It seems that most people have heard about the ZOE trial – it’s literally everywhere. There are even stands of the ZOE supplements in Waitrose stores and plenty of online advertising too.
In this article I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the ZOE trial and what my clients are experiencing and saying about it. I’ll be covering:
What is the ZOE trial
The ZOE trial is ultimately a research project. They are collecting data on people to create the world’s largest and most in depth research study. In return for your data they provide you with information about your gut microbiome and response to sugar and fats. So it feels like a win win situation where you both have the potential to gain a lot of information.
ZOE has used clinical trials to help understand (and therefore then predict) metabolic responses to specific foods. This is in a bid to move away from the “one-size-fits-all” approach to nutrition which is great! From this research, they’ve developed at-home test kit that claim to give “everyone a better understanding of their unique metabolism and gut microbiome”. They continue to collect data so that they can continue to see trends and make more predictions on future health
In my opinion, ANYTHING that increases the awareness and importance of nutrition is a wonderful thing. However, there are a few points to consider for those looking to sign up or join the waiting list or for those that have completed the trial and are at a bit of a loss about what is next.
Some of the Positives of the ZOE project
Certainly, for those who love a bit of data and are looking to improve there health, this is very appealing
Learning about your blood glucose and fat tolerance, and your microbiome can potentially be a very useful thing to do
If monitoring your blood glucose helps you limit some of the more unhealthy options in favour of nutrient rich foods and better overall lifestyle habits that’s potentially a big bonus
Collecting health data from people like you is a beneficial way for scientists to shape future health and nutrition recommendations. This obviously helps people like me too who work in the industry!- It’s hard to ignore the brilliant marketing of this and all the pretty designs. It looks great and feels beneficial and pretty up there with the latest trends. Who doesn’t love getting swanky looking branded stuff?!
Potential downsides & considerations of the ZOE trial
Whilst there’s lots of positives in this ZOE trial it’s important to weigh up both sides. Perhaps consider if this is a bit of a trend and if this is going to be right for you. Here’s a few things I’ve heard from clients, I know from my own research and experience and also a few opinions!
Some results from the ZOE app and recommendations are obvious. Sugar rich foods will spike blood sugar and protein rich foods don’t….do you need to spend a lot of money to discover this?
Some people find it stressful logging foods. This may create food anxiety (not ideal in anyone with disordered eating habits / a history of restricted eating). The trial thankfully doesn’t allow anyone to join who has an active eating disorder. But, those who join with an ED history or those who are sensitive may find it quite triggering.
There is potential bias with data collected that may impact future nutrition recommendation. This makes me question how reflective this is of the whole society. Perhaps the more health conscious are more likely to join the trial. Perhaps people may falsifying their data or changing how they eat to “impress” or avoid any food guilt. That won’t make it 100% accurate data. Certain health conditions are excluded so it doesn’t represent everyone. This mostly involves those with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or celiac disease. Those with IBS are okay to join.
The trial (and subsequent membership) is quite pricey and the results may not be quite as tailored as you hoped. This is because a lot of the recommendations are generated using AI.
A lot of the clients I see who have had completed the process have received an overwhelming amount of data but aren’t really sure what to do with that information next without having to pay for ongoing membership or repeat tests.
And lastly, you really don’t always need to spend lots of money on testing to make changes to eating to help improve symptoms. Seeing an experienced and registered nutritional therapist is possibly cheaper in the long run and you’re likely to get quite a lot more value from recommendations from a real person than an AI bot!
A Bit Of A Summary
So, for some it is likely to be a very interesting and helpful way to start improving health. For others it is a potentially stressful and expensive way to capture a lot of data that may or may not be helpful.*
I have monitored my blood glucose in the past and found it very useful (although it did take over my life a tad during the process!) Once I wasn’t endlessly checking it and feeling guilty if it spiked, I went back to my normal way of eating but have taken some of those learnings with me.
How I can help
There are a few options here where Apples to Zinc Nutrition may be able to support you. I work with mostly women (but men and children too) to support hormone balance which includes looking at energy and blood glucose stabilisation. Here’s how I may be able to help:
- You might want to have a chat with me before doing the trial and seeing if we can work on some of your symptoms without you having to do a lot of testing.
- If you have done the trial and have a lot of data I can help you to work through that and see what changes might support you but most importantly help you to make those changes within the boundaries of your day to day life.
- You may just want to run 1 test and not need the others and I can arrange and support you through that process and how to turn whatever the results into simple and realistic recommendations for you.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this? Is it something you’ve done, are considering or definitely wouldn’t do? Janet x
* I have not personally done the ZOE trial but have seen many of their reports from my clients. I do not know everything about the ZOE trial. I think it is a wonderful project and I am in no way trying to discredit their work.
