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I was having some health issues a few years ago when I wrote about men who need to take their gut health seriously. (Turns out losing weight and giving up coffee, for the most part, solved a lot of problems.)
One source I spoke with was Naveen Jain, CEO and founder of Viome, a scientific wellness company that focuses on gut health and nutrition. “What many people don’t know is that the gut is an extremely complex ecosystem and has a huge impact on whole body health,” Jain told me. “90% of all diseases, including IBS, depression, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and even aging, are linked to the gut microbiome.”
It took a few years, but as I’m now in my fifties and concentrating more on my health, I decided to try Jain’s service. The decision also coincided with my increased interest in supplements, which seem useful, though I admittedly haven’t been able to figure out what to take (my doctor has suggested a few well-known options, like fish oil capsules).
Wanting to take the guesswork out of supplements, I looked to Viome. After taking an at-home test, the company analyzes your gut microbiome, metabolic health and nutritional needs and gives you a few (well, 60+) health “scores” crafted via advanced sequencing technology and AI, along with food suggestions and a list of tailored supplements to help you in areas where you need to improve.
Personalized supplements and nutrition plans? I was game. So I ordered the Full Body Intelligence test, which includes all the testing kits from Viome (Gut Intelligence and Oral Health) in one, slightly-discounted package. The company claims 86% of Viome users saw improvement in at least one area of health and 92% saw energy improvements, along with a majority who experienced mood uplifts, digestive health improvements and even weight loss. Again, these numbers are coming from the brand itself, but it was something to keep in mind.
Now, I hate to say “do your own research,” but given that supplements aren’t covered by the same standards as medications, you really should see exactly what you’re taking and how it’ll react to your prescriptions, how it’ll affect your liver/kidneys and which ones may not be medically proven to do much of anything (I particularly like Consumer Reports for an unbiased publication). And read other people’s reviews of Viome, which cover a wide range — we’ll get to those after my analysis.
The tests
The full body test arrived in a small box and with everything I needed to collect RNA from saliva, blood and stools. The saliva and blood needed to be collected within an hour of waking up and before drinking and eating; the stool sample was a “whatever, just send it in within three days” scenario. (Not as gross, I also had to fill out an online questionnaire.)
The saliva test was more exhaustive than the typical swabbing; I had to spit into a funnel attached to a small tube. Given that I have a dry mouth in the morning, this proved more difficult than I anticipated, but of the three tests, it caused the least hassle.
It’s Time for Men to Take Their Gut Health More Seriously
Your digestive system stubbornness (and embarrassment) could be life-threateningThe blood test had some issues. Using a lancet and two blood collection tubes, I was supposed to jab the side of a finger and then fill four (!) minivettes with my blood without clogging the tubes, which was a delicate dance of holding the collecting tube directly under my finger without touching it. Again, this was at 7 a.m. before I had food or drink (beyond water, which was encouraged). The directions suggested using all minivettes to fill both tubes; after pricking multiple fingers, I was barely able to hit the minimum collection of two minivettes and one tube.
As for the stool sample? Ehhh, let’s just say it involved sticky collection paper across my toilet seat and a small tube with a scoop. Not ideal, but not difficult.
I completed my tests over two days in late March, placed them in a prepaid mailing bag and dropped them off at the post office (I know they were in sealed containers, but I still feel the need to say, sorry, USPS!). I received my results in mid-April.
The results
My personalized health insights — available on an app or once you’ve signed into their website — featured six “health zone” scores (covering immunity, oral health, gut and digestive health, among others) and nearly 60 contributing scores that went into greater detail, from “sulfide gas production pathways” to “immune system activation.”
Each score had a number and a “maintain” or “improve” recommendation. The dashboard also offered up stats for my BioAge and Inflammaging, along with my microbiome profile, potential health concerns (like heart disease) and a list of foods to enjoy/avoid and a range of personalized supplements, gut formulas, toothpastes and oral lozenges that could help fill nutrient gaps.
It was all admittedly a little confusing (alas, I never took the MCAT). Here, for example, is how my very low (35/100) score for “LPS Biosynthesis Pathways” was explained:
This score evaluates microbial activity in your gut related to the production of LPS (lipopolysaccharides), a pro-inflammatory molecule. LPS is produced by certain gut microbes and can trigger an immune response, especially if it crosses the gut lining and enters the bloodstream. Elevated LPS production is a key indicator of inflammatory activity in the gut, which can impact both gut and overall health. A score in the Maintain range suggests that your gut microbial activity related to LPS production is well-regulated and within a range that is not likely to cause significant inflammation. It indicates that your gut environment is balanced, and maintaining current lifestyle and dietary habits can help support this healthy state. A score in the Attention range indicates higher microbial activity related to LPS production, which may elevate the risk of inflammation and related health issues. Your nutrition recommendations will focus on addressing the underlying factors contributing to this imbalance, helping your gut limit LPS-related inflammation and protect your overall health.
I took the advice of one Reddit user to send Viome’s confusing results and suggestions to ChatGPT to get a simpler or more actionable recommendation. Per that LLM: “Imagine your gut is a neighborhood. The bacteria are the residents. LPS is like smoke from some factories. A little smoke contained within the factory district isn’t usually a problem. But if a lot of smoke escapes into the rest of the city, it triggers alarms (your immune system) and emergency responses (inflammation). Viome is estimating how much ‘smoke’ your gut bacteria are capable of producing—not whether the alarms are actually going off.” Solution? Eat more fiber and fermented foods (like yogurt).
Viome, meanwhile, recommended I increase my consumption of olives, pineapple, purple kale and turmeric (among others). The app also suggested a few food extracts and prebiotics, which were also part of the supplements and gut formulas they could prescribe me.
And that’s where you have to make a decision. Based on my scores — which were good in areas that I assumed the worst and bad in one space (oral health) that I didn’t recognize as an issue — a line of “precision formulas” was recommended. Between the supplements, gut formulas, oral lozenges and toothpaste/gel recs, I would need to spend $7.97 per day on average. Which sounds reasonable — that’s a Starbucks fancy coffee or half a cocktail — but a little more unsettling when you realize their plan would cost me $239 per month.
Was my gut health (which their CEO had mentioned was intrinsically linked to my “whole body health”) worth a monthly three-figure billing? As of now, I haven’t pulled the trigger, but I am tempted to try a month of only the supplements, which would run me roughly half the number of a full program.
Should you try Viome? It depends on 1) if you trust their scores and 2) whether you want to spend a pretty big amount of $$$ on supplements that are tailored to your body. While I may wait, I will say the test results themselves and the personalized advice did bring me some insights I haven’t seen before in my physicals or via other health apps. Meanwhile, reviews from other users are mixed.
And Viome certainly wants to keep the conversation going; there are optional readings and videos related to health and nutrition, as well as follow-up emails with advice and additional resources. In some cases, I actually preferred reading this information more than looking at my own results.
For now, I’ll be waiting for my annual physical and reading up a little more on my choices. But I’m certainly going to look at my Viome recommendations while I decide on a gut health action plan.
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