Science “not yet there” for personalized gut health guidance, argues InsideTracker

13 Sep 2021 --- The science is not yet developed enough to personalize nutrition based on gut microbiome testing, a new analysis of current research has concluded. It was led by US-based InsideTracker, a consumer-facing personalized performance and nutrition system.

“Our takeaway from this research is that blood biomarkers, paired with further insight from DNA and fitness trackers, are the most repeatable, reliable, science-backed and actionable biomarkers right now,” lead author Bartek Nogal tells NutritionInsight.

However, he expects that gathering lots of longitudinal data on each individual consumer may help reap the potential precision nutrition benefits of microbiome analysis, once research proves the microbiome to be more reliable and economical as a biomarker.InsideTracker uses blood biometrics, DNA insights and physiomarkers to create its plans. 

Roadblocks to research
Ultimately, the analysis says that inputs, goals and actions are three vital elements that are stopping microbiome testing from currently being a reliable basis for personalized recommendations.

The first is the process of gathering inputs, as testing is highly variable. The same sample of a person’s microbiome sent to different labs is likely to return different results, for instance. 

Even samples from the same individual sent to the same lab but collected at different times on the same day are likely to return different results, the researchers note.

Nogal explains that there needs to be more standardized sample handling and preparation, as well as analytical methods, to see if intervention effects are actually reproducible on a study-to-study basis.  

The next hurdle for microbiome testing is the lack of consensus on what constitutes an “optimal” microbiome balance in the generally healthy individual.

As the third limiting factor, there is a lack of evidence that establishes a cause and effect relationship between specific nutritional interventions and individual microbiota strains.

“Once we see consistent effects of precision interventions – as opposed to just ‘eat a more diverse, fiber-rich diet’ guidance, which is beneficial to virtually all people – then we may be able to make more useful claims about what microbiome analysis can do,” says Nogal. 

Answers a decade away
Despite its limitations, Nogal remains optimistic about the possibilities of microbiome analysis in the future. 

“In theory, there is a lot more opportunity to be truly precise because virtually no two individuals have the same healthy-state microbiome compositions – given enough analytical method resolution.” 

In contrast, people are more than 99 percent alike based on genomic data, and conventional blood measurements are based on population-based reference ranges.

“It’s clear to see why microbiome analysis is appealing toward precision nutrition because it’s inherently already personalized, but that’s also the crux of the challenge in terms of practical implementation,” Nogal remarks. 

Overall, he views microbiome analysis as “very nascent and exploratory in nature,” noting that the “pace at which the wheels of good science turn doesn’t necessarily align with market demands.”

“For example, there is a large National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored project that is addressing the microbiome-precision nutrition question,” he continues. 

“I believe the time frame for that is closer to a decade for beginning to answer some of the questions around microbiome analysis-informed dietary personalization.” Microbiome analysis is currently “very nascent and exploratory” in nature.

Paradigm shift toward personalization
Many consumers have come to expect personalized products, with Innova Market Insights crowning “Tailored to Fit” as the third Top Trend for 2021. Notably, 64 percent of consumers have found more ways to tailor their life and the products they buy to their individual style, beliefs and needs. 

Nogal also sees a paradigm shift at a macro level, observing multiple factors driving this interest in personalization. 

One is the growing awareness of powerful, long-term ownership of health and wellness through simple and natural diet, nutrition and lifestyle interventions. He sees the change from rules-based reactive, one-size-fits-all, “sick” care to personally proactive healthspan optimization.

“There is also a massive proliferation and barrage of misleading and impersonal health and wellness information out there that causes doubt and confusion, obscuring the way forward,” he stresses. 

“It drives motivated consumers to seek out trusted, science-based guidance and tailored solutions that are right for their own bodies and their personal goals.” 

Another factor is the democratization of technology that makes measuring and monitoring biometrics like blood, genetics and physiomarkers through fitness trackers and mobile apps a normal part of life.

Demand across the board
For now, InsideTracker will continue to use non-microbiome ways to create custom nutrition and lifestyle plans that help its users achieve goals like strength, endurance and longevity. 

“Our audience is seeking to expand their healthspan and is not afraid to look inside themselves to get the clearest picture of what’s going inside their bodies and actionable insights to help them get to their optimal selves,” says Nogal. 

The company has attracted a range of customers, from elite and endurance athletes to prosumers and enthusiasts. 

“We also have a lot of ‘biohackers’ and others who are quantifying themselves, calibrating and fine-tuning their bodies and are quite progressive in their use of science and technology to help their mind and body function better and more efficiently.” 

Last year, other researchers also called for a more personalized approach to investigate the link between nutrition and the microbiome.

Meanwhile, a large-scale study from ZOE’s Personalized Responses to Dietary Composition Trial 1 (PREDICT 1) identified key gut microbes that may be used to help create personalized eating plans. 

By Katherine Durrell