Gut Health Test

A gut health test analyzes a stool sample to understand the microbes living in your gut, known as your gut microbiome. ZOE uses some of the most advanced DNA sequencing to identify the microbes in your sample and generate a personalised Gut Microbiome Score. This data allows us to share personalised recommendations to help you support your gut health through your everyday food choices.

Once the analysis is complete, which typically takes up to 4 weeks, we calculate a microbiome score from 0 to 1,000. This score is based on your balance of 50 "good" and 50 "bad" gut bacteria, which are linked to health markers like blood sugar control and inflammation. You get a list of Gut Boosters — foods to include in your diet to help you support "good" gut microbes that you are low on — and Gut Suppressors — foods to limit to discourage the growth of any "bad" microbes you might have. We also group the microbes that matter most into four Gut Bug Clusters, showing exactly how your microbiome connects to the health outcomes you care about: heart and cholesterol, inflammation and immune health, blood sugar control, and healthy fat distribution.

Your Gut Microbiome Score is a personalized score from 0 to 1,000 that reflects how well your gut microbiome supports your overall health, based on ZOE's scientific research. The score also helps you track changes over time as you improve your long-term diet.

Some microbiome testing companies have faced criticism because stool samples from the same individual can yield very different results. In other words, the tests are not reproducible. Thanks to our cutting-edge technology, ZOE is different. We use shotgun metagenomic sequencing: rather than looking at a single bacterial gene, we can use the whole genome to correctly identify the microbes. As part of our PREDICT1 study, we conducted two gut microbiome tests on a subset of individuals 2 weeks apart. We confirmed that the tests were reproducible. Additionally, thanks to ZOE’s recent METHOD study and gut retests, we have shown that closely following ZOE’s recommendations leads to positive changes in the gut microbiome — lower levels of “bad” species and higher levels of “good” species.

Your ZOE Gut Health Score takes into account the balance of 50 "good" and 50 "bad" gut bacteria identified by ZOE scientists. These microbes are associated with key positive and negative health markers. The score gives you a clear picture of how well your gut supports your overall health, including blood sugar control, blood fat levels, and inflammation. It reflects both the presence and abundance of these microbes, as determined by advanced sequencing of your gut microbiome.

We believe that ZOE’s Gut Health Test is the most advanced in the world; it provides insights that can’t be obtained anywhere else. ZOE’s research identified “good” and “bad” microbes linked to health and nutrition, validated in the world's most influential scientific journal, Nature, in December 2025. Only we can compare your sample against this dataset: ZOE has over 300,000 fully sequenced microbiome samples, coupled with health information from thousands who participate in our clinical trial. When you take ZOE’s Gut Health Test, we use the exact same highly advanced systems we used in this research: shotgun metagenomics. We then compare your data with our huge dataset and provide a score out of 1,000. We have pending patents on the methodology behind our gut health score, based on our research published in Nature.

There’s no special preparation required, and you can eat normally before taking your sample. However, we advise pausing any probiotic supplements at least 2 weeks before taking the test. This ensures an accurate representation of your gut microbiome profile without any external influence from the probiotics. It's important to note that antibiotics can impact your gut microbiome, and this may be reflected in your ZOE Gut Health Score. Some people who test shortly after or during antibiotic use may receive lower scores. This initial test can serve as a baseline to monitor your gut health over time.

ZOE uses deep shotgun sequencing, which provides a much more detailed picture of your gut microbiome than older sequencing methods. The test is powered by one of the world's largest microbiome databases and combines this science with personalized nutrition recommendations in the ZOE app. Many companies that offer gut microbiome tests use an older technology called 16s. This technique identifies bacteria by examining differences in just one gene. ZOE’s approach, however, reads DNA from across the entire genome of every microbe to accurately identify them.

ZOE’s app already provides world-leading personalised nutrition advice, but once you’ve taken the Gut Health Test, we can personalise your recommendations even further. For instance, we provide a personalised list of Gut Boosters: foods to include in your diet to help you support “good” gut microbes that you are low on. Similarly, you’ll get a list of Gut Suppressors, which let you know the foods to limit to discourage the growth of “bad” microbes.

You can retest your microbiome at any time, but we recommend doing so every 4 months. This keeps your advice up to date and helps you stay on track as your gut health changes. Plus, our research, published in Nature Medicine, shows that this is enough time to make measurable beneficial changes to your gut microbiome.

No. The ZOE Gut Health Test is designed to provide insights into your gut microbiome and support general health and wellbeing. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, manage or prevent medical conditions.

Yes. An active ZOE App Membership is required to purchase a Gut Health Test and to receive and access your results.

Currently, ZOE’s Gut Health Test is available in the United Kingdom.