Gut microbiome test

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the gut microbiome, a 48-page report with the Rych Index™, a profile of more than 100 markers, antibiotic resistance genes (90 antibiotics) and a personalised 12-week nutrition plan. The price covers the kit, the free return of the sample to us and the analysis in the Leucine Rich Bio laboratory in India.

Yes. “Gut flora” is the older name for the gut microbiome: the bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses that live in your gut. The test reads their DNA in a stool sample and shows which ones they are (to species level), what share each has and how diverse the community is compared with a reference group. It does not make a diagnosis or look for an infection.

Yes. The “Download a sample report” button is higher up on this page, under “What you get” — a real report with all personal data removed: name, age, sample number and dates.

Within 16 working days of receiving your sample. This applies if you ask at checkout for the analysis to start straight away; if you don’t, we send the sample to the lab once the 14-day withdrawal period has ended, and the 16 days run from then. Collecting the sample at home takes about five minutes. You get an email notification as soon as the report is ready in your account.

€360. The price covers the sample kit, delivery to you and the return of the sample to us, the laboratory analysis, the 48-page report in Bulgarian and the 12-week nutrition plan. There are no extra fees, and cash on delivery costs you nothing extra. If you take two tests together, the bundle costs €620 and you save €100.

Different technology. Cheaper tests usually rely on 16S rRNA, which only sees bacteria and most often stops at genus level. Shotgun metagenomics reads all the DNA — bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses — down to species level, plus functional analysis, antibiotic resistance genes and a personalised 12-week nutrition plan. The price covers the kit, the return of the sample to us, the laboratory analysis and the report in Bulgarian.

In the method. Microbiome tests are done in three main ways. PCR panels look for preselected bacteria using a few dozen DNA markers. 16S rRNA tests read a section of a single bacterial gene and usually reach the genus. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing, which we use, reads all the DNA in the sample (bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses) to species level. It compares it with a reference base of 247,728 genomes and also shows the potential of your microbes, for example for vitamins and short-chain fatty acids, along with their antibiotic resistance genes.

Yes. The approach — a nutrition plan based on the microbiome — was clinically tested in a pilot randomised controlled study published in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ (2024). 30 adults were split into two groups: 15 received a nutrition plan based on their microbiome and 15 received standard dietary guidance. After 90 days, gut microbial diversity in the plan group had increased significantly. The study was carried out and funded by Leucine Rich Bio, the laboratory behind the test. This does not mean the test treats or diagnoses anything: it gives nutrition and lifestyle information.

It helps to know what already lives in your gut. You may be taking species that are already well represented while others are under-represented. The report shows which probiotic species live in your gut — which are well and which are under-represented — so the choice is based on data, not guesswork.

Great — but is it matched to your microbiome? Everything you eat passes through the gut, where microbes process it. Different microbes turn the same foods into different substances — helpful or not. That is why the same “healthy” food works differently for different people. The plan from the test is calculated from your microbiome, not from general rules.

No. BugSpeaks is a wellness product: it shows the composition and functions of your microbiome and gives nutrition guidance. It does not detect disease and does not replace a medical examination. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

No. The report shows the relative share of microbes that are usually present only in small amounts in healthy people. This is information about the balance of the microbiome — it is not a test for infection or parasites and does not show that you are infected. The test is not a microbiological culture and does not report colony counts (CFU/g). If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

A standard lab stool test (a stool culture) looks for a few specific causes of gut infections and is usually done when there are symptoms of an infection. The BugSpeaks test does not look for an infection: it reads the DNA of all the microbes in the sample and shows the whole make-up of your gut microbiome and what the microbes can produce. The two tests answer different questions, and one does not replace the other.

On published scientific evidence. The laboratory maintains a manually curated and checked database of published links between microbes and their role in the body (MicroByte). Your profile is compared against it using Leucine Rich Bio's own technology. The report is nutrition and lifestyle information — not a diagnosis or a prediction of disease.

With reference groups of healthy people from different parts of the world, not with people from a single country. That shows where each indicator sits compared with healthy people. The comparison is a guide for diet and lifestyle, not a norm or a diagnosis.

Completely non-invasive. You collect a stool sample at home with the sterile tools in the kit — no pain, no risk, no trip to a laboratory.

Yes — the report is yours and you can show it to anyone you like. It is not a medical test, however, and does not replace the tests your doctor orders.

Your account and report are stored encrypted in the EU (Frankfurt). The laboratory in India receives the sample and the data for the analysis under the test code only — without your name or contact details — and keeps the raw data for up to 2 years; the transfer is protected by appropriate contractual safeguards. We do not sell data or use it for advertising. You can request deletion at any time. Details are in the Privacy Policy.