Your microbiome changes daily based on food, stress, and bowel movements. One sample is a snapshot—3 samples over 1 week give us a comprehensive baseline that averages out daily variation. In our sample data, we often see 10-20% variation between samples. For example, Sample 1 scored 715, Sample 2 scored 733, and Sample 3 scored 737. By averaging all 3, we get a more accurate overall score (728) than any single sample would provide.
We use the same advanced shotgun metagenomic sequencing as Tiny Health (capable of detecting 120,000+ organisms). The difference is our 3-sample collection protocol. Tiny Health, Viome, and BIOHM analyze 1 sample from 1 day—a single snapshot. We analyze 3 samples over 1 week to track daily variation. In our data, scores varied from 715 to 737 between samples—showing patterns you'd completely miss with just one test. Plus, we include a free 30-minute consultation (Tiny charges $100, Viome $99).
Yes. Our CLIA and CAP certified lab meets the same rigorous standards as hospital diagnostic labs. We use shotgun metagenomic sequencing (the gold standard) with 99.9% accuracy. You can share your results with your doctor—many functional medicine providers trust our reports for clinical decision-making.
16S sequencing only reads one bacterial gene, identifies bacteria at genus level, and can't detect viruses, fungi, or parasites. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing reads ALL DNA in your sample—every organism's complete genetic material. This gives species and strain-level detail (like 'Faecalibacterium prausnitzii at 1.49%' instead of just 'Faecalibacterium'), detects viruses, fungi, and parasites 16S misses, and can identify any of 120,000+ organisms in our database. In one sample, we detected 1,772 unique organisms including 7 different Faecalibacterium species, Campylobacter pathogens, and fungal species.
Your gut microbiome can shift in 3-5 days in response to dietary changes, but lasting rebalancing takes 8-12 weeks. We recommend retesting at 3 months to track progress. Each retest shows: new overall score, changes in key bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, etc.), improvements in diversity, and pathogen clearance.
Yes! Dayhoff tests are HSA/FSA eligible—just use your card at checkout. We provide itemized receipts. For insurance, our tests are currently out-of-pocket, but many members submit our CLIA/HIPAA lab reports for reimbursement. Some functional medicine practices can order our tests as part of your care plan for insurance purposes. We're working on direct insurance billing.