Personalized nutrition and the microbiome: why one diet doesn't work for everyone

Світлана Бурмей
4 days ago
3 min read

Біговий захід GoMove в Ужгороді за підтримки Ediens

For decades, we've been searching for a universal formula for health and a perfect figure. The Internet is full of advice on how to eat right, and doctors often recommend standard approaches like the Harvard Plate. However, experience shows that what helps one person lose weight and feel great can cause bloating, fatigue, and weight gain in another.

Why do classic diets lead us to a dead end? The answer lies deep within us. Our metabolism, weight, and even mood are determined by our gut microbiome.

Who's really eating your dinner?

When we sit down to eat, we think we're feeding ourselves. But in reality, we're feeding our microorganisms. Trillions of bacteria live in our digestive tract, and they decide how much energy and nutrients you get from a particular meal.

Moreover, the so-called “intuitive eating” when we suddenly crave a certain product is not actually due to our intuition. This behavior is caused by microorganisms. If pathogens or yeast fungi have grown in your intestines, they will send signals to the brain demanding to give them sugar or a bun.

The paradox of the same bread

To understand why one diet doesn't work for everyone, just look at how different people digest the same food.

Scientists give a striking example: if two people eat the same piece of bread or boiled carrots, their bodies will react completely differently. In one person, the blood sugar level after this bread will rise to 120, while in the other it will jump to 200. And the point here is not in diabetes, but in the direct action of microorganisms: different bacteria break down carbohydrates differently and secrete different amounts of metabolites.

Each person will process the same apple in their own way, extracting different nutrients and getting different amounts of calories from it. That's why counting calories on labels without taking into account the microbiome is a path to nowhere.

Genetics or Lifestyle? Evidence from Twins

Often, excess weight or gastrointestinal diseases are attributed to “bad genetics.” But microbiome research refutes this.

The results of observations of identical twins are indicative. Immediately after birth, they had exactly the same genetics, but ended up in different families, lived in different countries and led different lifestyles. In adulthood, their microbiomes were radically different: one of the twins was severely obese, and the other was not.

This fact confirms the main rule of modern science: “You have the microbiome you deserve .” It is formed depending on what you eat, how often you are stressed, who you live with in the same apartment, and what diseases you have.

What is true personalized nutrition?

Having realized the role of the microbiome, experts have moved from “general diets” to personalized medicine. The true selection of an individual nutrition plan offered by Ediens is radically different from the standard advice of nutritionists and is based on three pillars:

Genetic analysis of the gut microbiome (NGS):

Allows you to see a person's Omics profile — not only what microbes live in the intestines, but also what metabolites they produce.

Biochemical blood test:

Shows how the body reacts to the current condition.

Detailed patient questionnaire:

Takes into account your complaints, diagnoses, physical activity, and eating habits.

What is unique about this approach?

Math instead of guessing:

The meal plan is created not using GPT chat, but using complex proprietary IT algorithms and global databases (e.g., the European EuroFIR database, ePlantLIBRA). The algorithm accurately calculates which vegetables, fruits, or spices need to be increased in the diet to suppress pathogens and support beneficial bifido- and lactobacilli.

Taking into account your tastes:

Even the healthiest avocado won't help if you hate it and won't eat it. The personalized plan takes into account 50% of your microbes' needs and 50% of your own food preferences to make the diet comfortable and realistic to follow.

Adaptation to the "bouquet of diseases":

Very often, a person has several diseases at once, which require diametrically opposed approaches to nutrition. A personalized algorithm helps balance the diet in a way that treats the root cause without exacerbating other problems.

Time to forget about universal solutions

The old medical system of “one pill or one diet fits all” no longer works. Trying to “medicate” yourself with a generic probiotic with 36 random strains can only do harm by destroying your own unique flora.

Your health, weight, and longevity depend on how well you know your inner inhabitants. Learn your microbiome profile, start feeding your beneficial bacteria with the right foods, and your body will thank you with energy and sustainable results without harsh restrictions or starvation.