Gut health is more important than most people realize. A lot of us simply attribute our gut to digesting the food that we eat each day. In fact, our gut has so many other important roles as well. For instance, did you know that a large majority of our immune system exists in our gut? The state of our gut can also contribute to our mood and overall mental health.
If you’re experiencing symptoms like bloating, gas, food intolerances, a low mood, anxiety and a poor immune response, it might be time to look into the state of your gut microbiome. There are all kinds of beneficial bacteria present in our gut microbiome that help keep us healthy. If we develop too many bad bacteria or have pathogens, fungi or too much yeast, this can throw us off balance.
Luckily, there are different at-home gut microbiome tests that you can affordably and conveniently take to determine what your gut health is like. Let’s talk about Viome and Thorne more in depth to see which is the better option for your gut health challenges.
Key Aspects
- You receive more than 20 different gut health scores through Viome. These scores help you learn more about your gut health and gut microbiome.
- Viome provides you with suggestions for how you can improve your gut health based on your results.
- Viome pairs testing with a supplement subscription to help you get your gut health back on track.
- Thorne’s gut health test helps you address several symptoms and concerns, including any potential long-term effects from taking antibiotics.
- Your Thorne scores are described in great detail, so you know what your results mean for you and your gut health.
- Your Thorne improvement plan includes recommendations for dietary, supplement and lifestyle changes.
Choose Viome Gut Test if…
- You want to source Viome supplements based on your results.
- You’re interested in repeat testing to see how your gut health improves.
Choose Thorne Gut Test if…
- You want to learn about the various ways your diet, lifestyle and supplements can help improve your gut health.
- -You’re looking for a very mess-free and simple specimen collection process.
The Viome Gut Intelligence Test and Personalized Plan
By analyzing the microbes and mRNA that are in your stool against the information in Viome’s central database, Viome’s Gut Intelligence Test helps you learn more about what’s going on in your gut. You receive a series of gut health test scores that explain things like how much beneficial bacteria you have present, what’s missing, do you have any issues that should be addressed, etc. Diet recommendations, lifestyle changes and supplements are all suggested based on your results to provide you with a personalized plan.
This is a very thorough gut health test that really provides a lot of insight into what’s going on with your body as a whole. Keep in mind that your gut health can affect everything from your immune system to levels of inflammation in the body. Viome is based on a re-testing process as well as personalized supplements from the Viome brand.
My Experience
My Viome experience began when I started having symptoms like food intolerances, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, anxiety, itchy skin and mood changes. None of the doctors I saw could help me figure out what I was dealing with, so I turned to Viome to help me investigate. I had seen a functional practitioner who had mentioned the possibility of things like intestinal permeability and candida overgrowth. This Viome Gut Health Intelligence test seemed like the best way to investigate what was going on.
Obtaining the sample for Viome is very simple. The package that you receive walks you through the whole process and explains what to do. I sent my sample back to the Viome company and awaited my results.
Getting Results Back
Viome advertises that you should receive your results within three weeks. It took the brand about two weeks to get me my results. All the gut health scores are rated between 0 and 100. It was very interesting to see where I landed in those ranges. As I suspected, I was dealing with a slight permeability issue. A leaky gut can cause a lot of the symptoms I had been experiencing. I also had a lack of beneficial bacteria, which I attributed to having to take antibiotics for strep throat a few months ago.
I was recommended a probiotic and prebiotic supplement, as well as some herbal remedies that can help improve the structure of your gut mucosa layer. I also learned about the different foods that I should try and avoid.
Cost and Where to Buy
You can subscribe to the Viome Gut Health Intelligence test and supplement package by visiting https://www.viome.com/. The price is $79.95 per month. This includes regular delivery of your supplements as well as the opportunity to re-test your gut health in a few months.
The Thorne Gut Health Test and Personalized Plan
Thorne has designed a gut health test that can help you figure out why you’re experiencing certain unpleasant symptoms. Your data is assessed using Thorne’s cutting-edge sequencing process to look for things like gut dysbiosis, permeability issues, an imbalance in good versus bad bacteria, immune response and enteric nervous system balance. As you can see, there’s a lot that contributes to our overall gut health.
My Experience
I liked Thorne’s unique, wipe-focused sample collection. There was no mess involved, and it was easy to send my sample off. Unfortunately, the time frame to receive your results is quite a bit longer than for Viome or other similar companies. Thorne advertises that it can take five to six weeks to see results. I almost forgot I took the test after almost a month went by.
Getting Results Back
I received my Thorne Gut Test results just shy of one month. The results were easy to read, and I was able to immediately decipher the information I was provided with. My results were very similar to what I learned from Viome, so I assume they’re both quite accurate. Thorne also determined I was dealing with permeability issues, an enteric nervous system imbalance, food intolerances and not enough beneficial bacteria.
I was provided with a recommendation for a diet to follow, lifestyle changes to make and supplements I could consider using to help bring my gut microbiome back to a more balanced state.
Cost and Where to Buy
You can purchase Thorne Gut Health Test With Microbiome Wipe on the Thorne website, which is located at https://www.thorne.com/. The cost is currently $198. You can save 20% by subscribing for recurring tests and product deliveries.
Comparison Section of Thorne vs Viome Gut Tests
While these are both gut health test kits that serve the same purpose, there are some key similarities and differences to take note of when comparing Thorne and Viome gut tests.
Comparing Gut Health Tests
Both Viome and Thorne offer very comprehensive gut health tests that can provide very important information on your GI system, overall health and wellbeing. They both assess very similar issues, like gut permeability (gut mucosa lining), bacteria, pathogens, candida, etc.
Comparing Results and Biomarkers
I found that my results from Viome were much easier to understand. Also, the information that came with each result was very insightful. I learned about what I could do to improve each issue, whether it be by changing what I was eating, moving my body differently, reducing stress or using supplements. Viome provides you with a very whole-body approach to healing your gut.
Comparing Pricing
The pricing is a little different for these brands. This is because Viome is based on a subscription service, whereas Thorne is a one-time deal. I like the concept of being able to test, receive personalized supplements, and then re-test several months later to see the kind of progress that is being made. This is all available when using Viome.
Main Differences Between Viome and Thorne
Viome provides you with results in a very short amount of time. You can find out what’s going on with your gut within about three weeks once you’ve sent your sample back through the mail. Thorne can take over a month to provide you with your results. If you’re really suffering from GI issues, you probably don’t want to wait that long to make impactful changes.
Final Thoughts
I like the concept of Viome’s gut health testing process. Once you’ve taken your test, you will receive your results quite quickly. That information is all easy to understand. You can purchase your personalized supplements right away. Re-testing your gut health later can help you determine if you’re making the right changes to improve your gut health. Rather than just taking a single test and then trying to figure out what to do or if your plan is working, Viome helps you along the way.
My Recommendations
Viome can be paid for using your FSA or HSA account. I recommend that you investigate your coverage to see if you have enough for this purchase. If you do, this is a great investment for not only your gut health but also your entire body. The information you are provided with can really help you make healthy choices that will last a lifetime.
Choose Viome if…
- You want fast results.
- You’re interested in re-testing.
- You need personalized supplement recommendations.
Choose Thorne if…
- You are looking for a one-time gut health test kit purchase.
- You want to use the wipe-technology process to obtain your sample.
