For the best gut health, is it time to ditch Zoe and go DUTCH?

Professor Tim Spector has revolutionised midlife health, but many people are now swearing by a new method which looks at how our hormones are affecting our microbiome too. Isobel Mohan reports

Gut reaction: keeping this vital organ running nicely is all the rage (Getty)

Professor Tim Spector’s Zoe nutrition test has been an unprecedented success. With celebrity endorsements from the likes of Steve Barlett and Davina McCall, it has become a midlife must-have accessory. Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are joining the waiting list to get their hands on the pricey patch to stick on their arm which monitors blood sugar, potentially revealing underlying gut health issues affecting weight, mood and sleep.

The enormous success of Zoe has now accelerated a trend for personalised health tech that goes way beyond what our smartwatches can tell us, venturing deep into physiology to paint a picture of our overall health – and the latest contender to take on Zoe is The Dutch Test. 

Despite the name, The Dutch Test – which is available from dozens of private clinics for upwards of £200 – has nothing to do with our friends across the North Sea: it stands for the dried urine test for comprehensive hormones.