Our Assessment
Viome's Gut Intelligence Test offers convenience in exploring and understanding your gut microbiome, coupled with educational insights into how dietary choices impact it. Following our experience with the Gut Intelligence Test, we found the results to be thorough and enlightening, complemented by a relatively straightforward testing procedure.
Key Highlights
The Gut Intelligence Test commences with an uncomplicated at-home stool collection kit, inclusive of comprehensive instructions and necessary tools. Result analysis provides an intricate examination of your current gut microbiome's functionality. Based on your test outcomes, you have the option to enroll in receiving personalized supplements, prebiotics, and probiotics from Viome. Entrepreneur Naveen Jain established Viome in 2016, debuting the Gut Intelligence Test as its inaugural product. By 2021, Viome transitioned into Viome Life Sciences, inaugurating a Health Sciences division to concentrate on clinical research alongside consumer product offerings. Presently, Viome offers four additional tests in conjunction with the Gut Intelligence Test:
Oral Health Intelligence evaluates saliva for potential microbial causes of gum inflammation and halitosis. Health Intelligence gathers stool and blood samples to assess the gut microbiome and cellular functioning, encompassing mitochondria, immune system, and stress response. Full Body Intelligence Test amalgamates assessments from the Health and Oral Health Intelligence tests, incorporating blood, saliva, and stool analyses. The CancerDetect Oral and Throat Test, recognized as a Breakthrough Device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), scrutinizes saliva for indicators of oral and/or throat cancers. Since 2019, Viome has contributed to the publication of 17 scientific studies. Additionally, the company administers a Grants Program, extending research support to clinicians and researchers worldwide focusing on developing products with clinical utility.
Viome Overview
The Gut Intelligence Test furnishes all necessary tools for obtaining a stool sample in the comfort of your home. Result delivery, presented as scores ranging from 0 to 100 concerning various aspects of your gut microbiome, typically occurs within three weeks. Guided by your outcomes, Viome recommends beneficial foods for your microbiome, alongside its branded supplements and prebiotics/probiotics tailored to your results. How Does Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test Operate?
Viome's Gut Intelligence Test stool collection kit encompasses:
Sample collection tube Scoop attached to the tube lid Stool collection paper Clear zip-up baggie with an absorbent pad Measuring tape (for questionnaire completion) Instruction booklet (containing a link to an instructional video) Pre-labeled mailing bag The instruction booklet provides a step-by-step guide throughout the collection process, including disposal instructions for the collection paper. Only a stool sample the size of a green pea is required.
Upon packaging your sample, simply dispatch it to the post office and await your results, typically within two to three weeks, accessible through your online Viome account.
During the result waiting period, you can complete questionnaires within your account, covering aspects such as your Gut Intelligence Test details, general information, medical history, and digestive health. These responses inform your recommendations and preferences according to Viome.
Once results are available, you receive a Gut Health Score, ranging from 0 (indicating "Not Optimal") to 100 ("Optimal"). A "Not Optimal" score (0-42) suggests potential issues like inflammatory chemical production or insufficient nutrient synthesis within the gut microbiome, affecting immune system, metabolism, and digestion, as per Viome.
Your overall Gut Health score is further delineated into scores pertaining to specific biological functions and reactions within your gut, such as inflammatory activity, digestive efficiency, and oxalate metabolism.
Viome tailors diet recommendations based on your results, categorizing over 400 foods into Superfood, Enjoy, Minimize, and Avoid categories to guide you toward microbiome-friendly choices.
Additionally, Viome offers personalized supplement and probiotic blends based on your test outcomes. These supplements may contain a variety of vitamins, digestive enzymes, polyphenols, amino acids, minerals, herbs, and food extracts, while prebiotic and probiotic powders may include eight to 16 probiotic strains.
Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test Pricing
The Gut Intelligence Test costs $259, covering the test and result analysis.
Alternatively, you can bundle the test with a monthly subscription for Viome-recommended probiotics and prebiotics at $69.95 per month (inclusive of the test). Billing commences after receiving the test results, with this option also offering a Gut Intelligence retest kit after every 12 orders. You retain the flexibility to pause or modify your subscription at any time. Cancellation within the first three paid orders incurs a fee equivalent to one month of subscription charges.
Flexible spending account and health savings account plans may offer reimbursement for Viome tests.
Product Usage
Ensure registration of your test kit via the Viome app or website for result association with your account. The kit box contains the Kit ID number and registration QR code within the instruction booklet.
Sample collection is viable at any time of day. Viome advises emptying your bladder before commencing collection and refrains from sample collection during menstruation to prevent urine and blood contamination.
Viome's result interpretations are based on AI algorithms informed by collected microbiome data, expert input, customer questionnaires, and scientific research.
Fine Print
Viome’s laboratory holds CLIA certification, indicating adherence to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 regulations governing human specimen testing for health assessments.
To maintain data confidentiality, Viome segregates personally identifiable information from protected health information, employing multiple layers of encryption and access safeguards. Viome assures no dissemination of user information or results to employers, health insurance companies, or data selling practices.
Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test is designed to offer insights into your microbiome rather than diagnose conditions.
Expert Insights
"I think what Viome is doing is brilliant; making people more aware and having them make lifestyle changes," says Dr. Brandy Zachary, founder of The Dr. Z Functional Medicine Academy in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Dr. Zachary appreciates Viome’s noninvasive testing methods, minimal sample requirement, and simplified result scoring system. She suggests combining Viome's insights with practitioner guidance for comprehensive wellness management, emphasizing that Viome’s results do not replace medical advice.
Viome Gut Intelligence Test Experience
Though collecting and sending a stool sample may not be everyone's favorite task, Viome streamlines the process effectively. The clear instructions and provided tools facilitate easy sample collection and packaging. However, individuals with aversions to handling bodily waste may find this process discomforting.
Our experience revealed intriguing insights into gut functionality and food interactions, offering personalized dietary guidance beyond generalized health recommendations. Viome's optional supplement recommendations allow flexibility in implementing dietary adjustments based on test outcomes, making it a worthwhile investment for those intrigued by gut health exploration.
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