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Organic Acids Test (OAT) vs GI-MAP: how they differ and what they cost

The Organic Acids Test (OAT) and the GI-MAP are often discussed together because both report markers linked to gut microbes, but they test different samples in different ways. Here is how they differ, what the evidence covers, and what each costs (checked Oct 19, 2026).

	Organic Acids Test (OAT)	GI-MAP
Lab	Mosaic Diagnostics (formerly Great Plains Laboratory)	Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory
Sample	First-morning urine (at-home kit)	Stool (at-home kit)
What it reports	A urine panel reporting 76 organic acids, which the lab groups into areas such as intestinal yeast and bacterial markers, vitamin and mineral markers, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter metabolites and oxalates (per Mosaic Diagnostics and seller listings).	A stool test that uses quantitative PCR (DNA-based) to report on bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens, commensal ("normal") bacteria, opportunistic bacteria, fungi/yeast and H. pylori, plus stool markers such as calprotectin, pancreatic elastase-1, secretory IgA, anti-gliadin IgA, β-glucuronidase, steatocrit and fecal occult blood, according to seller and lab descriptions. Optional add-ons offered by many sellers include zonulin.
Our overall evidence level	Emerging	Emerging
Prices we track	$364–$450 (6 listings)	$320–$499 (8 listings)

How they differ

The OAT measures organic acids in urine: compounds that the body and gut microbes produce, which the lab groups into yeast and bacterial markers, nutrient markers and others. The GI-MAP looks for the DNA of specific organisms in stool with quantitative PCR, plus several stool markers such as calprotectin. So the OAT's yeast and bacterial markers are urine metabolites, while the GI-MAP's are stool DNA counts; the two reports are not measuring the same thing.

What the evidence covers

OAT: The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) describes urinary organic acid analysis as a crucial first-tier test for inborn errors of metabolism. Uses marketed for this panel, such as yeast and bacterial markers, nutrient markers and neurotransmitter metabolites, are a separate question: a 2026 review of urinary organic acid testing in preventive health (Schauer et al., Metabolism Open) found associations with several conditions, but concluded that the studies did not establish that test-guided assessment improves outcomes and that routine use would require assay-specific validation. In the context of microbiome testing, a 2025 international consensus statement found that metabolomic analysis of biofluids is not currently recommended in clinical practice.

Section	Our evidence level	Why
Inborn errors of metabolism (diagnostic laboratory use)	Established	The ACMG technical standard describes urinary organic acid analysis as a first-tier test for inborn errors of metabolism. This is not the use the consumer OAT is marketed for, so it does not raise the panel tier.
Yeast / fungal and bacterial markers	Emerging	The 2026 review found associations but concluded studies did not establish that test-guided assessment improves outcomes; the 2025 consensus does not recommend biofluid metabolomics for microbiome assessment.
Nutritional markers	Emerging	Same 2026 review; routine use would require assay-specific validation.
Neurotransmitter metabolites	Emerging	Same 2026 review.
Oxalate markers	Not yet reviewed	Not reviewed.
Mitochondrial / detox markers	Not yet reviewed	Not reviewed.

GI-MAP: GI-MAP combines markers with different levels of support. Some components are covered by guidelines: NICE recommends faecal calprotectin to help distinguish inflammatory bowel disease from IBS, and the 2017 IDSA infectious diarrhea guideline addresses multiplex DNA-based stool pathogen panels, advising that results be interpreted with clinical judgment because these assays detect DNA, not necessarily live organisms. For the commensal-bacteria and dysbiosis sections, a 2025 international consensus statement (Porcari et al., Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol) found insufficient evidence to recommend routine microbiome testing in clinical practice and stated that multiplex PCR cannot be considered microbiome testing or used as a proxy for microbiome profiling. We found no guideline or systematic review that evaluates the GI-MAP panel as a whole.

Section	Our evidence level	Why
Calprotectin	Established	NICE recommends faecal calprotectin to help distinguish inflammatory bowel disease from IBS in adults with new lower-GI symptoms when cancer is not suspected.
Pathogens (bacterial, viral, parasitic)	Widely used, with known limits	IDSA 2017 addresses multiplex DNA-based stool pathogen panels and advises interpreting results with clinical judgment because they detect DNA, not necessarily live organisms.
Commensal / 'normal' bacteria and dysbiosis	Emerging	The 2025 international consensus found insufficient evidence for routine clinical microbiome testing and stated that multiplex PCR and culture cannot be considered microbiome testing (Statements 13, 32).
Fungi / yeast and opportunistic bacteria	Emerging	Covered by the same consensus statement on microbiome testing; we found no guideline that defines clinical use of these stool PCR targets in people without a specific infection workup.
Pancreatic elastase-1	Not yet reviewed	No guideline or systematic review fetched yet.
Secretory IgA	Not yet reviewed	No guideline or systematic review fetched yet.
β-glucuronidase	Not yet reviewed	No guideline or systematic review fetched yet.
Steatocrit / fecal fat	Not yet reviewed	No guideline or systematic review fetched yet.
Fecal occult blood	Not yet reviewed	Not reviewed; note that colorectal cancer screening guidelines address specific FIT/gFOBT products, which we have not matched to this panel's assay.
H. pylori (stool PCR, with virulence factors)	Emerging	The 2024 ACG guideline names urea breath, fecal antigen or biopsy-based tests for confirming infection and cure; it discusses stool PCR for antibiotic-resistance mutations, not as the standard diagnostic test, and does not address virulence-factor reporting.
Anti-gliadin IgA (stool)	Emerging	The 2023 ACG celiac guideline bases serologic testing on blood tTG-IgA with total IgA; it does not support stool anti-gliadin antibodies for celiac testing. (Could arguably be 'Not validated' only if a source explicitly rejects stool testing; we did not find that wording.)
Zonulin (add-on)	Emerging	One study found a widely used commercial serum zonulin ELISA did not detect pre-haptoglobin 2 (the protein identified as zonulin); it examined a serum kit, not necessarily the stool assay.

This page compares descriptions, evidence and prices; it is not a recommendation to order either test. Talk with a clinician about whether either fits your situation.

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Sources

Gallagher RC, et al. Laboratory analysis of organic acids, 2018 update: a technical standard of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Genet Med. 2018;20(7):683-691 (reaffirmed 2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/gim.2018.45
Schauer M, et al. Urinary Organic Acid Analysis in Preventive Health Assessment and Healthy-Aging Research: A State-of-the-Art Review of Evidence and Methodological Limitations. Metabolism Open. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metop.2026.100511
Porcari S, et al. International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025;10(2):154-167 (Statements 13, 20 and 32). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12343204/
Shane AL, et al. 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2017;65(12):e45 (Recommendation 14). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5850553/
NICE. Faecal calprotectin diagnostic tests for inflammatory diseases of the bowel (HTG320, formerly DG11). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/htg320/chapter/1-recommendations
Chey WD, et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection. Am J Gastroenterol. 2024;119(9):1730-1753. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002968. https://www.ovid.com/jnls/ajg/fulltext/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002968~acg-clinical-guideline-treatment-of-helicobacter-pylori
Rubio-Tapia A, et al. ACG Clinical Guidelines: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023;118(1):59-76. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002075. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002075
Scheffler L, et al. Widely Used Commercial ELISA Does Not Detect Precursor of Haptoglobin2, but Recognizes Properdin as a Potential Second Member of the Zonulin Family. Front Endocrinol. 2018;9:22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2018.00022

Evidence summaries are those on our test pages; guideline quotes checked 2026-10-21. Prices update when we re-check sellers.

Informational only, not medical advice. See about & disclaimer.

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