Nahibu: they went to see what their employees were (really) made of.

Nahibu: they went to see what their employees
were (really) made of.

Nahibu, a Rennes-based company and European leader in gut microbiota analysis, has decided to raise awareness among its employees about taking care of their health and well-being on a daily basis, starting with analyzing their gut bacteria.

Awareness begins as soon as a new employee joins the company.

While Nahibu's mission is to raise public awareness of the importance of taking care of one's microbiota in order to improve health and well-being on a daily basis, Pierre and Chrystèle Cressard (President and CEO of Nahibu) have decided to offer their nine employees a free test so that they can individually realize the importance of this organ in everyday life.

When they first joined Nahibu, all of our employees were aware of the importance of this ecosystem that they host in their intestines, but the best way to really understand it is to analyze it in order to truly grasp it, reveals Chrystèle Cressard.

Diversity: a key indicator for improvement.

Our gut microbiota is unique and plays an important role in our daily well-being. Scientific studies have all come to the same conclusion: the bacterial diversity of our gut microbiota is a key indicator of our health and well-being. At Nahibu, this indicator of bacterial diversity has become an individual score to be improved.

When we received our results, we all wanted to compare the number of active bacterial species in our microbiota to see who had the best diversity. We all set ourselves the goal of increasing it by adapting the dietary advice provided, comments Caroline Lorandel Guy, Office Manager of the company since September 2020.

Combining business with pleasure.

Largely influenced by our diet and lifestyle, the gut microbiota evolves over time. While the main objective of this initiative proposed by the company's management was to raise awareness among its employees, it can be satisfied that the challenge has been met. The majority of users are now more mindful of the products they consume, taking a greater interest in fresh, organic, local, and fermented products. Some have started taking probiotics tailored to their bacterial strains, while others have begun exercising more regularly.

I wasn't eating badly, but I clearly wasn't eating enough vegetables. I started eating more fiber to take care of my microbiota. Following my results, I started a probiotic treatment. Discovering my microbiota made me aware of all the bacteria in my gut and that I need to take care of them! It sounds silly, but they take care of me, so I have to return the favor! I make my own bread and yogurt, I cook more vegetables, and I encourage those around me to do the same. Emmanuelle Lecommandeur, Nutrition R&D Manager.

We don't know if this practice, which is unique in France, is linked to the company's 0% sick leave rate, but one thing is certain: encouraging employees to take care of their health and well-being by offering them a turnkey solution to achieve this is a real added value for a company in 2021.