SpaceGut launched its at-home gut microbiome test kit on November 12.
The test kit includes a swab for stool collection which users will need to send to the company for analysis.
The samples are analysed against a database containing over 90 clinical research papers findings and 62,000 stool samples which the company has amassed so far. Of which, 20,000 samples are from the Asia-Pacific region.
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing is used to analyse the bacteria types in the stool samples, as well as over 30 health markers, including microbiome diversity and age, bowel mobility, antibiotic damage, autoimmune index, and sleep quality and sugar index etc.
Health risks for 24 conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are also evaluated.
Based on the analysis results which are generated in four to five weeks, users will be given advice on their dietary habits.
This includes advising them on the types of foods that they should consume more and incorporating pre-, probiotics into their diets. Food recipes will also be provided to help users adopt the recommended diets.
“The preventive actions basically come from food. We have rated about 400 different types of food between the score of one to 10, with those rated 10 as foods that you should ea more and vice versa,” SpaceGut’s founder Tony Wong told NutraIngredients-Asia.
As for probiotics recommendation, the company will suggest suitable products that are already commercially available.
“The report will suggest the probiotic supplements and even the brands that the users could get. However, the core of it is still coming from the nutrition that users take from their diets on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Making a difference
Gut microbiome testing based on faecal samples is not something new to Asia-Pacific. Amway Korea’s partnership with local start-up HEM Pharma and Singapore’s AMILI are some prominent examples driving the movement.
Wong said he hoped to make a difference by offering a more convenient user journey and comparing the results with a sizeable database.
First, users will only need to swab instead of using a stool catcher to collect their stool samples.
“The number one difference that we are bringing in lies in the consumer journey.
“The traditional gut microbiome test requires the use of a stool catcher. The whole collection process isn’t simple and it’s deterring as well, because users will need to scoop the sample [from the stool catcher].
“Our collection process is pretty easy. Users will only need to swab the remnants of the stool from the toilet paper, put it into a tube that comes with the test kit and return it back to us for analysis,” said Wong.
Another difference that the company hopes to leverage on, is in the size of its dataset, and the company will be enlarging the database along the way with the samples collected.
Target audience
Gut microbiome testing is still at a nascent stage in Malaysia with much consumer education needed. The company’s target audience are thus individuals with digestive and/or bowel movement issues.
However, with growing evidence showing the gut’s impact on a host of health conditions also means that the test kit is relevant to a wider group of individuals.
“Decades of research has shown that the gut is related to many chronic illnesses, especially on the immune system, the brain through the gut brain axis…
“Our test kit is therefore ideal for individuals with digestive issues such as IBS, chronic constipation, or acid reflux, as well as those seeking improvements in mental clarity, immunity, skin health, or weight management.”
The test kit is available for purchase via the company’s website at MYR$2,288 (US$510).
Gut and integrative medicine
SpaceGut is part of SOL Partnership Sdn Bhd – also a Malaysia firm which offers integrative natural medicine solutions to both healthy individuals and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
A main reason for developing the test kit is to tap on growing amount of research showing the link between gut health and other parts of the body, such as the gut-brain and the gut-skin axis.
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) has also allowed the firm to tap on the technology in decoding the microbiome.
As integrative medicines also emphasise on gut health, the gut microbiome test kits will also be available via SOL’s integrative medicine clinics.
