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Find out how Coffee affects you: The CYP1A2 Gene

Genetic Testing / /

Disclaimer: This is an educational and informative post, nothing in it is meant to take the place of medical treatment, neither does it claim to treat, cure or diagnose any condition.   Ever wondered why some people can drink coffee right before bed and sleep like a brick, while others are bouncing off the walls all night? This has to do with either being a Fast metaboliser or a slow metaboliser of caffeine.   The CYP1A2 Caffeine is mainly metabolized by the CYP1A2 enzyme in the liver.The status of your CYP1A2 determines how fast your body clears the caffeine you drink from your system. It takes about 5 hours to lower caffeine levels by half, the half-life of caffeine. In other words, if you drink 4 cups of coffee (160g of caffeine) Half of that(80g) will still be in your system 5 hours later. You may begin experiencing the effects of caffeine right after consuming it, and the effects will continue to last for as long as the caffeine remains in your body.   A fast Metaboliser A fast metaboliser is someone who carries the AA allele. They have the ability to metabolize caffeine at a much faster rate and thus clear caffeine from their systems. In these people coffee is unlikely to cause high blood pressure and raise cortisol levels. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning is likely to make you feel more alert but without the jitters and spike in blood pressure. A Slow Metaboliser However, a slow metaboliser, (one who carries the C allele) has a much slower enzymatic activity and takes longer to metabolize caffeine. The result is that caffeine metabolisers take between 8-10 hours to drop caffeine levels by half. Slow metabolisers have an increased risk of impaired fasting glucose, hypertension and disrupted sleep.   What is a moderate and safe amount of caffeine per day? This is determined by your genotype. For AA alleles 5 cups a day (200mg) would be moderate but for a C allele this would be 2 cups (80mg).   Benefits of Caffeine in moderation: Rich in Polyphenols, antioxidants found in plants (cancer protecting) Studies show caffeine can protect against Parkinson’s Disease. Can improve alertness,memory and overall mood. Can increase sports performance and endurance. Risks of Caffeine : can spike blood pressure can impair fasting glucose can raise cortisol levels can disrupt sleep and cause insomnia can contribute to anxiety can mess with your endocrine system (hormones) References: Postprandial glycaemic and lipaemic responses to chronic coffee consumptionmay be modulated by CYP1A2 polymorphisms, British Journal of Nutrition (2018)doi:10.1017/S0007114518000260 How to Tell if You Are a Fast or Slow Caffeine Metabolizer by Dr. Aaron Gardner, BSc, MRes, PhD,March 1, 2023 My own training as a genetic practitioner. Interested in finding out what allele of this gene you carry? Contact me

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5 Important things you need to know about Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease / /

Disclaimer: This is an educational and informative post, nothing in it is meant to take the place of medical treatment, neither does it claim to treat, cure or diagnose any condition. 1.Celiac Disease is Genetic. That means it’s hereditary and is passed on from parent to child. Immediate family members are at a higher risk of also developing it should they also carry the genetics. It is stronger in the female line.   2. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition. However it can be controlled by a strict lifelong avoidance of gluten. Unfortunately, due to cross contamination this is not always possible and most will experience being glutened from time to time.   3. Symptoms for Celiac Disease vary from person to person. These symptoms can be gastrointestinal such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating and gas. They can also be neurological such as brain fog, poor memory, confusion, poor concentration. Neuropathy such as tingling in the hands and feet. Not everyone develops all theses symptoms and some are also asymptomatic.   4. Celiac Disease can cause long term damage in some people, other than damage to the gut lining. Some examples are hormone imbalance, thyroid problems (leading to Hashimoto Thyrdoiditis)dental damage, alopecia, social anxiety and eating disorders due to fear of food and you are at a greater risk to develop other autoimmune conditions.It is important you seek the correct medical and mental care.   5. Celiacs often have the same problems in their biological pathways As a genetic practitioner, I have noticed that many with Celiac Disease have similar problems in biological pathways such as inflammation, detoxification, oxidative stress, and poor vitamin metabolism. Taking a genetic test can help you to see how you can improve your health overall.

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10 things we wish our loved ones knew about Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease / /

1 Celiac Disease doesn’t seem like a big deal but it involves every mouthful of food, which makes it a big deal. 2 Eating at home is the only time food is not a stressful occasion. 3 Paranoia over the safety of food becomes a part of life when eating out, going to a social event, even going to a friends. Many develop social anxiety because of this which extends beyond occasions with food. 4 When you say you understand what Gluten-free means, it is still very hard to trust that because we’ve likely been glutened by people who’ve said this in the past. So know it’s a big deal if we feel safe with your food/cooking. 5 There is no such thing as a spontaneous “let’s go grab a bite to eat”. All food/trips/places needs to be planned, researched, and prepared. We miss life before Gluten-free very much. 6 We often feel very left out, awkward, different at events when we can’t eat the same as everyone else or had to bring our own food or worse (and yes it’s happened) when we have to watch others eat because we couldn’t eat anything served. 7 Worrying about being glutened is on our minds whenever we have to eat someone else’s food. 8 It’s not only about staying off gluten, it’s the constant vigilance of avoiding it. 9 We normally continue to suffer with other autoimmune conditions, nutritional deficiencies, or damage from gluten years after 10 Gluten exposure happens, and when it does, we are sick. How that looks for each celiac is different. You can’t judge one from another. As careful as we are, it’s impossible not to happen.  

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