Digital Social Hour – DSH #1702

Guest: Guruduth Banavar (Founding CTO of Viome)
Host: Sean Kelly
Episode Title: "Why Your DNA Doesn’t Decide Your Health"
Release Date: December 23, 2025

Overview

This episode dives deep into the science of the microbiome, gene expression (RNA), and artificial intelligence (AI) as pivotal factors in health and longevity, challenging the conventional wisdom that DNA is the primary determinant of health. Guruduth Banavar discusses how environmental factors, lifestyle, and personalized nutrition—rather than genetic inheritance—shape our health outcomes and risk for chronic disease. He shares groundbreaking insights from his work at Viome, including their innovative, AI-driven approach to analyzing the dynamic microbiome and RNA markers for early detection and prevention of chronic disease.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rethinking Health: Beyond the DNA Blueprint

[00:00–01:32]

• Dynamic vs. Static Genes: Banavar distinguishes DNA as a "static blueprint" while RNA represents what genes are actively expressed at any time. Only about 5% of our 22,000 genes are expressed at any given moment, depending on factors like diet, sleep, and stress.
• Microbiome Complexity: "There's no such thing as a single healthy microbiome. There's many different ways of being healthy." (Banavar, 00:00)
• Bacteria’s Dual Role: Most bacteria are beneficial but can express harmful genes based on their environment.

The Power of RNA and AI in Preventative Health

[01:19–05:41]

• Why Measure RNA: Viome prioritizes RNA over DNA, as it provides a real-time snapshot of what’s actually happening—not just who or what is present.
  • "It only tells you who's there. Doesn't say what they're doing… That's why RNA is super important." (Banavar, 03:23)
• AI Integration: The vast and complex RNA data (millions of datapoints per individual) is only understandable through AI-powered analytics, allowing Viome to create personalized health recommendations based on 10,000+ key biomarkers.

From Data to Recommendation: Real-World Health Transformation

[05:41–07:41]

• Clinical Trials: Viome runs randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Intervention groups using Viome’s AI-generated nutritional and supplement guidance saw statistically significant health improvements.
  • "We see that there's a significant difference in the improvement of the intervention arm compared to the control arm when it's placebo controlled." (Banavar, 07:18)
• Personalization: Results lead to specific dietary and supplement recommendations, with measurable changes seen in retests after about six months.

Early Detection: Chronic Disease’s Warning Signs

[07:41–09:26]

• Proactive Health Monitoring: Viome detects early markers for diseases like diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular issues, sometimes years before symptoms occur.
• TMA/TMAO Pathway Example: Personalized advice is given when pathways—such as TMA production (linked to heart disease)—are suboptimal. The dietary impact is highly individualized: "Some people can eat a lot of red meat and their TMA pathways are great. Some people eat red meat and their TMA pathways go haywire." (Banavar, 09:02)

Busting Nutrition Myths & Personal Anecdotes

[09:31–11:58]

• No Universal ‘Superfoods’: The idea of universally “healthy foods” is debunked.
  • "There's no such thing as a universally healthy food... Turmeric, which everybody thinks is a superfood... Guess what? For me, it's not a good food." (Banavar, 09:35–10:07)
• Lifestyle Changes: Banavar shares how Viome’s tests led him to change his diet (less turmeric, more mushrooms) and improved his oral health dramatically with targeted interventions.

The Critical Link Between Oral, Gut, and Overall Health

[12:03–13:51]

• Oral Health’s Systemic Impact: Oral bacteria can contribute to cardiovascular and brain illnesses if harmful byproducts enter the bloodstream.
  • "Porphorminus gingivalis... for some people... starts to express a particular toxin called ginger pain. And if that... translocates... can actually create a lot of havoc. Cardiovascular problems, brain problems." (Banavar, 12:04–12:38)
• Preventive Focus: Oral hygiene is deeply connected to gut and systemic health.

Environment vs. Genetics: What Really Drives Disease?

[17:35–22:45]

• Viome’s Data and Findings: Less than 5% of users have "very few pathways out of whack" (17:51–18:01). Most people have some dysregulation that can be addressed.
• Genetics Play a Smaller Role: Most health issues stem from environmental factors (diet, toxins, stress) rather than DNA.
  • "Environmental factors are the majority of the contributors to chronic disease at the end of the day, and those are in your control." (Banavar, 21:47)
• Impact of Toxins: Examples include pesticide exposure, microplastics, and mold.

Biological Age, Diet Patterns & Surprising Study Results

[23:22–27:07]

• Biological Age Measurement: Viome assesses if your biological profile matches, exceeds, or is younger than your chronological age.
• Vegetarians Come Out Ahead: Their data shows vegetarians have the lowest biological age relative to actual age—on average, 2–2.5 years younger; heavy meat-eaters (keto/paleo) are on average older biologically.
  • "The people who have the lowest biological age relative to their chronological age are vegetarians." (Banavar, 24:36)

Viome’s Offerings: Personal & Clinical Tools

[28:42–31:07]

• Full Body Intelligence (Consumer Product): Collects stool, blood, and saliva for detailed insights and custom recommendations.
• Precision Health Pro (Clinical Product): Doctors can order a more in-depth version for patients, supporting preventative care and chronic disease management in a medical context.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fluidity of health and diet:
  • "There's no such thing as a single healthy microbiome. There's many different ways of being healthy." (Banavar, 00:00)
  • "There's no such thing as a universally healthy food. No superfoods or anything. Nothing. Nothing." (Banavar, 09:35–09:43)
• On individual response to foods:
  • "Turmeric... for me, it's not a good food... my bile acids and my secondary bile acids, right, they're all haywire." (Banavar, 09:56–10:10)
• On environment trumping genetics:
  • "It's mostly your environment, not so much your genetics." (Banavar, 21:47)
  • "Environmental factors are the majority of the contributors to chronic disease at the end of the day, and those are in your control." (Banavar, 21:47–21:53)
• On AI-fueled discovery:
  • "The only way you can do that is through AI." (Banavar, 04:41)
• Surprising study result:
  • "The people who have the lowest biological age relative to their chronological age are vegetarians." (Banavar, 24:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | No universal healthy microbiome, dynamic individuality | | 01:19 | RNA vs. DNA and why expression matters | | 03:23 | Limitations of DNA (static) vs. RNA (dynamic) in tests| | 04:41 | Power of AI in analyzing vast health data | | 05:47 | Clinical trials: food and supplement interventions | | 07:47 | Early detection of chronic diseases and pathway focus | | 09:35 | Debunking superfoods and personalized recommendations | | 12:04 | Oral health’s systemic connections | | 17:35 | Viome data on health in global sample | | 19:23 | Microbiome inheritance, maternal importance | | 21:47 | Environmental factors dominate over genetics | | 23:22 | Measuring and understanding biological age | | 24:35 | Vegetarians lowest biological age; dietary study | | 28:42 | Viome consumer and professional offerings |

Conclusion

This episode reframes the conversation about health away from genetic determinism and towards actionable, individualized interventions based on real-time gene expression and lifestyle factors. Listeners are encouraged to take charge of their health through precise, science-based insights made possible by innovations in microbiome analysis, RNA data, and artificial intelligence.

For more, visit viome.com and explore both consumer and clinician pathways to personalized preventative care.