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You are one in 7.8 billion. Let's find out what makes you, you.
Let us show you what we're made of!
What can you expect from your Kean Health result report?
Our tests give you the insights necessary to make meaningful, positive changes to your health. Want to see what’s in store? Check out what’s included in our reports here.
Gene
0.1% Makes a Big Difference!
A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity, and is made up of DNA. Did you know that in humans, genes can vary in size from a few hundred DNA bases to more than 2 million bases?
- 99.9% of human DNA is identical — that 0.1% is where many of our differences come from!
- We aren’t that different from each other, but we also aren’t that different from other species. We share 98% of our genes with chimpanzees, 70% with slugs, and 50% with bananas.
Understanding Who We Are
Our DNA tells the story of our physical, emotional, and overall well-being. It’s kind of like the backstory of why we are the way we are.
- Genes have been linked to if we like dark chocolate or coffee, how attractive we are to mosquitoes, and even our tolerance for spicy food!
Actionable Health Insights
Understanding our DNA doesn’t just give us fun facts about our genetic makeup. It also gives us practical insights into how our genes impact our overall health and well-being.
- If you have trouble sleeping or difficulty losing weight, your genes could be to blame!
- Genetics also impact our susceptibility to certain diseases, our likelihood of going bald, and our tendencies toward anxiety or depression.
Curious about what’s going on in your genes? Take a Kean Gene test today!
Gut
Your Gut Community
Your gut microbiome is an ecosystem of good and bad bacteria living in your belly. It impacts your digestive system and influences your physical and emotional well-being.
- Your digestive system is home to 100 trillion good and bad bacteria, which work together to keep things working smoothly in your gut. When things in your gut get out of balance, you might notice it all over your body!
- Gut health can impact many aspects of your overall health, including how well you sleep, your mood, and your heart health. Research has even identified a link between certain bacterial species and type 2 diabetes.
Fueling the Good Guys
Your gut is a key producer of some “Good Guy” essential nutrients such as certain amino acids, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), to name a few.
- These essential nutrients provide energy that promotes the healthy functioning of your gut lining cells and can even help you reduce inflammation in your gut.
- Your gut gets encouragement to grow good bacteria when you eat good foods. Similarly, good bacteria populations suffer when you consistently eat “bad” foods. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins are just some of the foods that can boost healthy microbiota.
Getting Your Ideal Metabolism
There are a few things in life that we want to be fast — our commute home from work in the evening and our metabolism.
- While we can’t help with the traffic on your commute home, our gut health test can help you to understand how your gut affects your metabolism.
- Whether it’s adding prebiotics and probiotics to your diet, eating more fermented foods, or taking steps to reduce stress in your daily life, there are lots of ways to make a positive impact!
Ready to meet your microbiome? Order your Kean Gut test now!
Vaginal Health
Get to Know Another Microbiome
Your vaginal microbiome is the community of microbes that live down there. Although the gut microbiome is more well-known, this community is also huge!
- Over 500 species of bacteria have been identified in the human vagina. Various lactobacillus species dominate the average vaginal environment. Most classification systems include five possible vaginal types, based on which bacterial species is most prominent.
- A milliliter of vaginal fluid contains around 100 million bacterial cells.
Let’s Talk About It!
The vaginal microbiome is an important factor in vaginal health, but it rarely comes up — we’re here to start talking about it! It’s not a taboo topic, it’s a big player in your overall well-being.
- In 2016, 65% of young women had problems saying the word “vagina.” And in 2013, only 38% of college-age women could correctly label a vagina on an anatomical diagram.
- Only about a quarter of reproductive-age women have discussed STIs with their healthcare provider.
Keeping Things in Balance
When your bacterial levels get out of balance, you are at a greater risk of developing STIs and other bacterial infections. Unbalanced vaginal flora are also known to negatively impact fertility.
- During menstruation, the vagina's acidity levels change. The average vagina rests between a 3.8 and 4.5 on the pH scale — that’s about the acidity of a glass of wine. However, during your period, menstrual blood with a pH of about 7.4 enters the vaginal environment. This makes it easier to develop infections.
- The vagina is self-cleaning! Experts recommend washing with water or gentle, unscented soaps. Cleaning with douches, scented soap, or other harsh products can disrupt the microbiome, and can even lead to pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Diets rich in fat and sugar can negatively impact the vaginal microbiome. Instead, experts recommend diets rich in vitamins and minerals. A health gut microbiome can contribute to a healthy vaginal microbiome.
- Stress hormones, strenuous exercise, and smoking are also linked to a decrease in lactobacillus levels.
Staying Healthy as You Get Older
It’s important to be informed no matter how old you are! Especially for menopausal women, it’s common to feel that negative vaginal symptoms are just a part of life. That isn’t always true, and understanding the things that impact your microbiota is a way to start making positive changes.
- 29% of American women don’t seek information about menopause before they experience it — and only 9% discuss it with their mother!
- Often, women don’t seek medical guidance either. Nearly three-quarters of women don’t treat their menopausal symptoms, and many don’t realize their negative vaginal symptoms are related to menopause.
- There’s an easy explanation for some common symptoms, including burning, itching, and dryness. Menopause is associated with a decrease in estrogen, which in turn decreases lactobacillus populations. Some doctors have begun to recommend hormone replacement therapy as a way to treat vaginal atrophy and other menopausal symptoms.