Genetic testing đ§Ș
Over the summer I shared a few of the functional lab tests I work with in my 1:1 practice. I find there is nothing more helpful for uncovering whatâs going on under the hood and creating a personalized dietary đ, lifestyle đââïž and supplement đ plan. As a compliment to the gut, hormone and food sensitivity tests I discussed, my friend Nima shared how transformative a DNA test was in his health journey. Today I want to revisit genetic testing to help you understand its function and value.
What is genetic testing?
Genetic testing looks at your DNA to identify any genetic variations that make you more susceptible to certain health outcomes and diseases. We now know that our genes are only responsible for about 10% of our health outcomes because of epigenetics. Epigenetics looks at how our behaviours (diet & lifestyle) and environment affect the way our genes function. (You may also want to revisit the guest post from Toshika about the relationship between emotions and epigenetics.)
Howâs it done?
Genetic testing is easy and relatively inexpensive. It requires a finger prick and the depositing of a small amount of blood onto a paper card. You can do this at home, send it via the post and have your results in about three weeks. The other great thing is that once youâve done it, you have the results for life, no new testing needed.
Whatâs its value?
Genetic testing is valuable because it looks at your unique genetic variations to help identify areas of lifestyle to focus on that someone without that genetic variation wouldnât necessarily need to prioritize. I find it most help to illustrate this through examples.
Personal Example 1: if you read my Personal Stories Series you may recall that I discovered my body was struggling with a process known as methylation, which is largely aided by B vitamins. Thanks to a genetic test I also learned I have a variation on whatâs known as the MTHFR gene. This gene plays an important role in the methylation process because itâs responsible for instructing the conversion of vitamin B9. Turns out that with the genetic variation I have my body is less effective at converting B9 than someone without the genetic variation. This provided me not only with an explanation for my symptoms but also directed me to the solution: supplementing with B vitamins.
Personal Example 2: you may recall a while back when I did a three-part series looking at detoxification and why itâs so important for female health. Beyond lifestyle factors like a healthy diet, regular exercise, quality sleep and the avoidance of toxin exposure, there are a number of genes associated with our detoxification processes. Through genetic testing I discovered I have genetic variations across three of the four genes now known to be associated with phase 2 detoxification. These genetic variations mean my body has a harder time removing toxins than someone without the variations. The variations I have are associated with gut health issues and skin sensitivities, among other things. I already strongly encourage all women to regularly include cruciferous vegetables in their diet to aid in detoxification but considering Iâm already at a disadvantage I try to eat them on a daily basis and am extra vigilant about environmental toxins by avoiding plastics, using a water filter, buying organic, etc.
There are literally hundreds of other examples I could share (I especially love the ones related to exercise and diet) but Iâll leave this here for now. If youâre interested in this testing feel free to reach out.
Warm regards,
Donelle