Forget your own genome – now you can pay to sequence the DNA of the microbes in your gut and get advice on which foods to eat for better health
Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library
SEQUENCING your genome is so 2017. With personalised health becoming a booming industry, several start-ups are now offering to sequence the DNA of all the microbes living in your gut as well.
Emerging research suggests that cultivating a healthy balance of these organisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome, can protect against some of the biggest health threats around, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel disease, arthritis and depression.
We might be able to control these organisms with drugs (see “Gut medicine”), but some firms think food is a better option. …