Reviewed: Testing your Gut Microbiome with Atlas

A lot of you ask me about the best probiotics to try, but I’m very conscious that the more I read and write about our guts, the more everyone’s is so unique! Our microbiome is like a unique fingerprint to us and what might work for me, may not work for another 99/100 people.

Therefore, I’m starting to think that the best approach to our gut microbiome is testing. There’s a range of testing kits on the market that now claim they can see which strains of bacteria you’re deficient in to best inform you about probiotic choices. I’ve been approached to test a few. Hopefully, these posts can eventually, therefore, be a great way to compare the different tests and see which work best!

What is the Atlas Microbiome Test?

I’ve never sent a poo off in the post before; but when I was offered the chance to review a gut microbiome test from Atlas I jumped at the chance and did just that!  Atlas Biomed is the leading genetic testing provider, applying the latest genetic technologies to help people take control of their health through personalised recommendations. There are two tests available in the UK: the Atlas DNA Test and the Atlas Microbiome Test.

The microbiome is a community of over 1000 different types of microbes that live in the gut. These bacteria have been shown in scientific studies to assist with digesting food, break down fibre, synthesise vitamins and chemical compounds as well as protect the body from inflammation. Some bacteria may contribute in the development of certain illnesses but, for most species, only if they are present in abnormal amounts. When the microbiome is balanced, it is able to prevent the intrusion and overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria, contributing to overall health.

The Atlas Microbiome Test analyses the types of bacteria present and their proportion in the overall microbiome. It provides information about the various functions of your gut bacteria, like the extent to which they protect you against certain diseases and inflammation, as well as what vitamins they synthesise. You will also get recommendations to improve and maintain the balance of your microbiome by adding specific foods to your diet.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease two years ago, so I wanted to take the test to see if there were any improvements I could make to my lifestyle to help prevent flares. I was also curious to see if there were any future conditions I was at risk of.

What’s in the kit?

• The kit contained:
• An instruction manual which was illustrated and clear to read
• A spatula for *ahem* scooping the poop!
• A tube for the sample
• A paper hammock to catch the sample in the loo – I received two; I’m not sure if by accident or just in case your aim is off the first time?!
• A plastic box for the sample
• A sturdy pre-paid box to post the sample back to Atlas.

Collecting the sample

Now I’ve already lost my poop sample virginity– I’ve had to collect a fair few since my first encounter with Crohn’s Disease – But I still remember my first time; staring at the tiny collection pot wondering how on earth to get the poop in there without making a mess.

Fortunately, the utensils provided by Atlas does make this horrific process a little easier! The poo hammock was really easy to affix to the toilet. You simply peel off two sticky sections on either side of the paper and lay it under the toilet seat. You also only need roughly a pea-sized sample which is easily collected with the spatula.

Once in the tube, you have to shake it so the sample mixes with a liquid already inside the tube. Then it gets placed in a plastic box, which in turn gets put into the pre-paid post box ready to be shipped back to Atlas. I was relieved that I could post the sample discretely, rather than having to take it to a post office and declaring what was inside!

Atlas Website

The Atlas website has a section where you can log into your account and view a dashboard which details information about your sample and your results when they are ready.The first thing you have to do when you receive your sample is enter the barcode found on the sample tube so they can link your sample with your account.

Next up is a 15-minute questionnaire which is designed to identify environmental, lifestyle and inherited risk factors. The questionnaire design could be improved, but I hoped that Atlas knew more about science than they did survey design!

At one point I was asked ‘how many hours per day do you perform high-intensity physical activity?’ but was only given the option to answer in hours. I do try to exercise but I’m a long way off from achieving an hour a day. I tried entering 0.3 hours but the form wouldn’t allow it, so I settled on 0 hours a day hoping it wouldn’t affect my results too much.

The same could be said for the vitamin and mineral questions. When presented with the question ‘do you frequently consumer foods (or supplements) that are rich in iron like beans, nuts, pork/beef liver an applies?’ I was given a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ tick box. The problem is there was no definition of ‘frequently’. Does it mean 1 portion of nuts a day or is it more?

You have to declare any medical conditions you have been diagnosed with which I was pleased to see, because I didn’t want my results to tell me I’m at risk of inflammatory bowel diseases when I already have it. You also need to declare any symptoms you experienced on the day of providing your sample, such as blood in stool, headache or muscle pain.

Questionnaire aside, the website is simple to usewith bright icons and clear navigation.

The Results

Atlas advise that they will provide results within 6 weeks, and true to their word 4 and a half weeks later the results were in.

Sitting down with my laptop I was a bit nervous to see what the results would be. I had resigned myself to the fact that my results weren’t going to be perfect – I have a bowel disease after all; but it was the possibility that I might be at risk of other long-term conditions that scared me. I concluded that I’d rather know in the hope of doing something positive to protect myself against whatever I might be at risk of.

The first stat I was presented with was my microbiome rating – a measly 3/10. As mentioned earlier, hardly surprising with the Crohn’s Disease, but a bit of a shock nonetheless. The accompanying copy states, “your microbiome isn’t always able to do its job.” – yep!

However, it was the extra information and support on how to improve it that I was really impressed with, andfeltinstantly inspired to want to improve it. It advised me to increase the proportion of the beneficial bacteria by including foods from a recommended list in my diet to help balance my gut’s ecosystem and overall health. I was so pleased to see that Atlas wasn’t trying to flog me expensive health supplements, but were instead recommending increased consumption of about 70 different foods. At the bottom of the webpage their recommendations were backed up with referenced scientific studies.

Next up was my risk of diseases, ranked from low to high. A moderate risk of Atherosclerosis and a high risk of Diabetes type 2 slapped me in the face from my laptop screen!The science behind the disease prediction isfascinating and the website goes into great detail documenting which type of bacteria you are lacking the most and how they are represented in your microbiome. You can click on each bacteria name to read more about its role and the types of food you need to eat to increase its presence.

Interestingly, I’m also at an increased risk of Crohn’s Disease according to my results. Atlas knew I had Crohn’s Disease already through the questionnaire so I’m not sure if they are suggesting I’m at risk of a flare or if they are simply making recommendations for managing my disease, but their website isn’t capable of changing the wording used if someone already has the disease they are at risk of.

An extra feature is a nationality of your microbiome (I’m Danish!), which is a bit interesting, but a little useless. I’m informed that study investigating the dietary habits of Danish citizens living in cities reflected a diet with high intake of flour-based foods, meat and fish, which is common throughout Europe. I don’t eat meat or fish so I’m not sure what I’m meant to do with this information!

The verdict

Both the DNA and microbiome tests are currently on sale and will cost you £230 for the two together., but if you only opt for the microbiome test it’s currently reduced to £111.It’d also be interesting to retake the test in a few months’ time after you have implemented some of the recommendations to check they have worked, so this could set you back double compared to what you were first expecting.

Ultimately, if you can afford it, then it’s a fascinating test to take (and currently one of the cheapest kits on the market) If you’d struggle to find the money then I think, skip the test and go straight to eating a range of colourful, non-processed foods to keep your gut balanced and full of good bacteria sauerkraut