15 DIY Microbiome Testing
Update May 2024: Ken Lassesen’s list of DTC microbiome tests:
Which tests are best to use ranks tests based on how easily they let users extract data. For US users, he recommends Thorne Labs and Ombre Labs. Most of the high-resolution tests will cost about $200.
Although I’ve done hundreds of near-daily microbiome tests in the past, these days I only test myself every couple of months. Here are my recommendations as of early 2023.
If you’re just curious to see the results, I recommend signing up for one of the free clinical studies that will send you a gut kit and report the results:
The MACO study from Endominance wants to understand the relationship between the microbiome and anxiety. Fill out a 100-question survey to get a gut test kit. They’ll pay you $40 and give you your results when you’re done.
NYUFamili gives you a $25 gift card for completing a questionnaire and emailing a gut sample.
If you’re more serious and want to get a detailed breakdown of the microbes, I recommend either:
Ombre, which for $100 will give you a very broad (“16S”) look at your gut microbiome.
Tiny Health ($200), which though specializing in infant and women’s health, offers a good general-purpose high-quality report for adults as well.
Many people are looking for a test that will help them with a diet, either to lose weight or to solve some other gut-related issue. In that case, I would look at:
Zoe ($250), which includes a very readable report, plus an app that helps you target specific foods and amounts. (See my detailed review)
Viome ($300), including a blood and saliva test based on their “transcriptomics” technology. You’ll get a ton of information, mostly related to food suggestions.
If you’re suffering from a specific ailment that you’d like to consider for a microbiome-related treatment, I strongly suggest you see an expert. Search your local area for “digestive” or “gut” doctor, or for a condition like “IBS” or “SIBO”. Go with doctors who use tests from Doctors Data or GI MAP from Diagnostic Solutions. Unfortunately there is wide variation in quality among gut doctors, so you’ll need to shop around, and hopefully get a referral from somebody you trust.
A University of Oslo dietician at MyMicrobiome did a thorough feature summary of microbiome tests available in Europe. While not all of the tests are available in the US, it’s a good breakdown of what to look for in these tests.