About fifteen years ago, intestinal microbiome test kits began appearing on the market. Some companies indeed seized this commercial opportunity, riding on microbiome research that had shown the microbiome plays a key role in digestion and immunity, among other things. However, these tests are not a good idea. Why?
Research that caught the public’s attention
First, remember that the microbiome refers to the whole range of microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. – living together in a community within a specific environment. In humans, while the gut microbiome is the best known, there are others on the skin, the lungs, the mouth, or the vagina. Today, this ecosystem unique to each individual plays such a biologically crucial role that it is regarded as a separate organ.
In the early 2010s, research on the intestinal microbiome – within the digestive system – was gaining momentum. The research demonstrated that the microbiome plays a key role in digestion, immunity, metabolism and even mental health. From there, many people sought to learn more about their own microbiome.
Some companies quickly spotted the opportunity and brought intestinal microbiome test kits to market. They promise consumers to map their gut flora via a simple stool sample. The goal? To explain certain digestive troubles, prevent certain diseases or disorders, and offer nutritional advice and dietary supplements.
A market still alive in the 2020s
The birth of the intestinal microbiome test-kit market really took off in 2013 when the American startup uBiome offered the very first consumer analysis kit through a massive crowdfunding campaign. By 2015, the market began to structure itself and explode with the emergence of other companies, before reaching Europe. Marketing promises then grew more aggressive, even selling AI-based personalized nutrition.
As a market leader, uBiome collapsed after an FBI-led investigation. The executives were charged with medical fraud and overbilling insurers, a case highlighting mercantile excesses and the lack of clinical underpinnings of the industry. Despite the scandals, the market remained alive in the 2020s and even democratized on a global scale.
What is really criticized about these test kits?
Even though the issue of the microbiome is generally very interesting, the test kits are not a good idea. At the time, the company uBiome was caught out by researchers who sent stool samples to several laboratories. The results for the same sample turned out to be contradictory. In reality, there is no portrait-like model of the ideal microbiome and therefore no established medical standard. Proof: two people in excellent health can have microbiomes that are completely different. These differences arise from factors such as ancestry, diet, or lifestyle.
Some experts have spoken even more seriously on the topic. In 2022, a study published in the Diabetes journal and conducted by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (USA) established that consumer-directed microbiome analysis tests have no clinical value for the physician or for the patient. They do not enable diagnosing a disease or guiding medical treatment. Thus, precise microbiome analysis remains a laboratory scientific research tool, at least for now.
