Food fad or nutrition revolution? Editor Ellie Smith investigates.
Worth the investment?
The first of the ZOE Predict studies (known as PREDICT-1) set out to understand how and why people respond in different ways to food. Published in 2020, it enrolled over 1,000 participants and included 660 identical twins. Participants ate standardised muffins – with identical calorie, fat, protein, carb and fibre levels – and their physiological responses to the food were recorded.
At the end of the study, the results were clear. Researchers found huge variation among the participants’ responses to the same food. There was significant variation, even within pairs of identical twins. Not only that, but many were experiencing what researchers called a ‘metabolic cascade’. That is, a chain of unhealthy changes in the body after eating balanced meals made up of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Some experienced steep blood sugar spikes after eating a high-carb muffin, for example, while others barely registered the sweet snack. And while eating high fat foods increased blood fat levels for some, others got away scot-free.
So, why should we care about our metabolic responses? Excessive blood sugar or fat spikes can overwhelm the body’s natural regulations, researchers say. If repeated over the course of days, weeks, months or a lifetime, we see long-term inflammation, weight gain and even diabetes and heart disease.
These findings call into question crash diets and public health recommendations taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to eating well. What’s needed, the research suggests, is a more personalised approach, with nutrition tailored to our unique physiology. Enter the at-home ZOE test kit. It launched in the UK in April of last year and, at its peak, built an impressive waiting list of over 200,000 people. It’s an opportunity to join the ZOE Predict studies from home and improve health by unlocking the secrets of our metabolism.
How does the kit work?
The kit contains three sets of muffins (much like the original study) and all the tools needed to measure your metabolic response to them. This includes a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to track your blood sugar levels, finger-prick blood test to track your blood fat levels, and a stool sample kit to take a look at your microbiome.
After completing the tests, it’s a six-week wait for your results. The first report details how well you respond to carbs and fats compared with other ZOE members. The second report contains the good and bad bugs found in your gut and your ZOE gut microbiome health score.
With your re
