Gut Health and
Microbiome Care in the
Greater Nashville Area
Personalized Functional Medicine Care for Patients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, and Beyond
For patients across the Greater Nashville area struggling with chronic digestive symptoms, gut-driven fatigue, or the wide-ranging downstream effects of an imbalanced microbiome, functional medicine offers something conventional care rarely provides: an actual explanation of what is happening and a plan built around it.
Grace Optimal Wellness provides comprehensive gut health and microbiome care from its Mt. Juliet location, serving patients across Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, and surrounding Tennessee communities. Telehealth is available throughout the state including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and rural areas. Care is led by Andrea Knight, FNP-BC, ABAAHP, who brings over 20 years of clinical experience and specialized training in functional medicine to every patient.
Why Gut Health Matters More Than Most Patients Realize
The gut is far more than a digestive organ. It houses approximately 70% of the immune system, produces around 90% of the body’s serotonin, and manufactures many of the neurotransmitters and hormonal precursors the rest of the body depends on. When gut health is compromised, the downstream effects touch nearly every system.
This is why patients with gut dysfunction often present with symptoms that seem unrelated to digestion. Fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, sleep disruption, hormonal imbalance, skin issues, joint discomfort, and weight loss resistance are all commonly rooted in gut health issues that conventional workups miss entirely.
Common conditions and patterns addressed at Grace Optimal Wellness include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with bloating, irregular bowel patterns, gas, and abdominal discomfort.
- Gut dysbiosis affecting immunity, mood, and hormone metabolism.
- Intestinal permeability (leaky gut) contributing to systemic inflammation.
- Food sensitivities identified through targeted testing.
- Candida overgrowth and fungal imbalances.
- Chronic constipation, diarrhea, or alternating patterns.
- Gastroesophageal reflux with root causes beyond acid production.
- Digestive enzyme insufficiency affecting nutrient absorption.
The Functional Medicine Gut Workup
Conventional gut testing typically consists of blood work looking for celiac, sometimes an endoscopy or colonoscopy, and stool tests limited to obvious pathogens. This tells the provider what is not causing the symptoms. It rarely reveals what is.
The functional medicine workup at Grace Optimal Wellness includes:
Comprehensive stool analysis – Modern testing evaluates the diversity and composition of the microbiome, presence of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, or parasites, markers of intestinal inflammation, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal permeability indicators, and the activity of bacteria that influence estrogen and other hormone metabolism.
Food sensitivity testing – IgG-mediated food sensitivity panels identify foods driving ongoing inflammation and gut symptoms.
Nutrient status – Deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and vitamin D commonly accompany gut dysfunction and both worsen digestive symptoms and drive the mood, energy, and cognitive symptoms of gut-brain connection issues.
Inflammatory markers – Systemic inflammation indicators identify the broader impact of gut inflammation.
The Grace Optimal Wellness Treatment Approach
Treatment is built from testing rather than templated. Common intervention categories include:
Microbiome restoration – Individualized probiotic and prebiotic selection based on the specific microbiome patterns identified.
Gut lining repair – Nutrients like L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, and collagen peptides support intestinal wall integrity.
Digestive enzyme support – Where enzyme insufficiency is identified through testing.
Anti-inflammatory nutrition – A structured elimination and reintroduction approach identifies foods driving inflammation and builds a sustainable dietary framework.
Stress and nervous system support – Since the gut-brain axis is bidirectional, addressing chronic stress is essential for lasting hormonal wellness and gut health.
Nutrient repletion – Correcting deficiencies identified through testing accelerates gut healing and addresses downstream symptoms.
Meet Our Team
Who is here to help you feel your best!
Serving the Greater Nashville Area
Grace Optimal Wellness is located in Mt. Juliet, easily accessible for patients across Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, Hermitage, Old Hickory, Donelson, and the surrounding Wilson County and Davidson County communities. Telehealth gut health care is available to patients throughout Tennessee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does gut healing take?
Most patients notice improvements in digestive symptoms within four to eight weeks of starting a targeted treatment plan. Deeper gut healing typically continues over three to six months. Patients with significant dysbiosis or long-standing gut issues may require longer arcs of care to achieve full resolution.
Q: Can gut issues really cause fatigue and brain fog?
Yes. The gut produces most of the body’s serotonin, houses 70 percent of the immune system, and manages nutrient absorption critical for energy production. When gut health is compromised, fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, and cognitive symptoms are extremely common. Addressing gut health often resolves symptoms that seemed unrelated to digestion.
Q: Do you offer gut health care via telehealth?
Yes. Grace Optimal Wellness provides comprehensive gut health care via telehealth to patients throughout Tennessee including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and rural areas. Testing kits are shipped directly to patients, and telehealth patients receive the same personalized treatment approach as in-person patients.