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Exploring the Zoe App Program the Pros and Cons

Dog reading the paper on the toilet

Exploring the Zoe App Program – the pros and cons In the era of digital health, the ZOE App Program, co-founded by Tim Spector, has emerged as a prominent player in personalized nutrition. With nearly cult-like status among its 130,000 subscribers, this nutrition service offers a tailored approach to optimizing health through its innovative app-based platform. In this comprehensive review Abby Olu-Sholanke one of our specialist Associate Dietitians, delves into the intricacies of the ZOE Programme, its product offerings, effectiveness, pros and cons, and compare it with the services provided by specialist dietitians. What exactly is Zoe? Zoe analyses your blood and faecal samples to provide insights about your gut microbiome, such as the diversity of gut and bowel bacteria and your ability to digest fats and sugars.  Zoe App sounds interesting – what Next? The ZOE membership: There are three membership tiers, which automatically renew unless you request a cancellation. You have to buy the test and the monthly membership as a package they are not available to purchase seperately. The Membership categories are: £24.99 per month for a 12-month membership, plus £299.99 for testing. Membership paid in one payment of £299.88, billed when you can see your ZOE Scores in the app = £599 £39.99 per month for a four-month membership, plus £299.99 for testing. Membership paid in one payment of £159.96, billed when you can see your ZOE Scores in the app =£439  £59.99 per month for a rolling monthly membership, plus £299.99 for testing = £899. What’s in the Zoe App Kit? The ZOE test kit: Gut health kit: A kit to collect a stool sample at home, to send off for analysis. The stool is examined to see the diversity of the gut microbiome – essentially the good and not so good microbes living in the stools. This is linked with health issues such as digestive system, immune response and mental health. Blood fat test: A small sample of blood collected via finger prick is sent for blood fat analysis. This measures how quickly fat is cleared from the blood after a meal. This is a risk factor indicator of developing heart disease and chronic inflammation. Blood sugar sensor: A round yellow disk that the user sticks to their arm and wears for 14 days. There is a tiny needle that measures the glucose from the fluid beneath the skin. This allows the app to gain real-time insights of how blood sugar levels fluctuate, per food eaten. Breakfast and lunch cookies to be consumed  on a specific test day – these test out the blood sugar and blood fat results, as well as measuring the speed of users’ digestion and gastric emptying. (the diagram below illustrates the process and used from the zoe website) Zoe Cookies?? So what are these cookies?? As we can see from the Zoe kit content, cookies are consumed…. According to the information on their website, the test cookies were specifically designed by scientists to enable users to test their biological responses. The purpose of the cookies is to challenge the metabolism with high doses of fat and sugar over 6 hours.  To be able to package the necessary amounts of nutrients in the challenge in a standardised way, they used cookies.  Breakfast Test Cookie Ingredients: White chocolate chips (cocoa butter, cane sugar, tapioca starch, rice syrup solids, rice maltodextrin, organic vanilla and salt)  Flour blend (brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, potato starch, stabiliser (xanthan gum))  Palm oil  Brown sugar  Chickpea flour  Tapioca starch  Tapioca syrup  Less than 2% of: water, vanilla bean extractives, salt Lunch Test Cookie Ingredients: Flour blend (brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, potato starch, stabiliser (xanthan gum)) Brown sugar Chickpea flour  Tapioca starch  Less than 2% of:  water tapioca syrup vanilla bean extractives salt  Colour: FD&C Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)  Raising agent: Baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate)) Allergens in Zoe cookies -free from Gluten Milk Egg Fish and shellfish Peanut and tree nut Soy Wheat Made in a facility handles the following : not suitable Tree Nuts Peanuts Wheat Eggs Zoe App Diet Test Day When it comes to eating the cookies on test day, testers need to fast the morning of the test – that means nothing to eat or drink, except water, black tea or coffee. The specific breakfast cookies need to be eaten within 15 minutes, and then a four hour fast follows, before consuming the lunch cookies. This can have implications for people who are on medications or diabetic. Effectiveness According to reviews on the ZOE website, users said they feel the changes in their energy levels after around 4 weeks.  A statistic on the  website states 84% of users feel healthier after 12 weeks. Another article in Forbes, says 70 percent of ZOE members report having more energy. Good Food website states that there is so much information on the ZOE app as well as useful tricks to optimise what you eat, that you’re bound to gain tips that you can stick to in the long term. Interestingly when you look at the stats for changing your diet to healthier choices this outcome is not unique to ZOE diet and achievable with guidance from a Dietitian. The Pros and Cons of ZOE app Pros  ZOE is based on advice around monitoring blood sugar, blood fat and gut health. Provides helpful tips on minimising bad foods and useful tricks you can stick to long term. Contains a kit that has a blood sugar monitor, blood fat test, stool sample test and some food to test your gut transit time in the comfort of your home. The programme prides itself on helping users make healthy food choices and knowing how certain foods can impact their blood sugars and gut health. The ZOE app produces a score from 0-100, based on food choices. The program offers several articles and information of healthy eating It is a novel way of testing

Gut Health Test UK

Gut Health Tests in the UK: A Comprehensive Guide As a specialist gut dietitian, I’ve witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of gimmick gut health tests promising cures for your digestive complaints. I caution against these dangerous and expensive tests that promise cures for digestive problems. The key is getting accurate evidence-based gut testing. In this blog, I invite you to better understand why investing in accurate gut testing is paramount. Avoid the one-size-fits-all solutions and embrace a tailored approach rooted in scientific expertise. Join me as we pave the way towards optimal digestive health, steering clear of gimmicks and prioritizing precision in pursuit of vitality and well-being. Your gut plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being for several reasons: Digestion and Nutrient Absorption: The gut breaks down the food you eat, extracting essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly [1]. Immune Function: A significant portion of your immune system resides in your gut. A healthy gut microbiome helps protect against harmful pathogens and supports immune responses [4]. Mental Health: The gut-brain axis connects your gut and brain, influencing mood and mental health. A healthy gut microbiome can contribute to reduced stress and improved mental well-being [6]. Inflammation Regulation: An imbalance in gut bacteria can lead to inflammation, which is linked to various chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders [3]. Whole Body Health: Gut health impacts various bodily functions beyond digestion, including metabolism, hormone regulation, and even skin health [2]. Your gut, often referred to as the body’s “second brain,” harbours a complex ecosystem of microorganisms crucial for digestion, immunity, and even mental health. Imbalances in this delicate microbial community can lead to a myriad of health issues. Ranging from digestive disorders to autoimmune conditions and beyond. By undergoing gut health testing, individuals gain valuable insights into the composition and functionality of their gut microbiota.  Gut health tests will be empowering you to make informed decisions regarding diet, lifestyle, and supplementation In recent years, the demand for gut health testing has surged, prompting an expansion in the availability of testing services across the UK. From specialised laboratories to online testing kits, individuals now have various options to explore their gut health status conveniently. Healthcare practitioners, including functional medicine doctors and nutritionists, increasingly incorporate gut health testing into their diagnostic protocols, facilitating personalised treatment approaches for patients. But are they all legit and do you get the answers you need to improve your unpleasant symptoms? Types of Gut Health Tests Allergy Testing: Skin Prick Testing (SPT): This common allergy test can detect immediate allergic reactions to multiple substances at once, helping identify triggers for allergic diseases. So what can be checked? SPT is a reliable method for diagnosing IgE-mediated allergic diseases like asthma, urticaria, and food allergies. It confirms sensitization and aids in diagnosing type I allergies. SPT is minimally invasive, affordable, and provides immediate results. When performed by trained professionals, it’s reproducible. Since Helmtraud Ebruster’s first publication in 1959, SPT has been a primary tool for detecting type I hypersensitivity reactions. However, variations in interpretation and extracts used globally make comparing results challenging. Gut Microbiome Testing Commercial gut microbiome testing involves analyzing faecal samples to provide insights into the composition of an individual’s gut microbiota. While these tests are readily available, their reliability and clinical significance remain subjects of debate. Members of the British Society of Gastroenterology’s Gut Microbiota for Health Expert Panel offers the following guidance on microbiome testing, emphasizing several key points: Reliability Concerns: The accuracy and consistency of results from commercial tests may vary due to differences in methodologies and interpretation [3]. Clinical Significance: The clinical relevance of microbiome testing in guiding treatment decisions or predicting health outcomes is not yet fully established. Further research is needed to elucidate the practical implications of microbiome analysis [5]. Professional Guidance: Consulting healthcare professionals, especially gastroenterologists and dietitians, are recommended to interpret microbiome test results accurately and determine their clinical relevance [2][4]. Limitations: Some commercial tests oversimplify microbiome profiles by categorizing bacteria as “good” or “bad,” which may not accurately reflect their role in health and disease [5]. So what does this mean? Commercial gut microbiome testing can offer insights into gut health, however at this stage its reliability, clinical significance, and interpretation require careful consideration and benefits from professional guidance for accurate assessment and application in clinical practice. It is also costly. Electrodermal testing (also known as VEGA testing) and applied kinesiology The method of holding two metal sticks or balls for intolerance testing is often associated with practices like electrodermal testing (also known as VEGA testing) and applied kinesiology. I have seen so many patients who have tried this method with no change in symptoms. I have talked about this before as I get super disappointed for them as they are often sicker and thinner from the list of foods they are avoiding with no success.  Looking at the evidence these methods do not have a robust scientific basis and are not validated for the diagnosis of food allergies or intolerances. In electrodermal testing, the patient is connected to electrodes, creating an electrical circuit with glass vials of test substances (potential allergens) connected to the circuit, and skin impedance is measured. There is no evidence to validate the use of this technique for food allergy diagnosis, and it does not accurately detect respiratory allergy. Applied kinesiology involves the patient holding a vial containing the test food in one hand while the contralateral arm is extended. Weakness in this arm is taken as a marker for sensitivity to the food being tested. However, there is no evidence for diagnostic accuracy or effectiveness for any condition with this method. What test should you choose? For accurate diagnosis of food allergies or intolerances, it is recommended to undergo detailed clinical assessment by a qualified healthcare professional with expertise in allergy. This may include validated investigations such as specific IgE testing, skin prick testing, and oral food challenge testing or eliminations.  It’s crucial to rely on scientifically