Understanding gut health is one of the most critical parts of personal wellness. With over 70% of the immune system located in the gut, a balanced microbiome is essential for overall health. For years, however, the only option for insight was a traditional stool test. These tests only show the composition of microbes, failing to reveal what those microbes are actively doing or how they impact our immune function.
Zinzino, a Scandinavian health and wellness company, is pioneering a new solution with its innovative Gut Health Test. This new approach uses a simple at-home finger prick to measure gut function and metabolic activity, not just composition. We spoke with Colin Robertson, Chief Product Officer at Zinzino, to understand how this new method provides truly actionable insights for personalized health.
Q: What makes Zinzino’s new Gut Health Test different from traditional microbiome tests?
Colin Robertson: Well, firstly, this is not a gut microbiome test, the market has been saturated with those for a long time now, and with limited impact or meaningful success for most people. Our latest test is a gut health test, and instead of simply trying quantify how many, or what type, of bacterial microbes are present in the gut, we are listening in to their conversations via metabolomic analysis, tuning into the metabolites and determining if the gut is leaning towards resilience and immune support, or stress and increased immune load.
Q: How can a finger-prick test measure what’s happening in the gut?
Colin Robertson: By measuring key metabolites, like IPA and kynurenine, and the amino acid, tryptophan, and determining whether the gut is steering microbial and metabolite activity towards an immune-supporting pathway, or in a stress and inflammation direction. Metabolomics really is the cutting edge of analysing gut function, and builds directly upon all that we have learned over the past 20-30 years of research regarding the gut and how it functions. Stool samples have played an invaluable role in developing our knowledge and understanding, but only tell us ‘what’s there’, not ‘what they’re doing.’ Our test is the first of its kind to offer this insight to the world.
Q: You’ve called this test a “lifestyle compass.” What does that mean for the average person?
Colin Robertson: Because too many people get lost and wander off track when it comes to adopting and maintaining lifestyle habits that benefit their health and wellbeing. What we’re offering is a safe and reliable way back. If we assume that true north will lead us to better health, our Gut Health test empowers people to check their progress and keep moving in a positive direction for life.
Q: What kind of actionable insights can a person expect from their results?
Colin Robertson: We know what foods and what actions best restore and nurture the gut. This test is the nudge most people need to increase their fiber consumption (fruits and plants), polyphenols (olive oil, for example), physical activity, and exercise. Despite what the influencers say, remember, we humans were foragers before we were hunters, and our health remains hardwired to what the land provides. With our test, people will soon see how positively and dramatically their gut health responds to consuming sufficient amounts of fiber, by breaking the cycle of sedentary behaviour, and finding an exercise regime that excites and ignites them.
Also, the test indicates what dietary choices to proactively reduce. We know that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods, fizzy drinks, and excessive alcohol takes its toll on the gut in negative ways. Well, now, everyone can individualise these facts, and see exactly how they influence them personally.
Q: Why is moving away from stool samples so important for preventative health?
Colin Robertson: As I’ve said, stool samples only provide very limited insights. We learn what’s there but not what they have been doing. Each of us has a unique gut microbiome profile, and a quantity of bacteria for one person doesn’t relate or correlate with an amount measured in someone else’s sample when it comes to gut function or health. Stool samples will have a place in medical diagnostics for a long time to come, but they have a very small role to play when it comes to preventative health measures. Our test tells you what your bacteria are doing, and that’s far more useful, critical, and important when it comes to empowering change.
Q: Is this a one-time test, or is it meant to track progress?
Colin Robertson: Every research study conducted in the area of lifestyle management has observed the same feature, when we measure and monitor our activity we are infinitely more likely to stick to it for the longer term. Our test gives you an initial baseline, and then we encourage people to retest in approx. 120 days (typical lifecycle of a blood cell) to see what influence your dietary and lifestyle choices have had. After that, it’s good to check-in once in a while to see how you’re maintaining. Over time, life changes, and what we do changes too. As such, keeping a keen eye on what’s happening beneath the surface is the most sure-fire and guaranteed way to keep up and stay on the right path; from both a metabolite and general health perspective. If you’re not testing, you’re guessing, and we take the guess-work out of the equation when it comes to improving your health.
This shift from analyzing composition to understanding function is a significant step forward in personalized wellness. By using a simple finger-prick test, Zinzino is providing individuals with direct, actionable insights into their metabolic and immune health, allowing for truly personalized adjustments.
As wellness moves toward precision and preventative care, tools like the Zinzino Gut Health Test will become essential. Empowering people with accessible, functional data about their bodies is the future of personal health, helping to restore balance from the inside out.
To learn more, visit https://www.zinzino.com
