How to read your microbiome results

When your sample is sequenced, the lab generates many small DNA signals. The analysis software compares those signals with reference databases and reports the organisms it can recognize. The chart turns that information into percentages so you can quickly see which organisms were most prominent in this sample.

A percentage does not mean that the same percentage of all bacteria in your body is that organism. It means that, among the bacterial DNA signals reported for this test, that organism represented that share of the result. For example, if one species is listed at 8%, it was a larger part of the detected signal than a species listed at 1%.

The Other segment groups smaller organisms that were detected but did not make the top list. This keeps the chart readable while still showing that the sample contains more than the few largest organisms.

Bacterial names are organized in levels. Species names are specific, while genus names are broader group names. A genus can contain multiple related species. The genus overview rolls species up into those broader groups so the report is easier to read at a glance.

This view is useful when several related organisms appear in the same result. Instead of focusing on one species at a time, you can see whether a broader group is a major part of the sample. After that, you can return to the species table to inspect the specific organisms inside that group.

Diversity can describe how many different organisms were detected and how evenly the result is spread across them. A sample dominated by only a few organisms will look different from a sample where many organisms appear in more balanced amounts.

These numbers can be helpful when comparing your own samples over time or when looking at broad population patterns. However, higher or lower is not automatically good or bad. The meaning depends on the organisms present, the sample context, and your broader wellness picture.

That is why the dashboard treats diversity as context. The main story is usually in the composition chart, genus overview, and species-level details, not in one diversity number by itself.

Species detected, sometimes called richness, is simply the number of different bacteria reported in the sample. More detected species can mean a broader community, but it can also be affected by sequencing depth, sample quality, and how the analysis database names organisms.

Shannon combines two ideas: how many different bacteria were reported and how balanced they are. A sample with many organisms at more similar levels usually has a higher Shannon value than a sample dominated by only a few organisms.

Simpson is another way to describe balance and dominance. In this dashboard, values closer to 1 generally mean the result is less dominated by one or two organisms, while lower values suggest the detected signal is concentrated in fewer organisms.

Evenness focuses on balance. If many detected organisms appear at similar levels, evenness is higher. If a small number of organisms make up most of the result, evenness is lower.

The reference range and population average are there to orient you, not to label your result as normal or abnormal. Microbiome results vary across people and over time, so use these values as a map legend while you review the actual organisms present.

Each row represents an organism reported for the selected sample result. You can search, filter, and open available report links to learn more about a species. Some species may have educational labels or food/action context when supporting content is available.

Treat these panels as learning tools. They can help you understand what has been reported in the scientific literature or in the HelloTummy knowledge base, but they are not instructions to diagnose yourself, treat a condition, or make medical decisions.

The up/down tools are intended to help organize educational food-context notes. They should not be interpreted as personalized nutrition advice. If you have symptoms, medical conditions, medications, pregnancy, or major diet changes in mind, discuss them with a qualified professional.

The dashboard may offer spreadsheet exports, result files, or raw data downloads depending on what is available for the sample. These files can be useful if you want to keep your own records, compare results outside the dashboard, or discuss the data with a researcher or healthcare professional.

Raw data is usually more technical than the on-screen report. It may include organism names, abundance values, quality-control fields, or sequencing-related output. If a file is confusing, use the dashboard view first and contact support if something appears to be missing or incorrect.

Results can vary based on when the sample was collected, recent diet, medications, illness, travel, storage conditions, lab processing, sequencing depth, and the reference databases used by the analysis software. A different sample taken at another time may look different.

Some organisms may not be detected, and some detected organisms may only be identifiable to a broader group. The report also does not measure every possible microbe, function, metabolite, or health outcome.

HelloTummy results are for wellness education and personal tracking. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or assess disease. If you have medical concerns, symptoms, or questions about treatment, consult a qualified healthcare professional.