Ombre Gut Health Review: Legit Test? A Dietitian Answers

More people than ever are starting to be more aware of the importance of good gut health. And with that comes solutions to our gut health problems. But, what if you just don't know if you actually have gut health problems, but thinking that you might?

Some of us aren't sure if our gut microbiome is in “good standing” based on our diet and lifestyle over the years, and that's totally normal. That said, taking a superior gut health test could be your way of finding out the real truth.

Recently, we wrote a great informational article on how to restore healthy gut flora, and one thing our experts harp on is the use of probiotics. But the best part about this article, is that some gut health tests, like Ombre, give you a personalized probiotic and nutrition plan that allow you to take actionable steps towards a healthier gut microbiome.

Together, we're going to take a detailed look into the Ombre gut health test. We'll review what it's about, how it works, probiotics offered, if it's safe and effective and if it's legit.

Quick Facts of Ombre Gut Health Test Review

What Is the Ombre Gut Health Test?

Let's get excited because the medical world is finally taking the link between gut health and disease seriously! As a dietician, I hear countless stories from clients who've struggled for years with pain, gas, bloating, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, mood issues, skin rashes, constipation, diarrhea and a multitude of other disruptive symptoms before finally discovering that the problem originated in the gut. Many were actually ignored or dismissed by care professionals because their symptoms didn't line up with an obvious, by-the-book diagnosis.

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The book has so many more chapters today because we now know the link between gut imbalances and disease. It's still not always easy to get a gut test from a doctor. Answering the call for anyone searching for an easy way to test your gut health is something called the Ombre Gut Health Test. Here are three things I like about Ombre:

1. There's no need to beg a doctor to take your “gut feeling” about your gut health seriously just to get answers. This test also makes it easy for people who don't necessarily have access to a digestive specialist to get the ball rolling on getting some answers.
2. The recommendations given to you are personalized based on what your test results say about your gut.
3. It provides a component of “patient education.”

The Ombre test allows you to self-administer a microbiome test to see exactly how good and bad bacteria are battling it out in your digestive tract. You'll then receive personalized food and probiotic recommendations based on your lab-generated results. I think it's important that I throw out some fast facts about the importance of gut health before I keep going. Here's why your gut is such an integral part of your wellness:

• Your gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria that call your digestive tract home. There's a war of good versus bad bacteria going on around the clock. When bad bacteria overtake good bacteria, this is where illness begins. Everything from a processed, sugary diet to antibiotic use can throw off balance to give bad bacteria the advantage. Unfortunately, the scales don't tip back on their own once bad bacteria gains control. It's usually necessary to intervene with lifestyle changes, supplements, probiotics and other measures.
• Roughly 80% of your immune system is actually in your gut. That basically means that a balanced gut equals a healthy immune system. In addition, it's possible that any bacteria overgrowth that causes your immune system to go into overdrive could potentially trigger some kind of autoimmune disorders. There's still a lot we're learning about this dynamic.
• There's a mood-gut link. Roughly 95% of the body's supply of serotonin is manufactured by gut bacteria.

The Ombre Gut Health test claims to offer an easy to way to see exactly how balanced your gut is looking. I want to say that this test isn't just for you if you're already in dire straits with some kind of gastrointestinal issue. Yes, it could potentially be a big help if you're struggling with some bloating, weight gain, mood issues and other non-emergency symptoms. I need to say more.

See a doctor if you're suffering from severe abdominal cramping, bleeding, vomiting, nausea, long-term constipation and other severe symptoms. This test isn't meant to diagnosis or treat any kind of emergency situation, obstruction or growth. It is designed to simply help you get tools for balancing your gut's unique microbiome.

In fact, you can use this test even if you're feeling great. You may find that some small tweaks can actually help you to feel better. What's more, focusing on good choices for gut-friendly foods and probiotics today can help you to potentially avoid illness a few years down the road. Next, I want to talk a bit about the process of using the Ombre Gut Health Test before giving my take on whether or not I think this test is worth your time and money.

How Does It Work?

The first step to doing a “gut check” with Ombre is to just order your kit online for $99. Next, your kit will arrive at your door to allow you to conduct the test in the privacy of your own home. The kit comes with easy, clear directions that anyone can follow.

Next, you'll ship the kit back to Ombre using their free USPS shipping. Results typically take two to three weeks to come in. Once the lab is done processing your sample, you'll receive an email providing your personalized gut-health report based on the lab analysis. Here's a look at how all of the information is broken down for you:

Gut Score

This is your “overall” gut-wellness score based on probiotic balance and bacteria levels. Your gut is scored against the “healthy average” for gut health. Also included is a score based on just how diverse the bacteria present in your microbiome are. More bacteria diversity is healthier!

My Gut Bacteria

Yes, Ombre actually breaks down every species detected in your gut. What's nice is that they don't expect you to be able to interpret these results on your own. You get a “cheat sheet” highlighting all of the benefits, potential diseases and risks associated with every species that was detected.

Symptom Predictor

You may feel a bit like Ombre is reading your mind with this one! You'll be able to explore the symptoms that you are likely to be experiencing based on the specifics of your gut microbiome.

Finally, you can begin your journey of using the knowledge you've been given to improve your gut health. Ombre invites you to enjoy a personalized user dashboard that breaks down all of the information you need to know about your personalized gut health. In addition, there's a special section for collecting suggestions for how to optimize your gut health based on the findings of your test.

The next part is the thing I can really get behind. Ombre provides access to personalized recommendations for which foods you can eat to improve your gut health. While I am a big proponent of using probiotics to stabilize gut health, I'm always in the camp that believes a healthy, whole diet is the first line of defense against gut imbalances. While the general recommendation is to eat things like leafy greens and probiotic-rich yogurt to build up good gut bacteria, I think that getting personalized dietary recommendations based on a real-time gut analysis can help you to do that much better with your gut health.

Is the Test Safe to Take?

Yes! The Ombre test works by analyzing a sample of your stool. You'll be provided with instructions for how to do this easily and safely in your kit.

Evaluation of Personalized Probiotics

The second component of Ombre that accompanies the Ombre Gut Health Test is the company's lineup of personalized probiotics. What makes Ombre probiotics stand out is that you're getting strain-specific probiotic products specifically based on what's lacking in your gut. The probiotics remind me of another product review I did on ONNIT total gut health, a great brand and similar scientific based evidence. I'll run through the different probiotic products really quickly just to give you an idea of what's in them!

Healthy Gut

Designed to support digestive and immune health.

Contains:

• L. acidophilus.
• E. faecium.
• L. paracasei.
• L. helveticus.
• L. rhamnosus.
• L. plantarum.
• B. lactis.
• S. bouldarii.

This is Ombre's product offering for strain-specific antibiotics for better digestive health. It was developed using evidence-backed data specifically for people with gut microbiomes that leave them likely to experience bloating, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain. It's also designed to foster the right type of gut diversity to help you reduce your risks for developing immune-response conditions like leaky gut, irritable bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Endless Energy

Designed to boost energy by supporting metabolic and digestive health.

Contains:

• L. paracasei.
• L. rhamnosus.
• B. bifidum.
• S. boulardii.
• L. helveticus.

This blend is designed to boost your body's natural energy production. It works by improving the way your body is able to access and use nutrients. In addition to being formulated to boost physical energy levels, it also supposedly helps with mental clarity.

Metabolic Booster

Designed to assist with a healthy metabolism.

Contains:

• E. faecium.
• L. acidophilus.
• L. rhamnosus.
• B. longum.
• S. boulardii.
• B. lactis.
• L. helveticus.
• L. reuteri.

Ombre promises to help optimize your gut flora for a beautiful metabolism with this one. The strains in this blend are formulated to positively influence nutrient absorption and cellular communication. In addition to helping with metabolism, the ingredients look like they are also arranged to help fight inflammation that can make weight loss harder.

Rise

Designed to nourish your gut's good bacteria.

This is my pick if your gut health is “a mess.” Ombre doesn't share what's in its proprietary probiotic formula with this one. However, I do know that it contains an additional prebiotic complex. This is really important because it often takes the right mix of prebiotics and probiotics to get your gut back in balance if you're dealing with a compromised microbiome. The dietary fibers in this blend can be important for strengthening your gut barrier to promote digestive comfort, metabolic function and an overall feeling of wellness that may be missing if your microbiome has been out of whack.

Safety and Side Effects of the Probiotics

Probiotics are generally considered to be very safe. In fact, you can buy many different brands of over-the-counter antibiotics without the need to worry about a prescription. However, the downside to those probiotics is that they offer the same bacterial strands for everyone.

How Accurate Is Their Gut Test?

Ombre does testing a little differently than other kits that offer similar testing. The company actually adds a process in the lab that places bacterial cells in a liquid buffer before they get extracted from the sample. Ombre doesn't claim that its test is 100% accurate. I'm glad about that transparency because I can say from my experience that a perfect accuracy level would be impossible with this type of test. What Ombre does claim is that its test is 28% more accurate than comparable kits. I just don't have the data in front of me to confirm accuracy beyond what the company claims.

Is There Anything Better Than Ombre? (Alternatives)

I think there are lots of reasons why Ombre is the one to try if you do want to test your gut health from home using a mail-in gut-health test. However, it's not the only test of this kind on the market. Ombre's biggest competitor is a company called Viome (see ombre vs viome) that also offers a gut analysis using a stool sample. You'll also be asked to mail in a blood sample with Viome. I don't know how helpful this is if you're just looking for a basic analysis of the state of your gut microbiome. Like Ombre, Viome also offers detailed scoring to let you know where there's room for improvement. If you're impatient for results, it's important to know that it often takes up to four weeks to get Viome results. The starting price is also quite a bit higher when compared to Ombre.

Biohm is another option that essentially offers a similar testing process with similar reporting of your results. You're getting a gut score and comparison score just like you are with Ombre. The cost of Biohm is also comparable with Ombre. However, results can take six weeks to arrive after you've submitted your sample.

My general impression after reviewing how each company conducts its sequencing of good and bad bacteria is that Ombre seems to have perfected this model of at-home testing to be done in a customer-friendly way. In addition to providing reliable testing with an easy pathway to taking steps to correct any issues, Ombre really does the best job on customer education.

Who Should Use Ombre?

Ombre is obviously a great point of entry for understanding what's going on with your gut health if you've been dealing with things like bloating, gas, constipation or any other symptoms that are causing you to suspect that you have an issue with your gut health. However, I honestly think this is a really great tool for anyone who simply wants to check their gut health without the need to pay a doctor to do it.

Are There Any Sample Tests I Can See Before Ordering?

Ombre can't actually give out other people's test results because that would be an infringement on people's privacy. However, I did manage to get my hands on an actual sample test result, which I'll show in an image below:

See more samples

The Importance of a Healthy Gut Microbiome

As I covered earlier, your gut microbiome controls everything from your immune system to your serotonin levels. There really isn't a part of your health that isn't impacted by your gut microbiome. You simply can't be healthy if you're not absorbing nutrients properly due to issues like excessive harmful bacteria, intestinal permeability and inflammation. What's more, you're increasing your risk for illness and disease when you allow gut issues to continue. Complications that are potentially linked to an excess of bad gut bacteria can include thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, depression, anxiety and type 1 diabetes.

Can I Really Improve My Gut Microbiome Through a Gut Health Test?

This is an area of your health where knowledge really is power. A test can answer so many questions about why you might be feeling the way you're feeling. I have seen so many patients see the “light bulb” finally turn on after discovering that their gut microbiome was imbalanced. Some people had actually been convinced that they were dealing with everything from psychological issues to chronic disease due to the severity of their inflammation.

Of course, getting your test results is just the first step. I think you're going to be surprised by how affirming your results are once you see “how your body has been feeling” translated to actual numbers. That gut-health rating can be a real wakeup call for some people. However, I think your results should always be viewed as empowering instead of scary even if you find out that your gut is in big trouble. The reason why is that you're now in a position to make the right changes to turn it all around.

The gut just doesn't heal itself without some help. In fact, imbalances in the microbiome tend to only get progressively worse as the depletion of good bacteria perpetuates. That's why it excites me that Ombre actually hands you the roadmap for the next step by pivoting you to the right probiotic blends and dietary changes.

Is The Ombre Gut Health Test Legit? Final Verdict

My opinion is that Ombre is worth it and 100% legit if you're ready to get answers about your gut health. I really think that testing gut bacteria is an essential health step that nobody talks about enough. In fact, it disappoints me that doctors almost never order this type of test until a patient is already suffering after trying “everything else.” I like that Ombre lets you take control for a testing fee that I find more than reasonable based on my experience with conducting all types of nutritional testing for my patients.

Tips for Success From Our RD

I'll tell you the same thing I tell my clients who come to me when they want to heal their guts through diet and lifestyle changes. You have to do the work. There is no overnight fix if your gut is out of balance. First, the “long view” involves eating a balanced diet full of whole grains, leafy greens, clean meats and probiotic-rich foods. There's just no substitute for this.

I also tell my clients that the climb is harder if they're being excessive with smoking and drinking. Don't forget about getting those stress levels in check. Studies confirm that stress alters the microbiome to create inflammation of the colon. Finally, probiotics and prebiotics are often necessary when a bacterial imbalance reaches the point of no return as far as self-correction. That's why I'm excited that so many people are curious about using the Ombre Gut Health test to finally get back on track!