Written by
Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
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Ombre Gut Health Review: Pros, Cons, and How It Works
Last Updated on March 29, 2022
Medically Reviewed by Anthony Dugarte, MD
Ombre (formerly Thryve) uses a gut microbiome test to provide personalized probiotic and diet recommendations. While Ombre is a good starting point to improve your gut health, it is always best to work with a professional.
Ana Reisdorf is a registered dietitian nutritionist with 14 years of experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics. She graduated from UCLA in 2002 with a degree in psychology and women’s studies and completed her master’s degree from Central Michigan University in 2010
Medically Reviewed by
Anthony Dugarte, MD
Medical Reviewer
Anthony Dugarte, M.D., C.S.C.S. is a health and wellness writer and medical content reviewer. In addition to dedicating the last 11 years to medical research, Dr. Dugarte also has more than a decade of experience in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and rehabilitative exercise, as well as authoring and reviewing health and wellness-related content.
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Editor’s Note: On November 1, 2021, this brand changed its name from Thryve to Ombre. According to the company, all testing kits and personalized probiotics stayed the same.
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Pros
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Cons
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How It Works
Ombre (formerly Thryve) is an innovative company that uses a mail-in gut microbiome test to provide personalized recommendations for probiotic supplements and dietary changes.
The idea was inspired by the CEO’s own health concerns, which he was able to correct by improving his gut health.
Once you purchase the Ombre gut kit, they send you a collection box to collect a small stool sample. You mail in the stool sample, and they provide a “map” of your gut microbiome.
From there, they also make recommendations for the types of bacteria that should be included in your ideal probiotic supplement and the foods you should include and avoid to improve your gut health.
Once you send in your stool sample, Ombre compares your results to the American Gut Project, allowing them to calculate microbial diversity, the total number of species, and the percentage of beneficial bacteria.
The company has mapped out over 3,000 kinds of bacteria to evaluate their function in the body.
They have also evaluated over 1,000 foods and 500 supplements to determine the impact each has on gut bacteria.
Your test results will be provided on the Ombre website.
Ombre’s algorithm makes personalized recommendations for managing your symptoms, enhancing beneficial bacteria, and reducing pathogenic bacteria in your gut to improve your health.
It also recommends foods to eat or avoid and potential health problems you may encounter based on your microbiome profile.
While it seems Ombre has evaluated significant clinical data to make these recommendations, I am hesitant to recommend making dietary or lifestyle changes based on a computer algorithm alone, particularly if you are trying to manage severe health concerns.
Ombre does not provide consultations with healthcare providers to help users understand their results.
My Experience with Ombre
For this review, I tried the Ombre microbiome test myself. The collection kit arrived and included simple instructions for collecting the sample.
I was able to do it on the same day of arrival and send it off.
The results took about three weeks to come back and were presented in a user-friendly way.
The information provided included:
- Overall gut health score
- My personalized Ombre probiotic recommendations
- A personalized food plan that included 220 foods to eat and 46 foods to avoid
- A bacteria level score
- A list of possible symptoms I might experience due to the current condition of my gut bacteria
- The total number of species they discovered in my sample
The test provided some insight into the current health problems I am experiencing. Over the last few years, I have struggled with insomnia and unwanted weight gain.
The test identified that I am low in a type of bacteria called akkermansia, which has been linked to these two conditions.
It also identified that I was low in many gut bacteria related to digestive symptoms, such as bloating. I do not experience many digestive concerns, so this finding was a bit off.
Ombre provides a list of bacteria you are high or low in and how you compare to the “standard.” It recommends a tailored probiotic supplement to help improve your gut health.
The list of foods to add included those that increase this particular type of bacteria. The list of foods to avoid included those that decrease this type of bacteria.
Ombre also provides information on the strength of research to support its claims about the connection between specific foods and gut bacteria.
The food recommendations included recipes and tips for how to add specific foods to your diet.
The probiotic blend recommended for me did not include this particular bacterial strain, but others I was also low in. Upon further research, it seems the strain I was low in is not used in probiotic products.
Overall, I found the Ombre test interesting, lining up with my current health concerns.
However, in my case, other than trying to include and avoid the recommended foods, I was not sure how to correct the imbalance since this particular strain that I was low in is not found in probiotic supplements.
Therefore, the Ombre test would be most beneficial if it included a consultation with a gut health expert to help guide customers on how to improve their gut bacteria and best apply their results. These types of consultations would enhance the service that Ombre offers.
In addition, there was no guidance on how long I had to wait before testing again to see if there was any improvement.
Evaluation of Specialized Probiotics
Ombre offers a line of five different probiotics, each with a specific focus. There is scientific evidence to back up the specific formulation of these products for their intended purpose.
The probiotics include:
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Ketone Booster for weight loss and increased fat burning. Ketone Booster contains four strains of Lactobacillus that have been found to help with weight loss. (1)
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Healthy Gut for digestive health. Healthy Gut contains a high dose of probiotics for digestive health. It also contains strains like L. plantarum that help reduce the amount of pathogenic bacteria in the gut and B. breve that can help reduce inflammation in the gut. (2, 3)
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Ultimate Immunity for immune health. Ultimate Immunity contains strains like L. paracasei and L. acidophilus, shown to have immune-enhancing effects. (4)
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Endless Energy for improving energy levels. Endless Energy contains several strains, like L. acidophilus, that help you better use energy from food. (5)
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Mood Enhancer for improving your mental health. Mood Enhancer contains Lactobacillus plantarum and paracasei, which have been found to help improve symptoms of depression. (6)
While there are studies to back up the types of microbes included in each formula, there are currently no standardized dosage recommendations for each strain.
In addition, all Ombre’s products use “proprietary blends,” which means that they don’t list how much of each strain you are getting, only the total number of bacteria.
Side Effects and Safety
There are no significant safety concerns with probiotic products offered by Ombre.
The most common side effects of probiotics are digestive discomfort, like gas and bloating. (7)
Those with compromised immune systems should speak to their doctor before taking probiotics in general. Otherwise, probiotics are safe for most people.
The products contain milk and soy and therefore should be avoided by people with allergies to those ingredients.
My main concern with Ombre is that most people shouldn’t be taking health advice or making dietary changes based solely on recommendations by an algorithm.
I recommend using the Ombre test as a starting point and bringing the results to your doctor or dietitian, who can create a more personalized plan for you.
Related: How and When to Take Probiotic Supplements
Cost
The Ombre Gut Health Test costs $99, which is less expensive than its competitors that offer similar services.
The probiotics offered by Ombre cost $39 a month, and you can save 10% with a subscription.
A quality probiotic will usually cost between $30–$50, so this seems pretty on par.
Ombre does not offer a refund unless they determine they made a mistake with your order. Once you open the test kit or the probiotic, you cannot return it.
How Ombre Compares to Alternatives
Several companies are offering at-home tests similar to Ombre.
Thorne offers a gut health test for $197. Thorne is a well-established supplement company that works with many respected health and nutrition experts.
Ombre does not have the same level of involvement with experts as Thorne.
But, I don’t see a significant difference between the Thorne and Ombre tests, other than the price – Ombre is less expensive.
Biohm is another brand with a similar test for $129, which also tests for fungi and yeasts, not offered by Ombre.
The Biohm test offers a consultation with a registered dietitian to review your results for an additional fee.
Being able to consult with a professional would be my recommendation if you are looking to get the most out of your at-home GI mapping.
The Bottom Line
Ombre offers a good starting point for improving gut health and related concerns. With so many probiotics on the market, narrowing down the exact strains you need is helpful.
However, I don’t think the science is quite there to make firm recommendations on strains and dosages across the board.
If you want to give Ombre a try to see if it helps you feel better, I see no significant downside.
Just remember that their algorithm cannot assess your entire health history. So I would recommend using it in conjunction with a doctor or dietitian.
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7 Sources Used
At WellnessVerge, we only use reputable sources, including peer-reviewed medical journals and well-respected academic institutions.
- Effect of Lactobacillus on body weight and body fat in overweight subjects: a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials:
https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017161 - Potential benefits of Lactobacillus plantarum as a probiotic and its advantage in human health and industrial applications: A review:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Abdel-Rahman-Al-Tawaha/publication/323918051_Potential_benefits_of_Lactobacillus_plantarum_as_probiotic_and_its_advantages_in_human_health_and_industrial_applications_A_review/links/5abf6776aca27222c75840a5/Potential-benefits-of-Lactobacillus-plantarum-as-probiotic-and-its-advantages-in-human-health-and-industrial-applications-A-review.pdf - Alleviation effects of Bifidobacterium breve on DSS-induced colitis depends on intestinal tract barrier maintenance and gut microbiota modulation:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-020-02252-x - Immune enhancing effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus LAFTI L10 and Lactobacillus paracasei LAFTI L26 in mice:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160506005113 - Insights into glycogen metabolism in Lactobacillus acidophilus: impact on carbohydrate metabolism, stress tolerance and gut retention:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4243779/ - Antidepressive Mechanisms of Probiotics and Their Therapeutic Potential:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.01361/full - Probiotics:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20208051/
