What Can Your Gut Microbiome Reveal About Your Diet?

The human microbiome is the complex ecosystem of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. Over the last 15 years, scientists have discovered that this ecosystem plays a huge role in our overall health. And of particular importance is the gut microbiome, which is the community of symbiotic bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your digestive tract.

Recent research has revealed that the gut microbiome affects almost every system in the body, including the digestive system, immune system, and cardiovascular system. There have also been studies that specifically link gut health to a number of human diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, and colon cancer.

You’ve probably noticed that TV doctors and natural health bloggers like to recommend all sorts of foods, beverages, and probiotic products that supposedly improve gut health. Unfortunately, while the science behind gut health is legitimate, a lot of these recommendations are not.

To put it simply, Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test is currently the most advanced gut microbiome test in the world. It uses sophisticated metatranscriptomic sequencing technology developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to map the strains and species of bacteria, fungi, phages, yeast, and viruses that make up your unique gut microbiome. With this information, Viome can recommend the right foods you should be eating more of and the ones you should be avoiding right now. Viome’s analysis also includes comprehensive scores based on the health of your gut. In fact, it’s pretty amazing what they can see from your poop.

Curious to know some things your microbiome can reveal about you?

1. Spinach Isn’t a Superfood For Everyone

You’ve been told to eat your greens and that greens and nuts are anti-inflammatory, but this is not always true. Spinach, bran, rhubarb, beets, nuts, and nut butters all contain oxalates. Oxalate-containing foods can be harmful unless your microbes are producing the chemicals that can metabolize oxalate into non-harmful substances or nutrients.

⅓ of Viome customers are unable to metabolize oxalates properly. For these people, healthy foods like spinach could actually be doing more harm than good.

2. Foods Containing Antioxidants Aren’t Always Good for Everyone

Polyphenol antioxidants in foods are usually considered very healthy, but unless you have microbes that convert specific polyphenols into nutrients that your body can absorb, you may not get their full benefit. One example is a polyphenol called ellagic acid. Viome can detect if your microbiome is metabolizing ellagic acid and converting it into urolithin A. It is only the urolithin A that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Without the microbes to do this conversion, you will not benefit from the ellagic acid in foods such as walnuts, raspberries, or pomegranate,

Only about 50% of Viome customers actually receive the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits from eating foods that contain ellagic acid.

3. Eating Too Much Protein Can Cause Inflammation

Protein helps you build muscle and provides energy, but if you eat too much, it can cause some serious inflammation.

Viome’s technology can see if you are eating too much protein that feeds protein-fermenting bacteria like Alistipes putredinis and Tannerella forsythia. Viome can also see if your gut microbiome is producing harmful substances such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, p-cresol, or putrescine. These substances can damage your gut lining and lead to health issues like leaky gut.

4. Your Gut Microbiome Can Reveal If You're Depressed

Your gut and brain are connected via the vagus nerve. A large majority of neurotransmitters are either produced or consumed by your gut microbiome. In fact, some 90% of all serotonin (a feel-good neurotransmitter) is produced by your gut microbiome and not by your brain.

Viome can analyze if your gut microbiome is producing harmful gases like hydrogen sulfide, which causes the lining of your gut to start to deteriorate, resulting in leaky gut. Leaky gut has also been identified as a potential source of depression and higher levels of anxiety, in addition to many other chronic diseases.

5. Carbs Can Be Protein Precursors

Rejoice! Perhaps carbs aren’t as bad as you thought (as long as your gut microbiome is up to the task). Viome can see if you’re metabolizing some of the starches you are eating and converting them into amino acids that are precursors to protein. Think about it for a second. Your gut microbiome can convert CARBS into amino acids that are precursors to building protein. The microbiome is excellent at adapting and pivoting based on the food you feed it and the environment that it’s in.

Viome’s at-home Gut Intelligence kit and personalized recommendations

Once you place your order, Viome will send you an easy to use at-home kit to collect your sample. After you return your sample by mail, Viome analyzes it to determine what organisms are active in your gut are, and what specific nutrients and toxins they produce from the food you’re eating. Then they use an advanced artificial intelligence system called Vie, which uses a massive (and continually growing) database of information to generate customized dietary recommendations based on your unique results.

These dietary recommendations are designed to:

• Increase microbial species associated with overall wellness

• Minimize microbial species associated with poor health

• Create the ideal ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your diet

• Encourage foods that are most compatible with your metabolism

• Help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight

• Increase your energy, focus and well-being.

With the new year just around the corner, you owe it to yourself to get the customized, designer diet you’ve been looking for. Order your test kit today at Viome.com.