The $180 gut microbiome

In Featured Posts, Probiotics and Gut Health by Prof

We will start a new unit this week – on probiotics and prebiotics.  But the larger context is really about gut health, and the microbes that reside in your intestinal tract. We’ll be considering questions like how they get there, their role in various diseases, and how to shift the microbial population to promote better health.  Of course, before trying to change your gut bacteria, it might help to know what’s actually there.  Doing so is not as difficult as you might think.  In fact, if you have $99, you can have your gut analyzed and get a profile of your very own microbiota.

So far, thousands of people have joined what was originally called the “American Gut Project”, but is now the Microsetta Initiative.  It’s very easy to participate – they send you a sample kit, you collect the sample, mail it back, and wait for the results.  All for $180. They gave a deal for 4 tests so you can check your microbiota over time.  Several other companies are doing the same and even suggesting diets and “personalized nutrition” advice.

One has to be careful, however, about interpreting the data.  For example, how would you react if you learned you were harboring bacteria associated with particular diseases?  Bioethicists are also concerned about privacy issues.  Nonetheless, collecting data from thousands of people is great for scientists who are studying the gut.