Personalized nutrition and health company Viome Life Sciences announced today that it will now offer its Health Intelligence Test in the department store chain Nordstrom. The wellness product will be a part of the store’s beauty category.
The test measures microbial, human, and mitochondrial gene expression through samples of blood and stool. As a result, insights are offered on the individual’s cellular health, biological age, immune system health, and gut health. The company claims that these insights can help someone better understand their digestion, energy levels, sleep patterns, skin, weight, and hormones.
While a precision health company selling an mRNA test in a fashion retailer seems unlikely, this news might signal that personalized nutrition is moving into the mainstream. Personalized nutrition is expected to change the way we eat, and the global personalized nutrition market is forecasted to grow from being $3.7 billion in 2019 to $16.6 billion by 2027.
When Viome founder and CEO Naveen Jain spoke with The Spoon earlier this year, he talked about how he’d invested heavily in automated production to scale the company’s personalized nutrition testing. With the deal with retailers like Nordstrom’s, it looks like that investment may be paying off.
“Precision nutrition is the future,” said Jain in the announcement. “This partnership is a giant step towards making our technology more accessible, so people can understand what’s right for their unique body.”
Viome isn’t the only company in personalized nutrition to offer an at-home testing kit. Genopalate uses information from DNA swabs to create personalized nutrition plans for the user. DayTwo focuses on the gut microbiome to provide customized diet recommendations, while Sun Genomics develops probiotics specifically for the user based on their gut health. According to Viome, it offers the world’s first at-home mRNA test that is commercially available.
Viome’s Health Intelligence Test is now available on Nordstrom’s website for $199 USD, and starting in 2022, will be stocked at select store locations.
