An increasing number of companies are offering consumers personalized diet advice based on their genetic and microbial make-up, Business Insider writes. However, it notes that "modern science may not be up to this task just yet."
Some companies, Business Insider adds, are examining customers' genomes for clues, and while that can pick up inborn errors of metabolism, New York University's Marion Nestle says that most adults have already figured out what foods they can't process.
Additionally, companies like Viome examine customers' microbiomes and more to develop personalized dietary advice. "No two humans are alike and no two diets are good for everyone," Viome founder Naveen Jain tells Business Insider. Viome's service is $99 a month.
While gut microbes do affect metabolism, immune response, and health, Newcastle University's John Mathers says that the complex interactions behind those relationships are not yet fully understood.
Jain recognizes this limitation, Business Insider notes, and he says his company is hoping with technological advances to learn how to diagnose disease from the microbiome.
Overall, NYU's Nestle tells Business Insider that "[t]he tests are fun but their usefulness has yet to be shown. I'd rather spend the money on good dinners."