- The Importance of Knowing Your Gut Health
- Quick Comparison Table of Viome vs. Everlywell
- Overview of Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test
- Overview of Viome Gut Microbiome Test
- Comparing Value and Pricing
- Comparing Customer Reviews and Rating
- Comparing Testing Accuracy
- Main Difference between Everlywell and Viome
- What’s Better: Viome or Everlywell?
- Other Gut Microbiome Test Alternatives to Consider Before Buying
- The Bottom Line
By now you’ve probably heard of gut health testing, or even how to test your gut health. Whether your doctor recommended it to you or you’ve stumbled across information online, you may have realized how important they’ve become in recent years. Since the bacteria in our gut has such as profound impact on our overall health, it’s ideal to really know what’s going on inside of our body. These test kits will look at all kinds of things, depending on the brand you choose. Some assess the bacteria that are in your microbiome by way of a stool sample. Others use a blood sample to determine what foods are causing your gut health to suffer.
Are you wondering what the best brand of gut health testing is? There are kits available from companies like Everlywell and Viome, and we’re going to compare these two brands so you understand what each of them provides before making a final decision. Then you can decide which brand option is going to best suit your needs and the future of your gut health.
The Importance of Knowing Your Gut Health
The state of our gut impacts our entire body. When our gut isn’t healthy, this can cause a whole host of leaky gut symptoms from GI upset to anxiety and illness. While you may have figured out certain foods in your diet will tend to give you problems when you eat them, there’s probably a lot more that you can uncover about your gut health that you don’t yet know about.
Our gut will break down the food that we eat so nutrients can be absorbed into our body. However, our gut is also responsible for things like promoting a healthy immune response when we come into contact with things like viruses or harmful bacteria. The amount of inflammation in the body can be regulated by our gut. Zeroing in on what’s actually living in our gut and what’s going on in there will help us make healthier choices in regard to what we eat and what supplements we use to boost gut health. It can also help us better manage other health conditions that we’re dealing with.
Quick Comparison Table of Viome vs. Everlywell
| Vs. | Viome | Everlywell |
|---|---|---|
| Type of test: | Gut Health | Food Sensitivity |
| What results will you get: | Energy levels, cellular function, immune health, gut bacteria | 204 potential food triggers |
| Sample: | Choice of Stool or Blood sample | Blood sample finger prick |
| Detailed personalized plan post results: | Yes | Yes |
| Option for probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics based on test results: | Yes | No |
| Cost: | $249 | $259 |
| Website / Current Promotion: | viome.com | everlywell.com |
| GW Rating: | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 |
Overview of Everlywell Food Sensitivity Test
Everlywell has a slightly different method of collection compared to other similar gut health test kits. They have you provide a blood sample into a few different collection spots using a provided lancet. It’s easy and pain-free. Your sample is tested against 204 different potential food triggers that might be causing you GI issues and other health problems. If you know that something is bothering you but you can’t seem to figure it out, this is your best option.
When it comes to data results, you get the most for your money from Everlywell. They keep things very simple, giving you the information that you need in a simple report. You receive a score from zero to three for each food tested. Zero indicates no reaction while three is a high reaction food. They also sell other test kits that can help you take control of your health, such as allergy tests, colon cancer test kits and metabolism screenings.
You also receive information regarding what you should do with the information you have in front of you. You’ll learn more about what to avoid, what to incorporate into your diet and what kinds of supplements you would benefit from.
Pros
- Easy collection kit provided so you can quickly acquire your sample
- Fast results
- Easy to interpret results
- Tests for 204 different food sensitivities
Cons
- Everlywell does not have their own line of supplements that you can purchase after receiving your results
Overview of Viome Gut Microbiome Test
The Viome brand provides you with the option to test your stool sample or a blood sample. Their Gut Microbiome Test provides rather extensive results, including information on your health in regard to energy levels, cellular function, immune health and more. You’re also provided with food recommendations that you should incorporate into your diet and those that you should stay away from.
It’s nice to know more about what foods you should be staying away from based on your gut sensitivity, but Viome also provides you with knowledge that can have a much greater impact on your overall health based on the state of your microbiome. They also sell probiotics and prebiotics to help you get back on track if you don’t have enough beneficial bacteria in your gut or you have too much harmful bacteria present.
Pros
- A subscription service is available for repeat tests and supplements
- Results are provided in an easy-to-understand report
- Includes multiple aspects of your health
Cons
- Processing times are a little longer than other gut health test kit brands
Comparing Value and Pricing
The cost of Everlywell’s Food Sensitivity Test is $259, though there is often a discount on their website. This is one of the higher price points when it comes to at-home testing, but you have to take into account the amount of data that Everlywell provides. With more than 200 possible food triggers outlined in their testing, you’ll be hard pressed to find such a thorough test out there.
Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test retails for $249, but their website often discounts the kit by as much as $100 off. If you can catch it when it’s on sale, the price isn’t too bad. I think this test is a better value if you’re looking for more information beyond what your food sensitivities are. You can use Viome’s test to really understand why you feel the way that you do beyond the impact that the foods you’re eating have.
Comparing Customer Reviews and Rating
Everlywell currently has over 900 different reviews on their website for the Food Sensitivity Test alone. With a 96 percent satisfaction rating, people have used this test kit to determine what their food triggers are, what they shouldn’t be eating and what they should increase in their diet. You can take that information and make dietary changes as needed.
Viome has a 3.1 star rating out of five stars on the TrustPilot website. With almost 800 reviews, most people found that the Gut Health Intelligence Test was useful for finding what foods are issues, what your current status of health is based on a number of categories and access to high quality supplements. Unfortunately, some people find the wait time to be a little long in regard to test results. Some people have waited four weeks to receive their tests, with some being shared even later than that. Their customer service response time is also questionable.
Comparing Testing Accuracy
It’s hard to say whether or not a gut health test is accurate because there’s not a lot of ways to fact check the information that you’ve received. However, people have received confirmation that a food that’s bothering them is actually a trigger according to their test results. There have been people that have stated in their review that they know a certain food causes issues and they tested negative for those potential triggers. Overall, it appears that Everlywell has the better accuracy based on customer reviews and the process they use for testing.
Main Difference between Everlywell and Viome
Everlywell is a test that is going to make a lot of sense for you if you’ve been experiencing issues such as gas, bloating, discomfort, headaches or bowel issues. These issues point towards food sensitivities for the most part, though the state of your microbiome may be contributing to these symptoms. If you choose a microbiome test like the one that Viome offers, you’ll get a snapshot of what’s going on in your gut in regard to microbial gene expression, human gene expression as well as mitochondrial gene expression.
What’s Better: Viome or Everlywell?
Both Viome and Everlywell produce high quality products that you can use to really dial in on your gut health. Making changes to your diet, supplement routine and lifestyle can make a big difference in how you feel each day when you get out of bed. The way that your body digests a meal can be more comfortable when you have a healthy microbiome. You may get sick less because your immune system is functioning more optimally. When you do get sick, you may find that the symptoms are shorter in duration than you’re used to. However, you need to have some sort of starting point to work from. I believe that both of these test kits are beneficial if you’re trying to learn more about your microbiome. Which brand that you choose will really be determined by what your concerns are for your gut health and what each test offers.
Other Gut Microbiome Test Alternatives to Consider Before Buying
There are other gut microbiome tests (see our top-rated picks) to consider, each providing a slightly different opportunity to learn more about your gut health. Let’s take a quick look.
Ombre
Ombre provides you with the ability to monitor your health while addressing gut symptoms that you may have using their personalized microbiome reports. They also offer targeted probiotics through their website based on your results. Learn more about Ombre to see if it's a good fit for you.
Flore
Flore (read review) has gut health test kits for adults, children, toddlers and babies. They also sell customized probiotic supplements based on your test results. We also compare Viome to Floré for those interested in learning the differences and which is better.
Atlas Biomed
Atlas Biomed is a UK-based company that sells a microbiome test that reports back your dietary fiber breakdown, beneficial bacteria, butyrate synthesis and personalized food recommendations. For those that live in the UK, this is a great option!
DayTwo
DayTwo, like Viome, recognizes that we all have different bacteria living in our gut, affecting how our bodies function and feel. They have a microbiome test kit that provides information regarding how your body experiences a glycemic response for certain foods, what your microbiome profile looks like and much more.
The Bottom Line
Gut health is such an important part of how our bodies function, and it’s unfortunate that a lot of people don’t realize this. Approximately one in ten Americans has a food allergy, but research published by the JAMA Network shows that almost double that think they have one. Many of these suspicions show that a food sensitivity is present, not an allergy
While there is no immune response present with a food sensitivity, the gut definitely reacts poorly when exposure happens. It’s beneficial to know what foods trigger issues like bloating, diarrhea and gas so you don’t have to be uncomfortable. This can also protect your gut from inflammation and damage. Investing in a gut health test kit of any sort is likely to provide you with some degree of beneficial information.
It’s also nice to work with a company that provides you with access to high quality probiotics, prebiotics and other gut health supplements. Subscription services bring your supplements right to your door each month without having to worry about buying them at the store.
Tips for Success from the RD
In addition to the use of tests and supplements for gut health, there are foods which are very beneficial for your gut health. Let’s take a look at four different types of these helpful foods.
Foods with High Fiber Levels
Foods like beans, peas, oats, legumes, bananas and berries can keep your bowel movements regular and prevent things like gas and bloating when consumed regularly.
Onion
Whether you eat them raw on a salad or you cook them up as part of a meal, onions have copious benefits such as preventing cancer and boosting the immune system. Onions also have antiviral properties and can reduce inflammation.
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are delicious but they also contain natural probiotics. The next time that you go grocery shopping, pick up some sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh and kimchi. They can help make your microbiome more diverse.
Foods High in Collagen
Foods that have high collagen components include bone broth and salmon. Collagen is beneficial for the gut, but it can also help you maintain healthy joints and bones, reduce inflammation and keep your skin looking clear and youthful.
