What is Zoe and it is worth it?

by Lucia Stansbie

One question I often get asked is, “Can I use Zoe?” or “What do you think about Zoe?” While I believe that Zoe has done a great job raising awareness about the importance of gut health and how nutrition can be transformative to health, I also believe there are many flaws.

One of the first flaws is that it is not suitable for individuals suffering from gut health conditions, such as IBS, celiac disease, colitis, and more. It is aimed at healthy individuals, not those aiming to improve gut issues.

Another flaw is their testing (more below), which is not worth £1000 as claimed. It can be easily obtained by working one-on-one with a nutritionist, who, with their expertise, will suggest the most indicated combination of tests based on you and your goals.

Zoe is all about an algorithm, which can provide more personalisation than a diet off the peg, but is not as personalised as a plan that a nutritionist can provide for you, taking into consideration your likes/dislikes, lifestyle and food preferences. You will have daily meals, but not a person to call or refer to for further explanation about why certain foods are good for you or somebody able to explain and address any reaction to certain new foods introduced in the diet.

The cost can be tempting and lower than working 1:1, but it doesn’t factor in the time a trained nutritionist will spend looking at your case study, personalising your plan, and suggesting the best supplements, not just the branded ones. In order for a plan to be truly transformative, coaching is needed. Having somebody who can support you and amend the plan so that it sticks for life can’t be replicated by an algorithm!

Zoe Test – focus on the test

Like many practitioners, I am all about testing and not guessing, and I use different functional tests in my practice. Zoe does it too!

They claim their stool test is different and unique, as it uses a very advanced technique called shotgun metagenomics, which looks at the DNA of the gut bacteria. The good news is they are not the only ones, and other labs provide the same kind of test. While shotgun metagenomics is excellent to have an overview of the gut microbiome population, different testing methods such as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and qPCR (Quantitative PCR) can be more precise when identifying pathogenes, antibodies and antigens as well as mapping the gut population. This second kind of test is more useful for understanding the reason for gut distress, if there is inflammation, parasites, yeast and pathogens in the gut. That’s why Zoe clearly states that if you are suffering from gut health conditions, they are not suitable.

Zoe also offers a continuous blood glucose monitor (CGM) for 14 days—something I also do in my practice! The good news is that there is only one company producing GCMS in the UK, and they offer everybody a free 14-day trial.

Interpreting a test requires training and the touch of a human eye, who will put together the information the client has given during the sessions and via the food diary. I believe an algorithm won’t be able to add the level of personalisation of a healthcare professional who has already spent hours consulting with you, as well as looking at your test results.