Viome

To put it bluntly – Viome tests your poop and gives you a recommended diet based on their analysis of your gut bacterial composition – the company has also not started to sell targeted supplements based on your results.

Viome provides a laundry list of the bacterial strains, genus, and virus names and in percentage to the population and to those tested. Most of the strains I have never heard of, and Viome does not explain how your stool sample results determine your food recommendations. This was a bit frustrating for someone deeply interested in the subject.

The main output of their test is that they provide personalized diet recommendation; sorting most of the common foods into: Superfoods, Indulge, Enjoy, Limit, and Avoid categories

My Superfoods were: Green Tea, Game Meat, Bok Choy, Fennel, and Mulberries. Interestingly, Commonly believed to be “healthy foods” such as spinach and kale, were not part of my top 10 Superfood list.

And foods like avocado and sauerkraut- which I had been eating a lot of were in the “Limit” category (spinach was an “Enjoy”).

That said, I coincidently went to my doctor shortly after receiving my Viome results; the doctor had done blood work, including a histamine test, which came back relatively high. As a result, she prescribed montelukast (aka Singulair). Upon further research of the foods recommended by Viome, a common theme was that many traditionally “healthy” foods that were on my Limit lists, like avocados, dark chocolate, and sauerkraut, are all actually relatively high in histamines (excess histamine can cause inflation in the body).  Thus, my doctor prescribed montelukast because of its ability to combat high histamine levels (more common to prevent asthma attacks).

Despite no explanation on how they determine your food Recs, I am comforted that there was some continuity with my blood tests, so it appears Viome may be worthwhile improving your gut and overall health.

Highly recommended book on the gut:

The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health

Link to Viome’s Website & App: www.viome.com

Let me know your thoughts in Viome and how it has worked for you….