For IBS, SIBO, leaky gut, and digestive conditions that have not responded to standard treatment
4.8
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25+
Clinical Experience
ATMS
Registered
Telehealth
Australia-Wide
In-clinic at Kealba, Melbourne. Telehealth available across Australia.
The gut governs nutrient absorption, immune response, inflammation regulation, and even mood and cognitive clarity. When the gut environment is disrupted, the effects rarely stay local.
Standard pathology often returns normal results even when something is clearly wrong. That is where functional testing changes the picture, and why a naturopath specialising in gut health approaches this differently to standard care.
As a gut health naturopath in Melbourne, Domenic works with complex digestive conditions that have not responded to standard approaches. Functional testing reveals the specific imbalance that has been missed.
Significant improvement in primary symptoms within 8 to 12 weeks
Measurable changes on follow-up GI microbiome retesting
Maintain improvements at 6-month follow-up
Average symptom reduction within 12 weeks
Standard testing rarely explains why someone has been bloated for three years or why IBS symptoms worsen despite following every dietary recommendation. Here is what functional testing reveals, and what changes when you treat the actual cause.
A woman in her mid-30s with severe bloating, alternating bowel habits, and post-meal fatigue had been on low-FODMAP for two years without lasting relief.
GI Microbiome Map revealed elevated Methanobrevibacter smithii consistent with methane-dominant SIBO, depleted beneficial bacteria, and mild gut inflammation.
Treatment followed the 6R framework with targeted herbal antimicrobials, structured probiotic reinoculation, and gut lining repair.
Bloating resolved within six weeks. Bowel regularity normalised by week ten. Follow-up GI map confirmed clearance of the methane-producing organism.
A woman in her early 40s had eliminated gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy over 18 months but continued reacting to new foods.
She also had recurring eczema and a recent Hashimoto's diagnosis. GI Microbiome Map confirmed intestinal permeability, low secretory IgA, and H. pylori at low-moderate levels.
H. pylori eradication was followed by gut barrier repair and thyroid support.
Food reaction frequency reduced markedly by week eight. Eczema ceased by week twelve. TPO antibodies dropped 40% at the 4-month retest.
When it comes to healing the gut, sequence and timing are everything. At Vital Health, we use a 6R Program alongside an individualised treatment approach. This is the latest evolution of the 4R Program developed by Jeffrey Bland, co-founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine.
| Condition | 6R Program Benefits |
|---|---|
| Dysbiosis and candida | Restores beneficial gut flora, reduces pathogenic bacteria and fungal overgrowth. |
| SIBO | Relocates intestinal flora and reduces bacterial load in the small intestine. |
| Food intolerances and leaky gut | Supports digestive enzyme production and repairs the epithelial gut lining. |
| Joint pain | Reduces the immune response driving joint inflammation and supports remineralisation. |
| Brain fog and migraines | Reduces toxic burden and neurological inflammation, improves mineral absorption. |
| Eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis | Reduces systemic inflammation and allows skin cell regeneration. |
| Depression, anxiety, mood | Improves neurotransmitter production and gut-brain axis function. |
| Autoimmune conditions | Normalises lymphoid tissue response and reduces inappropriate antibody activity. |
The 6R Gut Program sits within Domenic's ROOT Method clinical framework, a structured approach to identifying and resolving root causes rather than managing symptoms in isolation.
ROOT stands for:
Each step builds on the one before it. Skipping or rushing stages is one of the most common reasons gut healing stalls
Calm inflammation and reduce acute symptoms quickly so you have the energy to complete the program. Targeted probiotics and nutrients are introduced based on your specific needs.
Eliminate dietary irritants and pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and parasites using targeted herbal or pharmaceutical agents alongside a healing diet.
Restore digestive substances that may be lacking, including enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and bile salts produced by the stomach, intestinal walls, and liver.
Reintroduce probiotics through lacto-fermented foods, kefir, kombucha, and prebiotic-rich foods to re-establish microflora balance. Timing is critical; this step follows Remove and Replace.
Support intestinal cell regrowth with vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, glutamine, collagen, aloe vera, and mucilaginous herbs including slippery elm and marshmallow root.
Taper off the elimination protocol, reintroduce foods systematically, and rebuild a sustainable long-term approach to eating and stress management.
Complete GI Microbiome Mapping
The GI Microbiome Map uses PCR DNA technology to identify pathogenic bacteria, beneficial bacteria, fungal overgrowths, parasites, inflammation markers, digestive enzyme output, and intestinal permeability markers. Most clients with chronic bloating, IBS, or fatigue have completely normal standard blood tests. The GI map reveals the dysfunction driving those symptoms.
All test kits are delivered to your door. Results are available within 10 to 14 days of the lab receiving your sample.
IBS, IBD, and functional digestive disorders
SIBO and bacterial overgrowth patterns
Leaky gut and intestinal permeability
Candida and fungal overgrowth
Autoimmune conditions with a gut component
Chronic fatigue and brain fog with a digestive driver
Food sensitivities and expanding intolerances
Mood and anxiety with a gut-brain axis component
Gut health consultations and functional testing are available to clients anywhere in Australia via video call. Test kits are delivered to your door.
Initial 60 to 90 minute consultation via video
GI Microbiome Map and other test kits posted to your home
Full written protocol and follow-up support included
Telehealth clients receive the same process as in-clinic
Consultations are 60 to 90 minutes. Domenic takes the full history before forming any clinical impression.
Every protocol is built around functional test results, not assumptions.
You will understand what your results mean, why each part of the protocol is included, and what to expect.
Progress is tracked through retesting. If the plan needs refining, it is reassessed.
Healing the gut takes time. The 6R Program is structured and designed for lasting results.
We also see patients from Richmond, Fitzroy, Brunswick, Frankston, Dandenong, and surrounding Melbourne suburbs — and telehealth patients from across Australia.
Standard stool tests screen for serious infections only. The GI Microbiome Map uses PCR DNA technology to quantify over 30 pathogenic bacteria, beneficial bacteria species, fungal overgrowths, parasites, inflammation markers including calprotectin, digestive enzyme function, and intestinal permeability markers that standard tests do not assess.
Yes. Discontinue probiotics and antimicrobial supplements for 5 to 7 days before collecting your sample. Prescription medications continue as normal. If you recently completed antibiotics, wait 2 to 3 weeks before testing.
The kit includes collection paper, vials with preservative, a prepaid return box, and detailed instructions. The process takes 5 to 10 minutes at home. Drop the sealed kit at any Australia Post location.
10 to 14 days from when the lab receives your sample. Total turnaround from mailing to results consultation is approximately 2.5 to 3 weeks.
Yes. The test measures zonulin, the accepted biomarker for intestinal permeability. Elevated levels indicate the gut barrier has become permeable. Approximately 65 to 70% of clients with unexplained food intolerances or autoimmune conditions show elevated zonulin on testing.
Yes. Poor gut health impairs absorption of B vitamins, iron, and magnesium needed for energy production. Approximately 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, so microbiome disruption directly affects mood and cognitive clarity.
Most clients notice significant improvement within 8 to 12 weeks. The full 6R Program takes 3 to 6 months depending on severity. Early changes in energy and bloating typically appear within the first 4 to 6 weeks.
IBS is a symptom-based diagnosis. SIBO is a specific finding of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. The two frequently overlap, with research suggesting SIBO is present in 60 to 80% of IBS diagnoses. Functional testing identifies which imbalances are present rather than treating a label.
Domenic Pisanelli is a registered naturopath and functional medicine practitioner with over 25 years of clinical experience. His qualifications span Medical Herbalism, Nutritional Medicine, Live Blood Analysis, Electro-Dermal Screening (CEDS), Iridology, and Functional Medicine. He is an ATMS member.
As a gut health naturopath in Melbourne, Domenic developed the ROOT Method as a structured framework for identifying root causes through functional testing and building personalised protocols around each client’s results. He is the practitioner to contact when your results come back normal but you still feel unwell.
Book a free 20-minute discovery call. Domenic will call you at a time that suits, with no obligation. Available via telehealth across Australia.
