Are genes influenced by what we eat?

Our lifestyle, including our diet, directly influences our genes in the long run. Even if genes do not encode disease, they do encode a certain function, but on the other hand they are capable of interactions with the environment, so it matters a lot where and how we live.

People, in general, are afraid that if they find out their genome by performing various tests that are in vogue today, this will reveal the diseases they will die from. In reality, by knowing your genome you find out how you must live and NOT how you will die! Why? Because, in fact, you find out how you should not cause your genes to become dysfunctional through your direct actions: lifestyle, diet, exposure to pollutants or endocrine disruptors.

“My entire scientific career has convinced me that heredity is important, in some cases the most important. After many years of study and a doctorate in medical genetics I can say with conviction that what you offer directly to the body is more important. It can even sometimes change heredity. So, regardless of heredity, let’s not despair. Let’s treat our body as a precious gift that must be cared for and loved”, says Dr. Adina Trandafir, PhD in genetics and nutrition counselor at Nutriscience, a science-based nutrition center.

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More and more often, we hear names that may seem confusing, such as nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics.

Nutrigenetics identifies how genetics alter the individual’s response to certain nutrients, in other words, it explains why and how people respond differently to the same nutrient. Such examples would be why an individual can drink alcohol and feel pleasure or not, or after coffee  feels more tired or not.

Nutrigenomics studies how environmental factors, such as food intake and lifestyle, influence genome expression. Diet is the main way of exposing the human body to the environment and is the essential decision that every person makes regarding their eating habits.

It is very important in life to make the right choices, and nutrigenomics tests help us in this regard.

Such a test is available at AVRA Aesthetic Institute (link to the service presentation page). It’s called “Advanced Nutrigenomics”.

The Advanced NGx test is performed in the United States using FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved technology, as well as standards and procedures appropriate for biological sample processing. The sample collected is saliva.

The purpose of this test is to provide information about how certain genetic variations may affect your metabolism, the need for nutrients in various physiological and pathological circumstances, and the association of genetic variations with the risk of certain diseases or the effectiveness of treatments.

This personalized report is intended to provide you with the latest information on how genetic variation (changes in your DNA sequence) can influence the amounts of nutrients you need to optimize your health, or to lessen the consequences that certain diseases have on your metabolism.

The entire report includes a maximum of 4 packages, based on the nutritional characteristics required in certain physiological or pathological conditions, or within a physically active lifestyle. The results of this report are addressed to you and you alone.

Depending on your choice, this report may include 3 or 4 packages. As long as you have opted for 3 packages, you may also order after the pregnancy and lactation package, without having to provide biological samples once again.

The 4 packages are:

  1. Nutrition in the context of pregnancy

It includes the analysis of genetic variations present in women, which influence the amounts of nutrients needed for a healthy development of the fetus during pregnancy and the newborn during breastfeeding. This package is especially designed for women who want to get pregnant. The package is also useful for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding.

  1. Adult nutrition

It includes the analysis of genetic variations that influence the optimal nutrient requirements for adults (women out of pregnancy and men). This package aims to provide you with the information you need to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases due to a diet that is inappropriate for your genetic structure.

  1. The risk of metabolic imbalances

It includes the analysis of genetic variations that, in the presence of certain diseases or unhealthy lifestyles, can lead to complications, in the absence of an adequate diet. This package also includes the establishment of the genetic score for non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis, with a view to proper nutritional management.

  1. Genotypes associated with physical exertion or sports performance

It includes an estimate, based on genetics, of the potential you have to practice certain types of physical effort, the impact that physical effort can have on your metabolism, and can help specialists in the field (sports doctors, coaches, nutritionists, specialists fitness, etc.) to decide if certain nutritional changes are needed to improve your physical performance.