Using metagenomics (or many genomes) to view all the available data (not just the abundant species) to assess the whole picture to understand the microorganisms living in your gut.
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Using a metagenomics sequencing test, this method analyses all the DNA from the microorganisms in your sample. Metagenomics provides the highest-resolution view of the gut microbiome, including detailed information about:
Metagenomics can show you how each of these elements are connected to major health systems within the human body. Giving you a fuller, clearer picture of what is going on in your gut and how it may be impacting your health.
Find out more about how vivaBALANCE works and the unique science behind our approach.
You can also read about the other tests in our assessment process: vivaMETABOLITE and vivaLIFESTYLE.
The microbiome is the population of trillions of microbes — including bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms — that live within the human body alongside human cells. It doesn’t serve just one purpose; instead, the diversity of the microbiome affects virtually all body systems by influencing:
The microbiome begins populating with those microbes during fetal development and continues changing through every stage of life. The composition of the microbiome and its influences on GI/overall health depends on the interactions between microorganisms and the host. Various species and strains of bacteria within the microbiome develop different relationships with the cells of the human body. They do different things and have separate purposes, yet they maintain an interactive relationship and share two goals: survive and thrive.
Considered a “vital organ”, your gut microbiome has the potential to influence your overall health through its connection with other organs through the body's neural, endocrine, humoral, immunological, and metabolic pathways.
Any change in the microbial community not only causes gut-related issues but also influences other organs related diseases1.
.... so understanding your gut microbiome provides important insights which can better inform your lifestyle choices.
1. Producers of Short Chain Fatty Acids
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are a by-product of fermentation of the non-digestible carbohydrate. The most abundant are acetate, propionate and butyrate at >95%. SCFA's producers are important for gut wall integrity and health, whilst having many other health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anticancer, cardiovascular protective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities3.
2. Gas producing microbes
Intestinal gas is normal for most healthy people with more than 99 % of the intestinal gas volume made up of hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) and odourless. Intestinal gas however, may be associated with other abdominal symptoms such as bloating, constipation, belching, abdominal pain, and excessive passing of gas, and may also be a symptom of chronic conditions4.
3. Microbiota diversity
Diversity has been linked to human health, with lower levels of diversity associated with several acute and chronic diseases5. Having the appropriate proportions and mix of microbiota is important to health, but these are not fixed. Lifestyle interventions including nutrition can play a key role in improving diversity, health and longevity.
Improving gut health by fostering healthy diversity in the microbiome can revitalize health throughout the whole body. Create and maintain healthy diversity in the microbiome by eating a variety of whole foods and supplementing with nutritional supplements to fill in the gaps. Additionally, metabolites from plants positively influence gut health by supporting the immune system, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria, and supporting the production of short-chain fatty acids.
In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, engaging other aspects of a healthy lifestyle can support a diverse, healthy microbiome.
Components of a healthy lifestyle include maintaining healthy sleep habits, managing stress, and being physically active. You can also promote the growth of good bacteria in the microbiome by introducing extra beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome in the form of supplements, including probiotics and other whole food supplements for microbiome support.
vivaBIOME test delivers high quality, reproducible metagenomic sequence data using latest in hardware, the Illumina NovaSeq™ X Plus sequencing platform.
vivaLAB's genomics lab facilities at our partner, the Australian Genome Research Facility, holds a ISO15189 accreditation, delivering National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) accredited workflows in compliance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
