Enbiosis, a leading company in the field, recently conducted a groundbreaking study comparing a microbiome-based personalized diet with a commonly administered diet for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the personalized diet in improving the microbiome and alleviating symptoms experienced by IBS patients. Dr. Varol Tunali, the medical director at Enbiosis, explains that while the low FODMAP diet focuses on symptom relief, it fails to address the underlying microbiome of the patient.
For this investigation, Enbiosis analyzed subjective physical and psychological indices in 41 IBS patients who followed either a personalized diet (PD) or a low FODMAP diet (LFD) for six weeks. Objective measurements were obtained through fecal analysis, which determined the gut microbiome composition. The results showed that the personalized diet outperformed the low FODMAP diet in 7 out of 11 indices, indicating its superiority. Moreover, the personalized diet promoted alpha and beta diversity in the gut microbial composition, suggesting long-term positive effects beyond symptom relief.
One significant finding was that the personalized diet improved the quality of life for all subgroups of IBS patients, while the low FODMAP diet only demonstrated such improvements for those with IBS-Constipation. This highlights the crucial role of personalization in addressing diverse needs within the same syndrome.
Enbiosis’s research expands on previous studies exploring the effects of AI-assisted personalized microbiome modulation in patients with IBS or chronic constipation, which were published in Gut Microbes and the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Enbiosis’s mission goes beyond the identification of condition-specific microbiome effects. The company strives to combine artificial intelligence and microbiome science to offer personalized diet and supplement recommendations. Founded by Ömer Özkan in 2018, Enbiosis has built a robust databank of over 6,000 users, continuously refining its algorithm using the compiled data. Through mail-in fecal samples, a proprietary genetic algorithm determines gut composition and bacteria relationships to provide individualized microbiome analysis reports.
Enbiosis currently offers personalized diet plans based on this information, aiming to “feed or starve the bacteria.” Additionally, the company has incorporated technology that mines online restaurant menus to facilitate microbiome-aligned food choices. Enbiosis is also exploring partnerships with supplement suppliers to offer personalized prebiotic and probiotic products in collaboration with their partners.
The company’s ongoing efforts include evaluating a prebiotic and probiotic suggestion engine, as well as conducting clinical trials for their new blood glucose regulatory algorithm. Enbiosis is in negotiations with a prominent supplement supplier in the USA, with plans to establish a potential partnership for the North American market.
In conclusion, Enbiosis’s research and innovative approach in combining artificial intelligence and microbiome science have yielded promising results. Their focus on individualized nutrition and supplement recommendations underscores the importance of personalization in addressing the diverse needs of patients with conditions such as IBS. With ongoing research and potential partnerships, Enbiosis aims to continue providing effective solutions for optimizing gut health and overall well-being.
