candida overgrowth | Sugar and refined carbohydrate avoidance |
| Marker / Pattern | What it indicates | Avoid | Encourage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathogen elevation (H. pylori, C. diff, parasites, Salmonella, etc.) |
Any pathogen flagged as elevated above reference range | Sugar, alcohol, processed foods, gluten, dairy | Garlic, ginger, turmeric, coconut oil, bone broth, steamed vegetables, lean proteins |
| Low beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia below range) |
Deficient commensal flora — reduced SCFA production | — | Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, miso, tempeh; prebiotic fibers: jerusalem artichoke, dandelion greens, garlic, onion, chicory root |
| Elevated calprotectin | Intestinal inflammation — active inflammatory process | Processed meats, refined sugar, fried foods, dairy (if lactose-sensitive) | Wild salmon, turmeric, ginger, bone broth, olive oil, blueberries, leafy greens |
| Elevated zonulin | Leaky gut — tight junction dysfunction allowing antigen translocation | Gluten strictly (gliadin triggers zonulin release); high-FODMAP foods | L-glutamine foods: bone broth, cabbage; aloe vera juice; marshmallow root tea |
| Elevated lactoferrin | Neutrophil-driven intestinal inflammation | Processed foods, refined sugar, dairy, alcohol | Bone broth, omega-3 rich fish, turmeric, cooked greens |
| Low fecal elastase | Pancreatic insufficiency — impaired fat and protein digestion | Raw cruciferous vegetables (initially), high-fiber legumes (initially) | Cooked vegetables, bone broth, gentle proteins, easily digestible cooked starches |
| Gas Pattern | Threshold | Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| H₂ rise from baseline | > 20 ppm | Hydrogen SIBO (H2-SIBO) |
| CH₄ rise from baseline | > 10 ppm | Methane SIBO / IMO |
| Both elevated | above both thresholds | Mixed SIBO |
| Neither exceeded | — | Negative / Normal — gut-supportive diet, no restrictions |
Food protocols by SIBO type:
| SIBO Type | Avoid | Minimize | Encourage |
|---|---|---|---|
| H2-SIBO | High-FODMAP: onion, garlic, leek, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beans, lentils, chickpeas, apples, pears, mango, honey, HFCS, wheat, lactose dairy, alcohol | Raw cruciferous veg (initially), legumes, whole grains (initially) | Low-FODMAP veg: cucumber, zucchini, carrot, green beans, spinach, lettuce, fennel, celery; bone broth, coconut oil, peppermint tea, ginger tea; lean proteins; rice, potato, squash |
| CH₄ / IMO | Gas-producing foods: beans, lentils, cabbage, brussels sprouts, onion, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, carbonated drinks, alcohol, sugar alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol) | High-fiber foods initially, raw vegetables until motility improves | Low-FODMAP proteins, cooked carrots/zucchini/fennel, bone broth, ginger, turmeric, aloe vera, slippery elm tea, psyllium husk (soaked), S. boulardii probiotic |
| Mixed | All H2-SIBO avoids + strictest methane avoids combined | Same as H2-SIBO; extended introduction phase | H2 + CH₄ protocols combined; add motility support: ginger, aloe vera, slippery elm, psyllium husk |
| Negative / Normal | None — no restrictions | None | Bone broth, steamed greens, wild salmon, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, olive oil, ginger, turmeric, kimchi, sauerkraut; lean proteins, cooked root vegetables |
| Section Header | Category | Parser logic |
|---|---|---|
| Superfoods | Enjoy | Section-scan — parser captures all foods listed under the "Superfoods" header |
| Enjoy | Enjoy | Section-scan — parser captures all foods listed under the "Enjoy" header |
| Minimize | Minimize | Section-scan — parser captures all foods listed under the "Minimize" header |
| Avoid | Avoid | Section-scan — parser captures all foods listed under the "Avoid" header |
Which marker values trigger which food restrictions.
| Test Format | Marker | Avoid | Minimize |
|---|---|---|---|
| KBMO FIT | Food IgG reaction level | 3+ or 4+ | 2+ |
| KBMO FIT | Zonulin | Positive (IgG column) | — |
| KBMO FIT | LPS | Positive (IgG column) | — |
| KBMO FIT | Candida | Positive (IgG column) | — |
| GI-MAP | Calprotectin | Above reference range | — |
| GI-MAP | Zonulin | Above reference range | — |
| GI-MAP | Lactoferrin | Above reference range | — |
| GI-MAP | Any pathogen | Flagged as elevated | — |
| GI-MAP | Beneficial bacteria | Below reference range | — |
| GI-MAP | Elastase | Below reference range (deficient) | — |
| SIBO Breath Test | H₂ peak | > 20 ppm | — |
| SIBO Breath Test | CH₄ peak | > 10 ppm | — |
| Viome | Food list section | Avoid section | Minimize section |
We've documented our full mapping logic including edge cases, hardcoded overrides and parser implementation notes. Want to review our interpretation logic or suggest an update?
hello@gut2plate.com