Imagine having a second brain that helps control your mood, weight, and immunity. That's precisely what scientists have discovered in your gut—a sophisticated ecosystem of 100 trillion microbes that influences virtually every aspect of your health. This remarkable "second brain" is more than just a digestive organ—it's a command center orchestrating everything from your energy levels and metabolism to your emotional well-being and immune response.
The gut microbiome impacts how you process nutrients and influences most aspects of your overall health. Your Viome Gut Health Score offers a window into your entire digestive universe, helping you understand the intricacies of microbial balance, gut lining health, and nutrient metabolism.
Why measure gut health?
Think of your gut microbiome as a thriving city of microscopic residents, each playing a crucial role in your health. When you get your Gut Health Score, we're essentially performing a comprehensive census of this city, analyzing over 20 different aspects of how well this ecosystem is functioning. Are beneficial bacteria thriving? Is your gut lining maintaining its protective barrier? Are nutrients being properly processed?
Your score comes from an incredible process where we analyze millions of data points from your gut microbiome samples. This gives us a detailed picture of your gut health across several critical areas:
Inflammatory activity and immune response
Metabolic fitness and nutrient processing
Digestive efficiency
Gut lining integrity
Protein fermentation
Beneficial compound production
Microbial diversity
Overview of Health Scores
Your unique biochemistry tells an important story about your health. Using advanced AI technology, Viome analyzes over 10 million data points from your oral, gut, and human cell samples to create comprehensive health scores that guide your personalized nutrition and supplement recommendations. These scores reflect how your body's systems impact your overall wellness, drawing from thousands of biochemical pathways and peer-reviewed research.
Here's how we transform your Viome test samples into actionable health insights:
Sample Analysis: We sequence your biological samples to start your health story
Molecular Translation: We convert your molecular data into meaningful biological functions
Clinical Alignment: We map these functions to relevant health indicators
Score Creation: We generate your personalized Integrative Health Scores
Gut Health Score
Your Gut Health Score is designed to give you insights into your digestive ecosystem's function and efficiency. Through over 20 integrated subscores, it reveals how your gut microbiome affects not just digestion but your entire body's wellness. This score is available with our Full Body Intelligence™ Test and our Gut Intelligence™ Test.
Your Viome nutrition recommendations are designed to optimize your gut microbiome and support overall health.
What we report on:
Inflammatory activity in the gut environment
Metabolic fitness and blood sugar control
Digestive efficiency and nutrient absorption
Gut lining and barrier health
Protein fermentation patterns
Gas production and management
Microbial diversity and balance
Beneficial compound production
Pathogenic activity status
Oxalate metabolism
Short-chain fatty acid production (including butyrate)
What will I learn about my gut health?
Using advanced analysis of your gut microbiome, we provide a comprehensive view of your digestive ecosystem. Your gut isn't just a digestive organ—it's a sophisticated command center that influences your entire body's functioning. We examine:
Digestive Efficiency: Your digestive efficiency determines how well you extract and process nutrients from your food, directly impacting your energy levels and overall nutrition status.
Nutrient absorption capabilities: How well your gut extracts vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients from your food
Macronutrient breakdown efficiency: Your ability to process proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into usable forms
Food transit patterns: The speed and effectiveness of food movement through your digestive system
Protective Functions: Your gut's protective functions act as a sophisticated defense system, maintaining a selective barrier that keeps harmful substances out while allowing beneficial nutrients in.
Gut lining integrity: The strength of your intestinal wall
Mucosal layer health: The condition of your protective mucus barrier
Barrier strength: Your gut's ability to maintain strong defenses
Microbial Activities: Your gut microbes function as tiny factories, producing both beneficial compounds essential for health and potentially harmful byproducts that need to be monitored and managed.
Beneficial compound production: Creation of essential nutrients and protective molecules
Potentially harmful byproducts: Monitoring of inflammatory compounds and toxins
Gas production levels: Assessment of fermentation patterns
Protein fermentation efficiency: Processing of proteins and byproduct management
Understanding the Gut-Brain Axis
One of the most fascinating aspects of gut health is its intimate connection with the brain and emotional well-being. This sophisticated communication highway, known as the gut-brain axis, represents a constant two-way dialogue between the digestive system and the brain, influencing everything from mood to cognitive function.
Your gut microbes act as tiny chemical factories, producing many of the same neurotransmitters in your brain, including serotonin—often called the "happiness hormone." Through these chemical messengers, your gut microbiome helps regulate your mood, manage stress responses, and even influence your sleep patterns. When you're feeling butterflies in your stomach during moments of excitement or anxiety, you're experiencing this gut-brain connection in action.
The communication doesn't stop there. Your gut microbiome also plays a crucial role in immune system function, acting as a master coordinator of inflammatory responses throughout your body. This immune system connection has far-reaching effects, helping to regulate stress hormones and protect your brain from inflammation. Consider it a sophisticated security system that helps keep your brain safe while managing your body's stress responses.
This intricate relationship explains why changes in your gut health can profoundly affect your emotional well-being and cognitive performance. When your gut microbiome is balanced, it supports clear thinking, stable moods, and better stress resilience. Conversely, an imbalanced gut microbiome can influence feelings of anxiousness, mood fluctuations, and even cognitive clarity. This powerful connection makes your microbiome health crucial for both physical and mental wellness, highlighting why supporting your gut health can greatly benefit your overall well-being.
What does a Not Optimal score mean:
Don't worry -- this isn't a failing grade! A "Not Optimal" score indicates that your gut microbiome needs rebalancing to better support your health. Think of it as your body's way of asking for specific nutritional support to help restore balance to your digestive ecosystem.
Your gut microbiome might be experiencing challenges such as:
Producing inflammatory compounds (like LPS, sulfide, or ammonia)
Insufficient production of beneficial nutrients
Reduced butyrate production
Compromised barrier function
Imbalanced protein fermentation
This can affect multiple body systems, including your:
Immune function
Metabolic processes
Digestive efficiency
Nutrient absorption
Energy production
To improve this score, we create personalized recommendations that may include:
Specific probiotic strains suited to your needs
Carefully selected fermented foods
Fiber-rich foods to support beneficial bacteria
Targeted herbs, vitamins, and minerals for gut lining support*
Foods that promote butyrate production
What does a Good score mean:
A "Good" score can mean your cellular systems are working well. Your cells are:
- Producing energy efficiently to sustain your needs
- Managing stress and meeting physiological needs
- Keeping up with regular maintenance
- Effectively handling cleanup of cellular waste products (such as free radicals)
To improve or maintain this score, follow your Viome personalized recommendations designed to strategically target your nutritional gaps to influence and improve cellular health.* Take charge of your health by regularly reviewing your Viome scores and making the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle and diet.
Gut health impacts everyday life
Your gut health profoundly influences your daily well-being, affecting everything from your energy levels to your emotional state. The gut microbiome acts as a central control system, communicating with every part of your body through complex chemical signals and neural pathways. When this system is out of balance, the effects can ripple throughout your entire body.
Just as every person's microbiome is unique, the signs of microbial imbalance can vary significantly from person to person. However, there are common indicators that your gut might need support:
Physical indicators:
Digestive discomfort
Irregular bowel movements
Gas and bloating
Food sensitivities
Systemic effects often reach beyond digestion, influencing your whole-body wellness through:
Changes in energy levels
Sleep disturbances
Skin irritation
Weight management challenges
The gut-brain connection can also manifest through cognitive impacts such as:
Brain fog
Difficulty concentrating
Mood fluctuations
Stress sensitivity
A healthy gut microbiome is fundamental to overall well-being
Your microbiome creates vital compounds that support whole-body health by:
Supporting immune function through the production of protective molecules
Regulating metabolism by influencing how you process nutrients
Influencing mood and behavior through neurotransmitter production
Aiding nutrient absorption by breaking down complex compounds
Beyond compound production, your gut microbiome acts as a protective force, constantly working to:
Maintain the integrity of your intestinal barrier
Manage inflammatory responses throughout your body
Support natural detoxification processes
Regulate hormone balance for optimal function
This intricate system demonstrates why gut health is about so much more than digestion—it's a cornerstone of overall health, influencing everything from your immune response to your emotional well-being.
Stay on track with the Viome
Your Gut Health Score is one of many Viome scores that work together as your health compass, guiding you toward optimal wellness. To make the most of these insights:
Test regularly to monitor changes in your gut microbiome
Follow your personalized nutrition recommendations
Pay attention to how different foods affect your body
Monitor your digestive comfort and energy levels
Notice improvements in related health areas
Remember, you're not just looking at numbers—you're gaining insights into your body's fundamental processes that can be tailored to fit your lifestyle. Your gut microbiome works hard for you daily, and we're here to help you support it. Connect with our community through weekly chats and virtual open houses, or reach out to our Customer Experience team for personalized guidance. Together, we can help you maintain optimal gut health and keep you feeling your best.
