Calprotectin is a protein released by white blood cells into the bowel when the gut lining is inflamed, so a stool test shows how much intestinal inflammation is present. A low result makes inflammatory bowel disease unlikely and supports a functional cause such as IBS. A raised result does not diagnose anything on its own, but it needs GP review and often a colonoscopy referral. Verified practitioners can order Nutripath’s calprotectin kit through Vively.
| Test type | Measured in a stool sample |
|---|---|
| Nutripath code | 2001 |
| Sample and collection | Stool kit collected at home and posted to Nutripath |
| Preparation | No fasting. Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen for 2 weeks beforehand if the prescriber agrees, and don’t collect during a stomach bug or menstrual bleeding. |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days (Nutripath estimate, from when the lab receives the sample). Allow extra days for postage. |
| Available through | Nutripath test ordered through Vively. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. |
| Pricing | Pricing in your practitioner account |
| Results | PDF report from Nutripath, filed in your client’s record and app beside their blood results |
Only practitioners can order this test. Ask your naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian whether they use Vively.
What does faecal calprotectin measure?
Calprotectin makes up much of the protein inside neutrophils. When neutrophils move into an inflamed bowel wall, calprotectin passes into the stool, where it stays stable for several days, so one sample gives a fair picture of inflammation along the gut.
Calprotectin rises in proportion to the number of neutrophils in the bowel lining. It reflects active inflammation, not the cause of it.
A low result in someone with diarrhoea, pain or bloating makes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis unlikely. Guidelines use it to decide who needs a colonoscopy and who can be managed as IBS.
In diagnosed IBD, the gastroenterologist may use repeat calprotectin to track flares and healing. Any change in management sits with the treating doctor.
Nutripath measures calprotectin by fluorescence immunoassay and reports it in micrograms per gram of stool against the reference interval printed on the report.
| Nutripath test | Code | Sample | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calprotectin | 2001 | Stool | 3 to 5 business days |
How do you order a calprotectin test through Vively?
- Get verified. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer tests. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Build the order. Log in to the practitioner platform, choose the Nutripath test and add any blood tests or the $99 Baseline Health Check to the same order. Pricing shows in your account, and either your client or your practice can pay.
- Client collects at home. Nutripath sends your client the collection kit once the order is placed. Your client follows the kit instructions (a small scoop of one stool sample into the tube provided) and posts the sample back to Nutripath in the packaging provided.
- Review the report. Nutripath’s PDF report is filed in your client’s record and app, next to their blood results, ready for the follow-up consult.
See every Nutripath test you can order on the Nutripath tests page.
Order a calprotectin test with your client’s blood tests
Free access for verified naturopaths, nutritionists and dietitians. Order Nutripath tests and blood pathology in one place, and see every result in your client’s record.
What does a calprotectin result tell you, and what does it not?
Calprotectin is one of the better studied functional stool markers. It is good at ruling inflammation out, and less specific about what a raised result means.
NICE recommends faecal calprotectin to help tell IBD from IBS in adults with new lower gut symptoms when cancer is not suspected, with 50 micrograms per gram as the usual cut-off (NICE DG11, 2013).
Gut infections, NSAIDs, proton pump inhibitors, diverticular disease, polyps and bowel cancer can all raise calprotectin. A high result is a reason to refer, not a diagnosis.
Results between about 50 and 200 micrograms per gram are common and often settle. Many clinicians repeat the test in 4 to 6 weeks, after stopping NSAIDs, before referring.
A normal calprotectin does not exclude bowel cancer. Red flag symptoms need GP review whatever the result.
How does calprotectin fit with blood work?
Read calprotectin with a few blood markers from the same order. Together they show whether gut inflammation is affecting absorption and whether a referral is urgent.
- ReferRaised calprotectin with low ferritin or low haemoglobin
Inflammation with iron loss or poor absorption. Refer to the GP for assessment, which may include colonoscopy.
- ContextRaised calprotectin with raised hs-CRP
Inflammation that reaches the bloodstream suggests a more active process. Refer rather than retest.
- RetestBorderline calprotectin, normal blood count and iron
Often transient or medicine related. Stop NSAIDs if the prescriber agrees and retest in 4 to 6 weeks.
- LowLow calprotectin, normal blood count, iron and hs-CRP
Supports a functional picture such as IBS. Work on diet, stress and bowel habits, and review if symptoms change.
What can affect a calprotectin result?
- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin in the 2 weeks before collection
- Proton pump inhibitors, which can raise calprotectin a little
- A recent gut infection or food poisoning
- Blood in the stool from menstruation or haemorrhoids
- Age, as levels run higher in young children and older adults
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Any raised calprotectin, or a borderline result that stays up on retest
- Rectal bleeding, black stools, unexplained weight loss or night time diarrhoea
- Iron deficiency anaemia or a change in bowel habit over the age of 45
- A family history of bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
- Severe abdominal pain, fever or signs of dehydration
How should a client prepare for a calprotectin stool test?
Copy or print this to send to your client. Follow the instructions in the Nutripath kit if they differ.
Preparing for your calprotectin stool test
- You don’t need to fast. Eat as you normally do.
- If you take anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, ask your doctor whether you can stop them for 2 weeks before the test. Don’t stop prescribed medicines without asking.
- Don’t collect during a stomach bug, or while you have your period or bleeding haemorrhoids.
- Collect one stool sample at home using the kit Nutripath sends you. Follow the kit instructions for filling and labelling the tube.
- Post the sample back the same day in the packaging provided, early in the week so it isn’t in the post over the weekend.
- Your practitioner will receive the report and go through it with you.
What does the calprotectin report look like?
Nutripath publishes sample reports on its website. They open in a new tab.
How do practitioners use calprotectin with clients?
It is most useful at the first consult for a client with ongoing diarrhoea, pain or bloating who hasn’t had a colonoscopy. A low result gives you confidence to work on a functional plan. A raised result changes the plan: write to the GP with the result and the client’s symptoms, and hold off on gut protocols until inflammatory bowel disease is ruled out. Order it with ferritin, a blood count and hs-CRP so the GP letter has the full picture.
Calprotectin FAQs
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order a calprotectin test through Vively?
Yes. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. Add Nutripath’s calprotectin kit to an order in the Vively practitioner platform, on its own or with blood tests. Pricing shows in your account. No account yet? Request free access.
What is a normal calprotectin level?
Read the result against the reference interval on the Nutripath report. As a guide, many labs and NICE use 50 micrograms per gram as the cut-off below which inflammatory bowel disease is unlikely in adults. Results above about 200 usually prompt referral.
Does a high calprotectin mean Crohn’s disease or colitis?
Not on its own. Infections, NSAIDs, diverticular disease, polyps and bowel cancer can also raise it. A raised result means the client needs GP review, which may lead to a colonoscopy.
Can calprotectin rule out IBS?
It works the other way: a low calprotectin makes inflammatory bowel disease unlikely, which supports a diagnosis of IBS when the symptoms fit and there are no red flags. IBS itself has no stool marker.
How long do calprotectin results take?
Nutripath estimates 3 to 5 business days from when the lab receives the sample. Allow a few extra days for postage.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Faecal calprotectin diagnostic tests for inflammatory diseases of the bowel (DG11). 2013.
- Menees SB, Powell C, Kurlander J, Goel A, Chey WD. A meta-analysis of the utility of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin, and fecal lactoferrin to exclude inflammatory bowel disease in adults with IBS. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2015.
- Nutripath. Calprotectin, test code 2001. nutripath.com.au, checked 1 October 2026.