Draft — pending legal review. The final wording of this policy is being finalised with qualified counsel. The structure below reflects what the published policy will cover.
DRAFT — pending legal review. Not legal advice.
Report Interpretation & Limitations Statement
This statement explains how to read a VAMS BIOME report and, just as importantly,
what a report does not tell you. Please read it before interpreting or acting on
any result. If anything here is unclear, speak with a qualified health professional.
This statement is published by VAMS BioInnovation Private Limited ("VAMS", "we", "us"). It is
informational and wellness-oriented. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a
substitute for professional care.
1. What a VAMS report is
A VAMS BIOME report presents sequencing-derived microbial context for the sample
you provided. In plain terms, we analyse the genetic material of the microbes present
in your sample, estimate which microbes are there and in roughly what proportions, and
place those findings alongside patterns observed in a reference cohort.
The report is an educational and wellness tool. It is designed to help you
understand and reflect on your microbiome, and to support conversations you may choose
to have with a qualified professional.
2. What a VAMS report is not
It is not a clinical or diagnostic test result.
It does not diagnose, rule out, treat, cure, prevent, or predict any disease,
disorder, or medical condition.
It is not a substitute for examination, testing, advice, or treatment by a
qualified health professional.
A result — including any score — is not an instruction to change anything about
your health, medication, supplements, diet, or care.
VAMS is not a laboratory, healthcare provider, or diagnostic provider, and a VAMS
report is not a regulated medical test.
3. How to read your report
Relative, not absolute. Microbiome results are typically relative — they
describe the proportions of different microbes in your sample rather than exact
absolute quantities. A microbe appearing "higher" or "lower" is relative to the rest of
your sample and to the reference cohort, not an absolute measurement of your body.
Confidence indicators. Where shown, confidence indicators (such as detection
confidence, coverage, or quality flags) tell you how much weight to place on a
given result. A finding with low confidence should be read with more caution than one
with high confidence. Confidence indicators describe the reliability of the detection,
not the significance of the result for your health.
Context bands and comparisons. Where your result is shown against a range or band,
that range reflects patterns seen in a reference cohort (see Section 6). Being inside or
outside a band is context, not a verdict.
Read the whole picture. No single microbe, score, or line item should be read in
isolation. The microbiome is a complex, interacting community, and individual figures
are most meaningful when considered together and over time.
4. Associations are not causation
Much of what a report describes are associations — patterns that researchers have
observed between certain microbial features and certain characteristics or outcomes in
studied populations.
An association does not mean that a microbe causes an outcome, that changing a
microbe will change an outcome, or that the pattern applies to you personally. Human
microbiome science is evolving, associations can be reversed or refined by later
research, and correlation in a population does not establish cause and effect in an
individual.
5. Method boundaries — what each method can and cannot show
Different sequencing methods answer different questions. Your report indicates which
method was used. Each has real limits.
16S rRNA gene sequencing targets a marker gene shared by bacteria (and archaea).
Can show: which broad bacterial groups are present and their relative proportions.
Cannot reliably show: precise species- or strain-level identity in many cases;
which genes or functions are actually present; and it generally does not capture
viruses or fungi. Results can be affected by which region of the gene is targeted and
by reference-database limitations.
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing reads DNA across the whole community.
Can show: finer taxonomic resolution (often to species/strain), and the *genetic
potential* of the community — which functional genes are present.
Cannot show: whether those genes are actually being used at the time of
sampling. DNA presence indicates capacity, not activity. It also cannot, on its own,
establish clinical meaning.
Metatranscriptomics reads RNA to estimate which genes are being expressed.
Can show: which functions appear active around the time of sampling — a
closer proxy for what the community is doing.
Cannot show: a stable long-term picture. RNA is sensitive and changes quickly, so
results are a snapshot strongly influenced by sampling and handling conditions,
and still do not establish diagnosis or causation.
Across all methods: results depend on the reference databases used, the completeness of
scientific knowledge, and the quality of the sample. What is not detected is not proven
to be absent.
6. Variability — why results can change
Microbiome results are naturally variable. The same person can produce different
results at different times. Factors that can meaningfully affect results include:
Sampling: collection site, technique, contamination, and how completely the
sample was collected.
Timing & handling: time of day, time since collection, storage temperature, and
transit conditions before processing.
Diet & lifestyle: recent food and drink, hydration, fibre intake, alcohol,
exercise, sleep, stress, and travel.
Health events & products: recent illness, menstrual cycle phase (where relevant),
and recent use of antibiotics, probiotics, or other medications and supplements.
Because of this natural variability, a single report is a snapshot in time, not a
fixed or permanent description of you. Meaningful patterns are best understood across
repeated samples rather than from one result.
7. The reference cohort does not define "healthy"
Where your results are compared to a reference cohort, that cohort reflects patterns
seen in a specific set of people whose data we hold. It is a point of reference,
not a definition of "normal," "optimal," or "healthy."
Falling outside a reference range is not evidence of a problem, disease, or
deficiency.
Falling inside a reference range is not a guarantee of health or a clean bill of
health.
Reference cohorts may not represent your age, sex, ancestry, geography, diet, or life
stage, which limits how well any comparison applies to you.
There is no single "healthy microbiome." Healthy microbiomes vary widely between people.
8. ATLAS scores are educational interpretation
Where your report includes ATLAS scores, these are an **educational interpretation
layer**. They summarise and translate underlying microbial patterns into a more
readable form to support understanding and reflection.
ATLAS scores are not diagnoses, clinical measurements, risk scores, or medical
assessments.
They do not tell you that you have, or will develop, any condition.
They are derived from models and reference patterns that carry all the limitations
described in this statement, and they may be updated as methods and knowledge evolve.
Treat an ATLAS score as a starting point for learning and conversation, not a
conclusion about your health.
9. Do not change your care based on a report alone
A VAMS report should never, on its own, be the basis for a health decision.
In particular, do not start, stop, change, delay, or adjust any of the following
because of anything in a report:
prescription or over-the-counter medication;
any supplement, probiotic, or product;
your diet, hydration, or nutrition plan;
any treatment, therapy, or medical care, or a plan agreed with a professional.
If a report prompts a question or concern about your health, **consult a qualified
health professional** (such as a doctor or other suitably qualified practitioner) who
can consider your full history, examine you if needed, and arrange appropriate testing.
**If you have urgent or serious symptoms, seek medical attention without waiting for or
relying on a report.** Do not use a VAMS report to self-diagnose or to delay seeking
care.
10. Questions
If you have questions about interpreting your report or about these limitations, contact
us at legal@vamsbiome.com. We can explain how to read a report, but we cannot provide medical
advice or interpret your results as a diagnosis.
Version and Change History
Document name: Report Interpretation & Limitations Statement
Version: 1.0
Effective date: 10 July 2026
Change history: v1.0 (10 July 2026) — Initial publication.