If you have issues with your health or worry about chronic diseases, cancer, and aging, what would you do if I told you there’s a way to find out if you’re more prone to problems and could get insight on how to prevent them? Well, now there is. It’s a test you can take to evaluate your health, and it’s considered a scientific breakthrough. A company called Viome Life Sciences is behind it, and it’s the focus of this week’s longevity series.
What is Viome Life Sciences?
Viome is a longevity and preventive health company working to deal with what’s considered an epidemic in America and, honestly, the world: chronic diseases, cancer, and aging. The researchers who work here want to make illness optional for all of us. How? The company has developed at-home tests that can analyze your microbial and human gene expressions (mRNA). Using information from the test results, the idea is that each person can be given insights like personalized food recommendations and nutritional products to reduce the likelihood of future health issues and ultimately live a longer and healthier life.
How Is This Possible?
First, we must explain a few things, starting with gut microbiome. That’s the trillions of bacteria and microorganisms that exist in your digestive tract. Those organisms help break down your food and convert them to nutrients while protecting against infection. The microbiome sends messages throughout your body, which are influenced by diet and lifestyle. However, the gut doesn’t just help control digestion and play a role in immune function but also plays a part in your overall well-being, including mental and emotional health. We all know that what goes into our gut matters, but it’s hard to know what role each item or ingredient plays. After all, who has the time or expertise to research each and every piece of food or product?
Viome’s goal is to give you a test to show you just what the impact will be, to see which foods will benefit you and which ones will cause you harm. It’s important to note the test also analyzes your oral microbiome and your cells. It can provide info about microbial and human gene expression (mRNA), including your biological age, immune system health, gut health, oral health, heart health, brain and cognitive health, and 50 more subscores. The unique markers they get from the tests can help evaluate all of those things, making it possible to deal with the root causes of the big three concerns: chronic diseases, cancer, and aging.
What Do the Tests Involve?
Viome now offers an easy-to-use gut microbiome test that you can order online and take in your home independently. It’s clinically backed and is called Full Body Intelligence Test. The test is mailed to you and requires three kinds of samples: blood (just a finger prick), saliva, and stool. There are how-to instructions on how to take each sample. Then you register the test in their free app, complete an hour-long questionnaire, and send the samples back to them. They use that registration to keep your testing information straight and to send you back your results, which will take two to three weeks.
How Do You Interpret the Results?
Once Viome gets your samples, they run them through to read the “messages” your microbiome sends throughout your body and translate them into Health Scores. Those scores are essentially used to make recommendations that are personalized for you. So, not only will you find out the right foods to keep you healthiest, but the company can also create personalized products for you. That includes supplement ingredients and specific foods, so you will know what’s ideal for your diet to better control the functions that dictate how fast you age, how you feel, how you look, and your body’s resilience to stress and illness. You truly could be given a custom-formulated supplement made up of ingredients that are optimized for you, from vitamins and minerals to digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics. You’ll get a list of the foods you should avoid and others you should eat more of.
How Much Does it Cost?
The tests run a little over $300 and aren’t covered by insurance, but you can use an HSA or FSA to pay for them. You can also pay extra for a consultation with an expert to review the results with you. That might be helpful if the test results overwhelm you when they come back, so it’s a good thing to remember. If you make changes after getting the results, you can also retest a few months later if you want to see if the changes you made are working. There’s a monthly subscription for that.
The Bottom Line
If you want to know for sure what works best for your body, this is a good way to find out. The results can help you create the ideal diet for you, and the recommendations can help with a caveat. You have to be willing to follow the guidelines the test suggests.
The way I see it, what do you have to lose other than the cost of the test?
Read More:
Find Out Your Personal Superfoods to Age Well
The ONE Skincare Ingredient to Look For In Your Anti-Aging Products
