You also have digestive problems from time to time: Flatulence, cramps and diarrhea or constipation and don't know why? I did an intestinal flora analysis at home. This is the result and my MyBioma experience!
Today I have prepared a very exciting topic for you. An intestinal flora analysis! If you've been following We Go Wild for a while, you'll know that we write blog posts on this topic from time to time.
I've already been through a lot. For example, a colonoscopy - which I write about in this article: "This is my colonoscopy experience!". I have also already Various food allergy tests carried out and self-experiments on how to Rebuild intestinal flora after antibiotics can. Or how to Proper nutrition before a colonoscopy.
A bloated stomach after eating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain - anyone who suffers from digestive problems knows all this only too well. 😓
Because I still haven't got to grips with the problem, the subject has of course not let go of me. I did a lot of research and came across the Microbiome stumbled upon.
To put it simply: the Composition of the bacteria in the intestine.
And I'd like to take a closer look at them. I did a self-test at home and in this article I'll tell you everything you need to know about My MyBioma experience you need to know.
Table of contents
What is the microbiome and what role does it play?
Research into this is still relatively new. However, we now know that the microorganisms in our gut have far-reaching effects on our health and digestion.
The composition of the microbiome affects the Immune system and can protect us from illnesses and allergies. There is a connection between the microorganisms in our gut and our health. Behavior, but also our Mood.
Studies suggest that Depression, anxiety and autism could be due to the gut.
An imbalance of intestinal bacteria is also said to cause skin diseases such as acne, Neurodermatitis and eczema. The gut microbiome influences the Metabolism and can influence the tendency to obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. And much more besides.
The microbiome is like a fingerprint
In total, each intestine contains about 2 kg bacteria. The composition varies from person to person. The microbiome is now regarded as an organ in its own right.
A healthy intestine is produced by about 500 types of bacteria supported. A total of around 100 trillion bacteria.
Depending on our diet, genetics and many other factors, the microbiome is made up a little differently for each person. This is why researchers often say that our microbiomes are as different as our fingerprints.
Some scientists are convinced that we are controlled by our microbiome. The bacteria decide what we crave, whether we have energy, whether our metabolism is working, how we feel and whether we have a strong or weak immune system.
Some researchers go so far as to say that our personality is also shaped by it. If our microbiome is out of balance, we are in a bad mood, can hardly sleep, make poor decisions and are unable to relax. Our concentration is also said to suffer.
Exciting, isn't it? I want to take a closer look and find out what's going on in my gut.
During my research, I stumbled across a self-test. It is supposed to help you find out what your own microbiome is made up of.
With these findings, you can then take certain steps to hopefully finally get your digestive problems under control. I'll tell you whether such an analysis is worthwhile and what my results are. This is my MyBioma experience!
What is MyBioma and how does the test work?
There are now several manufacturers on the market that offer such tests. I did a lot of research and decided more than half a year ago to Newsletter from MyBioma* registered. Now my curiosity has got the better of me. How does the test work? What is the result? Today I'll tell you everything you really need to know.
There are several such providers. I opted for MyBioma because the company seems very reputable to me and provides a lot of information on the subject of Microbiome and digestion on the website* has.
MyBioma has been around since 2018. The company was founded by Dr. Barbara Sladek and Dr. Nikolaus Gasche was founded. The test has been available on the European market since 2020 and is double ISO certified. "The first scientifically based gut microbiome analysis" is written on the website.
To analyze the results, the company works with the laboratory of the Medical University of Vienna together. Here, the tests are evaluated using DNA sequencing. This is used to determine the genetic information of the bacteria in the stool.
This is determined during genetic analysis:
- Microbial composition
- Food utilization
- General state of health
What do I expect from the MyBioma test?
All in all, I hope that after the test I will know what I should do to improve my bowel problems. I would like to know what the cause is and whether it is perhaps a faulty intestinal colonization that is to blame for the misery.
At least with my bowels According to colonoscopy everything is fine. I have been working my way along the exclusion principle for years and hope that I am now a big step closer to solving the problem.
In return, I am prepared to Turning nutrition completely on its head* and change my lifestyle if it helps my microbiome to settle down. I have already written a few articles about probiotics and prebiotics and am trying to stick to this form of nutrition.
Perhaps you remember that I told you that probiotic yogurt is not worth the money and instead you can rely on a whole range of other healthy probiotic foods should be set.
But be that as it may, let's now analyze the current situation.
Procedure
To be able to perform the analysis, you must first download the Order test from the website*. It was in my mailbox within two days.
Inside the envelope you will find:
- a sample container with preservative liquid
- a catching aid for the chair
- a cotton bud
- detailed instructions
- and a return envelope
Until recently, there was still the MyBioma App However, it has now been replaced by a platform that is clearer and offers more information. The platform can be used to activate the sample and retrieve the result at any time.
Incidentally, the results are according to four to eight weeks there. You will receive a message and can read your personal microbiome report.
Self-test or see a doctor?
Have you been wanting to have your gut flora analyzed for a while, but are still unsure whether you should do it yourself or have it tested by a doctor? I was at first too.
The Internist, where I had the colonoscopy, even told me about tests is not recommended, the doctors offer. They are too imprecise and, in his opinion, still not meaningful. During my research, I quickly found out that the tests are only carried out by very few doctors anyway.
And if they do, then they usually rely on the cultivation method. These tests are designed for a small number of bacteria - for example to 10 % of all known bacterial species.
After such a test, you will find out whether certain bacteria are present in your intestines or not.
Evaluations of self-tests* are supposed to be much more accurate - if you believe the manufacturers of the tests. For example, MyBioma also tests bacteria that are uncultivable are. At the end, you will receive the result of a test in which 1500 types of bacteria were analyzed.
What does the report say?
In the report you can read which organs the bacteria are associated with and how an excess or deficiency of certain bacteria can affect your health.
You get information about your Enterotype (intestinal type). A distinction is made between three basic intestinal types - A certain strain of bacteria predominates in each one. The enterotype shows you which diet the composition of your bacteria is designed for.
If certain bacteria predominate, a plant-based diet can be good for you, but there are also meat eaters or Mixed food. Nutritional type is determined by genetics, but it is also influenced by the way we eat.
The enterotype develops during the first years of life. Incidentally, it is not yet certain whether and to what extent the intestinal type can be changed by a long-term change in diet.
Which type do you think I am according to the test?
MyBioma experience: This is how the test works in practice
Everything sounds really good and exciting so far, doesn't it? But at 150 euros for a test, you might want to think about it for a few days. I want to help you make the right decision for you. Is it worth it for you to have your own MyBioma experience to do? I hope that I can help you with my report.
Let's now find out in detail how the Intestinal flora self-test* really happens and how I felt about it. Of course, I'll also tell you my results.
I will now explain every step of my self-test in detail - except for the one with the chair. 😅
The removal
First you have to take the stool tube out of the packaging. Place it near the toilet.
Now you have to Chair catcher onto the toilet bowl. You have to sit down so that your poo falls into the catcher. That was the most difficult part, by the way. I won't go into it in detail now, but I think you can imagine it very well. 😅
Once this is done, you must Tubes and take a small sample with the sampling stick. The swab is now placed in the tube. 30 seconds stir for a long time.
The stick has a kink. Break it off here and leave the lower part of the stick in the tube. Screw it tightly closed.
Register
So, the worst is over. So that you can access your results later, you need to log in to the website register.
On the Test tubes and the package is a 12-digit barcode to see. This ensures that the tests are not mixed up.
You must now activate the sample on the website.
You will now be asked a few more questions about yourself. I have to give my height, weight, age and symptoms.
Then you have to wait. You can expect about 4 to 8 weeks. As soon as the results are available, you can download them as a PDF.
MyBioma: My result
I am very curious about the result. If the evaluation says that everything is in the green zone for me, I know that I have the MyBioma test* will not recommend it to others. Because of my many complaints, I know only too well that things are going wrong for me.
But let's take a look at the evaluation together. By the way, it will be 3.5 weeks before I have it in my hands. My evaluation is in total 41 pages long, whereby the status quo can be read here first, followed by suggestions for improvement and then studies and sources.
Overview
Let's take a look at the overview. In short: Quite devastating 🫣.
So I was expecting a bad result, but I didn't realize that things would be so devastating for me. My microbial composition, my diet and my health can all be improved. With health, I only get a single point out of nine.
Two points stand out in particular. One is my poor microbial diversity and the other is the health of my digestive tract - everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong:
- Intestinal mucosa
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Gut-brain axis
- Gut-liver axis
- Gut-heart axis
- Gut-skin axis
- Joint health
- Inflammations
Many construction sites are waiting for me. 🙈 But it all fits in very well with my many symptoms.
Composition of my microbiome
On page 2 we continue with the not good result for my intestinal tract. Both with Diversity and Equality of species I have a lot of catching up to do. At least there is a green tick for species richness.
Nutrition
My weight is good, everything else is in need of improvement. ☝️😅
At least I get away with a good metabolism. It's only my calorie intake that doesn't look so good. But what does that mean in concrete terms? The detailed evaluation says: "The ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in your gut could be better. A deficiency (like mine) is associated with poor calorie utilization and more often with underweight."
Enterotype 1 - Bacteroides
The "enterotype" point is really exciting. I have been eating meat no more than once a year for 5 years. Nevertheless, my digestion apparently falls into the "Bacteroides" report - like a classic meat eater. This enterotype "is particularly common in western meat eaters. Bacteroides rarely dominate in fruit and vegetable eaters."
With enterotype 1, nutrient absorption can sometimes be a little poorer. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the supply of micronutrients.
I could go on writing here forever. If you want to know more about the results, you can contact me at any time. I'll be happy to send you the results.
After looking through the 41 pages step by step, one question now arises: what now?
The suggestions for improvement
I have now had my MyBioma experience. The evaluations are simply formulated and easy to understand, but they don't help me much at the moment.
That's why the part with the suggestions for improvement is so interesting.
I get lots of them from page 22 onwards. I'd like to introduce you to a few now.
- Diversity improve: Eat a handful of berries a day. They promote the growth of healthy bacteria and reduce unwanted germs.
- EnterotypeEat more fiber and less animal protein. Incorporate more unsaturated fats from nuts, linseed oil or avocado into your diet.
- Intestinal mucosa support: Build Flaxseed*, Chia* and Psyllium husks* into the diet.
- Irritable bowelSoothe inflammation with turmeric and juniper. Half a tablespoon of turmeric or a cup of chamomile tea a day soothes irritable bowel syndrome.
- Gut-brain axisPrefer salmon, tuna and hemp seeds for the formation of serotonin.
- Gut-liver axisAvoid white sugar and fructose. Oh, no! 😄
- Gut-heart axis: Eat a handful of barberries once a week, they have a positive effect on heart health.
- Gut-skin axis: Eat more onions, lentils and mushrooms - they protect against inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Joint healthEat an omelette prepared with turmeric and linseed oil three times a week.
- InflammationsEat a handful of orange-red vegetables every day
- Sugar metabolismIf you have a sweet tooth, prefer chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70 %.
- Fat metabolismOlive oil, beef, sardines, soybeans and broccoli stimulate your metabolism.
- Vitamin metabolismAdd thyme and garlic to your food.
- Protein metabolism: Do more strength training!
Incidentally, there are very precise instructions that I can/should follow. They recommend about 30 grams of fiber per day: "You only need to eat 3 slices of wholemeal spelt bread, 1 apple, 100 g blueberries, 2 carrots, 200 g broccoli and 3 potatoes."
Unfortunately, I react to gluten with bloating, I have a proven fructose intolerance and my gut can't cope with broccoli and garlic either. What should I do now?
What follows the MyBioma test?
I now have the result in front of me. But what exactly does it mean for my life? I would like to delve deeper into this exciting topic.
For me, the microbiome analysis was important to capture the current situation. I now know where I stand.
I will now probably buy the Treat yourself to a microbiome recipe e-book* and give it a try. It contains a total of 40 recipes that you can use to strengthen your microbiome. Now I want to try to add even more variety to my plate. 😋
I will write a few more lines in a few months and report on how I fared after the test, how I got on with the recipes and what has really changed. I'm already looking forward to it!
FAQ - Frequently asked questions about MyBioma
What alternatives are there to MyBioma?
I've done a bit of research for you. In addition to MyBioma* applies to the Cerascreen intestinal flora test as very popular. A large number of bacterial strains are also tested here. The test procedure is very similar and also involves a stool sample. You can take a look at the website, maybe you will like this test better.
If you would rather test for food reactions, you can find what you are looking for at Lykon and Mavie Me also offers a microbiome test for home use.
Why MyBioma and no other test?
I have applied to the Gut microbiome analysis decided to use the Experience with MyBioma to make.
The company works closely with Research facilities and relies on the DNA sequencing technology. This should enable a particularly detailed analysis of the intestinal flora. The test is also very easy for non-experts to carry out and can simply be sent by post. The Medical University of Vienna is also involved in the project.
I like the many insights you can get on the website. I'm very happy about the practical nutrition tips that I got with the test. And that I can find lots of recipes on the blog that are good for the gut.
I have looked at other View test reports and the Read through reviews. They are almost all very positive. So I thought to myself: it's worth a try!
What are the disadvantages of the test?
With this test (as with all others) the pH value is not recorded. It also finds No examination for fungi takes place.
At 150 euros, the test is not particularly cheap either. But you get a very detailed report with an evaluation and recommendations for action. Whether it's worth it to you certainly depends on how much you've already tried to rebalance your gut.
In any case, have physical causes such as inflammation, tumors and the like ruled out by an internist before you do such self-tests! Before that I had a Gastroscopy and a Colonoscopy performed.
What research findings are there on the microbiome?
A groundbreaking study published in the journal "Science" shows that the microbiome has a direct influence on our immune system. Researchers have found that certain bacteria in the gut are necessary to develop and maintain a healthy immune response.
The absence of these microorganisms can lead to an increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and even to an impaired vaccination response.
Furthermore, research in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has shed light on the link between gut health and mental wellbeing. The authors of the study report that changes in the composition of the microbiome can be linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Another fascinating field of research is the role of the microbiome in metabolic diseases. A study published in "Nature Medicine" has shown that certain gut bacteria have the ability to influence metabolism and can therefore contribute to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
You can see how incredibly complex this field of research is and how important the interactions between the microbiome and health are. Research is still in its infancy, but there are already some really exciting insights into this undiscovered world.
My conclusion
I wanted my own MyBioma experience because I've already heard a lot about it. I've been reading the newsletter for a while now and have already received lots of helpful tips. For example, I know that I digest steamed vegetables much better than raw vegetables. And that I tolerate coconut yoghurt better than classic yoghurt.
The analysis was very interesting and informative. I now know, for example, that I still have a lot of catching up to do and that I need to take even better care of my intestinal inhabitants. Maybe I can finally get the bloating problem under control. 🙏
After the microbiome test* I would now like to tweak my eating habits to strengthen certain bacterial strains and put the "bad" bacteria in their place. So there will certainly be a few more posts on this topic as soon as I have new findings.
The test was really worthwhile for me. I've already done a few in this direction, but none have ever been this comprehensive. I have never received such a detailed evaluation with tips with any test kit. Really great! So, yes: after my Mybioma experience, I would definitely recommend this test kit.
All the best for you!
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