Alpha Diversity

Alpha-diversity

In ecology, alpha diversity refers to the average diversity, or the richness of species, in a particular ecosystem. This marker is looking at your own personal richness and diversity within your gut microbiome. The Y axis in the alpha-diversity chart is an alpha diversity index, which is a normalized value for species richness that factors in the distribution of taxa. Low alpha-diversity suggests that your gut microbiome was recently damaged by antibiotics, environmental toxins, stress, diet, or other factors.1,2 See the results of Section 9 to learn how to increase your protective keystone bacteria and improve your health.

References: 

1. Prehn-Kristensen A, et al. Reduced microbiome alpha diversity in young patients with ADHD. Plos One. 2018;13(7). 
2. Liśkiewicz P. Fecal Microbiota Analysis in Patients Going through a Depressive Episode during Treatment in a Psychiatric Hospital Setting. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2019;8(2):164.