August 2, 2017

Genetic Testing for Nutritional Health

I was curious enough to order my own DNA analysis from Vitagene (this is the kit I got)*. Online DNA tests that mainly tell you about where your ancestors come from, I was attracted to this one because of the nutritional component. It advertised:

Gain insight into how your body responds to macronutrients and diet such as carbohydrates and triglycerides. Learn how your body processes food and its impact on weight and obesity.
Gain insight into how your body responds to micronutrients, supplements, and vitamins for your personal health assessment.
Learn the right exercises and fitness for your DNA. Are you a strength, power, or endurance athlete?

The kit included a prepaid mailer and a DNA swab kit. It just took a minute or two to swab the inside of my cheek and drop off at the post office. There was also an online profile to fill out.

About 3-4 weeks later, my results were sent to me via a .pdf report sent to my email inbox. A couple weeks after that, an actual printed report.

I learned that My DNA seems to be inherited mostly from my maternal grandmother (she was mainly British). My paternal grandparents were from Bohemia (now called the Czech Republic) area of East Germany, so that makes sense too.

My findings intrigued me because I discovered that I’m likely to be gluten intolerant. So, I’m going to embark on a journey to eliminate it from my diet and see if I feel slightly less bloated. I’m also sensitive to dairy. The report also provided a list of suggested supplements/nutrients that were likely to help my pre-disposed issues (weight gain, metabolic issues, etc.). I got this one from Activit that basically covers them all.

Since all this information is new to me, it will take awhile to implement the changes and reflect upon whether or not they make a difference. Stay tuned, I’ll update this fall!