myDNAhealth launches the latest Nutritional Genomics Test, Optimal Health Pro

Nutritional Genomics lies at the heart of the test, this header comprises two fields of science: Nutrigenetics, which investigates genetic variants, and nutrigenomics, which relates to the impact of lifestyle and diet on gene expression.

To accurately predict the risk of specific chronic health conditions requires an understanding of both. Reducing the danger of said diseases requires an appropriate personalised nutrition guide alongside other potentially relevant lifestyle choices. People with long term conditions such as high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes have specific dietary requirements for foods that are lower in fat and refined sugars. There are certain genotypes that increase the risk for these metabolic diseases and knowing this information can encourage a personal nutrition approach to reduce disease risk.

The Optimal Health Pro report, identifies and characterises gene variants associated with differential responses to nutrients and relates these variations to different disease states. For example, the combination of low folate intake and a reduced enzyme due to an MTHFR gene variant, increases susceptibility to disease, even if either of them, on their own, might not.

The reports also show how dietary factors influence gene expression. They also address the effect of lifestyle choices on DNA structure, known as epigenetics, which subsequently impacts protein and metabolite levels. For example, we know that high-fat diets change our gene expression through epigenetic changes.