Take Our Free Gut Health Quiz!
Biohm Gut Intelligence Test
- At home test
- FSA/HSA eligible
- Your results compared to normal gut levels
- Personalized wellness recommendations
- Gut score on a scale of 1-10
Very Good 9.0
Biohm Review
$129.99
Quick Facts on Biohm Gut Test
- Offers at-home testing kit and monthly subscriptions
- Uses DNA technology to analyze bacteria and fungi in gut microbiome
- Receive actionable recommendations on how to support your digestive health.
- Test requires stool samples
- Test not FDA-approved
How Does Biohm Work?
Step 1 – Order and Activate Your Test: You’ll receive your kit through mail. This summary review focuses on the Gut Health Test.
Step 2 – Collect sample: Biohm only offers at-home test kits, so you collect the sample yourself. Collect stool for the Gut Health Test.
Step 3 – Send back the samples for lab testing: Biohm uses DNA technology to analyze your gut bacteria and fungi. Once your sample is processed, you’ll receive an e-mail to view your gut health report. You’ll have access to a personalized, nutritionist-reviewed analysis with everything you need to know about your gut health.
Step 4 – Order supplements (optional): Get a subscription service if you want a monthly supply of probiotics, prebiotics, or customized supplements. You can cancel or pause the subscription at any time.
Summary
The total amount of microorganisms in your body is called your microbiome. It is so important and vital that many scientists have begun to regard it as an organ unto itself. There are subdivisions of your microbiome related to specific body parts or functions, and your gut microbiome may be the most important of the bunch.
Biohm is one of a handful of microbiome testing companies to sell tests directly to consumers. The focus of the company provides: 1. Testing to achieve an understanding of your microbiome and 2. Personalized supplements to help optimize its performance.
Biohm’s gut health tests are designed to demonstrate the make-up of your gut microbiome and to help you determine the best kind of dietary changes and probiotics to use to improve your gut and overall health. They also sell probiotic blends, prebiotics, and other supplements that they recommend to users of their test. The following report is a summary of a number of reviews of experiences with Biohm’s gut health test.
Test Results
Expect your results to be available within four to six weeks and perhaps up to seven. As soon as it’s ready, your personalized Gut Report will be available on Biohm’s website. There are four parts to the report: 1. Overall gut score, 2. Comparison to normal population levels, 3. Strain-level analysis, and 4. Personalized actionable recommendations. The documentation you receive is relatively easy to follow. Your results will show what bacteria and fungi were found in your gut microbiome and will include numerical scores. The comparison section compares the customer’s levels of the 6 major bacterial communities and 4 major fungal communities to normal levels. A breakdown of strains is also included. You will also receive diet, probiotic, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations based on your score and sample analysis though the diet and lifestyle recommendations can be on the minimal side. Biohm offers users the opportunity to purchase a package that includes a live video consult with a registered nutritionist that provides a more comprehensive break down of your results.
The results of Biohm’s analysis may not give you a complete picture of your overall health since they are based only on bacterial and fungal DNA analysis, and the microbiome is only one part of a very complex digestive system. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary restrictions and potential nutrient deficiencies, it is recommended that consumers talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian before eliminating potentially nutritious foods from their diet.
Biohm Gut Intelligence Test Pros
- Straightforward testing and easy-to-understand reports
- Access to nutritionists that review reports and provide recommendations
- Includes actionable steps for improving gut health
- Evidence-based program
- Offers discounted probiotic subscriptions
- Lab certified and affiliated with a major U.S. research university
- Thorough website with extensive FAQ section
- Good privacy protections
- 60-day money back guarantee for supplements and unused test kits
Biohm Gut Intelligence Test Cons
- Long processing time (~ 7 weeks)
- Sometimes sample cannot be analyzed
- Microbiome science is still somewhat new
- Despite offering a science-based report, they do not list any scientific references
- Results can be too scientific and confusing for most people
- Additional subscription plans can be expensive
- Products are not approved by the FDA
- Doesn’t check for viruses, parasites, or yeasts that inhabit your gut
- Some health claims may be exaggerated
Gut Microbiome Test and Price
The Gut Test is Biohm’s gut microbiome test. It is a DNA testing kit that allows customers to sequence the DNA in their gut bacteria and fungi. Customers also receive recommendations, based on the kinds of microbes found, for improving their digestive health. Once the lab receives the sample, it passes through quality control to ensure that there is enough sample to process. If there is not enough, the customer will be notified. Once the lab confirms the sample is enough, results typically take 4-6 weeks and based on some reviews, even a little longer. Customers will receive an email when their results are ready. They can access their report through their online gut test portal account.
Biohm uses the extensive published scientific research of Dr. Ghannoum to understand how the abundance of different types of bacteria and fungi in your gut relates to your overall health. Biohm analyzes your bacterial and fungal makeup against the dozens of thousands of results cataloged in the American Gut Project. They also have your results analyzed by a registered nutritionist and use this information to generate personalized diet and probiotic recommendations to improve your gut bacteria and fungal diversity and overall health. This report includes foods and probiotics that could help improve the balance of the good bacteria and fungi and minimize the bad strains of each. Importantly, Biohm explicitly points out that their products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you’re concerned about any gastrointestinal symptoms or any other health concerns, you should speak to your health care provider.
The Gut Test and written recommendations typically cost $129. Customers can choose to supplement the written recommendations with a 30-minute consultation with a nutritionist. The test and the consult cost $149. This puts the cost of the test kit in the middle tier compared to competitors. Biohm is not covered by insurance although it may be eligible to be covered under HSA. The results they offer and their ability to turn those into probiotic, prebiotic, and supplement recommendations, while limited in scope, are considered by some to be a good value over some of the other gut microbiome test offerings. However, the subscription costs for the probiotic and supplement products can be substantial. Some people have experienced noteworthy differences thanks to those supplements, so it could be worth the additional costs.
More on Biohm
Biohm (Biohm health) is a health and wellness company that supports customer digestive health through a line of products that addresses both bacteria and fungi that live in the digestive tract. The company was founded by Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.D. and his son, Afif Ghannoum, in 2017. Dr. Ghannoum is a faculty member in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He has over 40 years of experience in fungus research and has been awarded over $25 million in grant funds from the National Institutes of Health to study fungi. He used his NIH funded research and expertise in the role of fungi and digestive plaques to establish Biohm to support overall wellness through optimizing gut and microbiome health. Biohm produces an at-home gut microbiome test and numerous probiotic, prebiotic, and supplement blends. Your gut microbiome is made up of the microscopic bacteria, fungi, and other living organisms that reside in your large intestine. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for supporting gut health, and overall health.
The company allows customers to mail in a test to analyze their gut microbiome, suggests dietary changes, and recommends personalized probiotic and supplement blends to meet their specific needs based on their gut test results. You can also purchase supplements from Biohm without taking their gut health test. Biohm’s goal is to help you understand your gut and what you need to achieve overall gut health balance. With the increasing popularity of probiotics and the consumption of more whole foods, interest in balancing one’s gut microbiome has been on the rise. Something to keep in mind, the scientific and medical evidence regarding the microbiome, microbiome testing, and probiotic supplementation may not fully support all of the claims Biohm makes about what its tests and probiotic supplements can do.
Brand Reputation and Customer Reviews
There were no reviews of Biohm by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) found via an internet search.
The Gut Test earned a 4.3/5 star review from customers on Trustpilot. Most customers indicated that the test was worth the money and time and that they received valuable information. The low reviews tended to report problems with their sample, including samples that could not be analyzed.
How Does Biohm Protect Your Privacy?
BIOHM does not have a Privacy Policy available on its website, but the FAQ explains that they do not share any identifiable genetic information or survey responses with third parties.
From the FAQ section of the website: Biohm takes seriously the trust you place in us. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of information, Biohm uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to safeguard your Personal Information, in accordance with current technological and industry standards. All connections to and from our website are encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
