Why I became interested in Genetic Profiling:

Until recently, genetic profiling remained in the realms of research and expensive medical testing, used to screen for such major issues as the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and life-threatening inherited diseases. However, there is now an exciting, new, simpler, and more affordable class of genetic testing available to test for genes that can be influenced by diet and lifestyle. This type of testing is of particular interest to people who want to be more proactive about their health.

I personally became interested in finding out about my predispositions due to both my mother and aunty having had breast cancer and my dad with cardiovascular disease. I wanted to be as proactive as I could be, with a more targeted approach alongside the established ways such as exercise, eating well and keeping weight down.

Some people fear the concept of finding out the information their genes hold, but the type of testing that I am referring to does not give results for risks like carrying a gene for cancer, dementia or motor neurone disease. Rather, it highlights areas of risk, for example, predispositions towards compromised methylation pathways (this will be explained in detail further on); Vitamin D metabolism, blood pressure risk, liver detoxification; increased risk of oxidative stress or increased requirements for certain nutrients like some B-Vitamins. In other words, this type of testing uncovers potential problems that you can address proactively.

A colleague’s daughter was asked why she had had her personal genetic profile analysed.  She said, “I wanted to make the best choices about what I should eat, how I should exercise, and lifestyle decisions, based on my own personal genetic profile and not rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, so I could maximise my potential for healthy living and healthy ageing.” This is what I believe genetic profiling is all about.

What does it involve:

In short, genetic profiling can provide individuals with information about their genetic predisposition to certain health conditions and traits, as well as personalized recommendations for diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes based on their genetic profile. A swab inside the cheek is sent off for analysis. This information can help people make more informed decisions about their health and take steps to prevent or manage certain conditions. One genetic test I frequently use (Fitgenes) covers the following areas:

  1. Methylation & Homocysteine Metabolism
  2. Inflammation
  3. Oxidative Stress
  4. Detoxification pathways
  5. Vitamin D Metabolism
  6. Fat Metabolism and weight
  7. Blood pressure and cardiovascular health

What’s an example of how doing a profile might help me?

Methylation is possibly less well know than the other categories, and I’ll explain this super important pathway and how variations in the methylation pathway can cause elevated levels of homocysteine, a highly inflammatory amino acid. This can impact many aspects of our health including blood pressure, stroke risk, cognitive health, fertility and miscarriage risk.

One of the better known genes we can test is called the MTHFR gene. This is involved in metabolising folic acid into its active form that clears the amino acid homocysteine safely into another amino acid called methionine. If you want a more techical explanation, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-5ARmugr54 

High homocysteine levels are associated with stroke, recurrent miscarriages, weight gain, depression, cognitive health issues like dementia, and many other health problems. If you have one or two copies of this gene variant, this can result in an increase in homocysteine. This can be measured in a simple blood test, and ideal levels are between 5-8. Depending on the combination of variants in the MTHFR gene, if homocysteine is a little high, extra ‘natural’ dietary folate (for example eating plenty of leafy greens and vegetables, fruit and seeds like sunflower seeds) can reduce homocysteine naturally. If it is very high, a special supplement containing ‘activated’ B vitamins like folinic acid or methylfolate, can reduce the levels. However the MTHFR genes (there are 2 main ones tested) are only two pieces of at least a 12 piece puzzle of genes that impact the processing of homocysteine. Variations in the genes MTR and MTRR (affected by Vitamin B12); CBS (Vitamin B6); MTHFD1 and PEMT (Choline); BHMT (Betaine) and indirectly COMT (Magnesium) all have a role in homocysteine metabolism.

Why not just take a supplement with activated B vitamins, you may ask? For one, your homocysteine may not be elevated, and taking these could lower an already low homocysteine further, creating other health issues. If you have high homocysteine, knowing which genes you show variants in can, alongside baseline blood markers, can help target the supplement accordingly. Seeking someone experienced in understanding how to support you as an individual is key.

Additionally, genetic profiling can also provide insight into an individual’s response to certain medications and can help inform treatment decisions.

The advantage is the test only needs to be done once in a lifetime, as your genes never change

 

Here’s me chatting about genetic profiling: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1274569466471732

Resources:

1.Here’s a brief video about why I became an early adopter of this test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5DtCMb8KpE&t=74s

2. My presentation discussing how genetic profiling might help you:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPrP-Rum-AY

3. Joe Rogan Experience Podcast https://www.ausdoc.com.au/spot-diagnosis/spot-dx-does-this-chest-x-ray-raise-suspicion/

Want to have a a chat first – Book a Free Health Discovery Session.

Book a 15 minute complimentary session over the phone with me to discuss the your health goals and how I can support you! Book online: https://holistic-health-pty-ltd.au1.cliniko.com/bookings 

Should you proceed with a Health and Wellbeing report, we can also offer a ‘Food Choice’ report valued at $149 at no extra charge https://www.fitgenes.com/product/foodchoice/ . FoodChoice includes testing for genetic variations that increases the risk for Coeliac disease, lactose intolerance, caffeine, salt, histamine and alcohol sensitivity, as well as the ‘Dietary Choice’ report: https://www.fitgenes.com/dietarychoice/

Book your free chat today! https://holistic-health-pty-ltd.au1.cliniko.com/bookings