genetic testing

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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How lactose Intolerance could be genetic

Genetic Testing / /

Did you know that the MCM6 gene is involved in lactose intolerance?   As Babies, our levels of lactose are high. But after the nursing stage, they begin to decline. By the time we are adults, we contain much less of the lactase enzyme to break down the lactose. As a result, most adults cannot fully digest lactose. This is called lactase non-persistance. (LNP) There are some individuals, however that can continue to digest lactose. They are known as having lactase persistence. (LP) The ability to digest lactose is independently caused by a region called MCM6 which controls and enhances the expression of the lactase gene. The DNA Health test tests for Lactose Intolerance. Important to note that a genetic test does not tell you have lactose intolerance, it tells you if you have a risk factor or a predisposition. You would still need to go according to symptoms and a hydrogen breath test. Contact me if you are interested in getting your genetic testing. I am an accredited Genetic practitioner.    

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Celiac Disease and other autoimmune conditions

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. If you have Celiac disease, you’ll have to take note of this.   Studies show that those susceptible to autoimmune conditions are those who already have one. In other words, it’s more likely you’ll develop others. As a genetic practitioner, the genetic test results amongst those of us with Celiac are very interesting… Most, if not all, percentage wise, have problems in our inflammation biological pathway. As well as detoxification and oxidative stress pathways and vitamin metabolism pathways. With autoimmune conditions, the immune system is in overdrive. The immune system is our body’s defense system, but it remains in that alert stage. When our inflammation signals (another normal process that happens in the body) do not switch off, but remain in a negative feedback loop, this causes a pro inflammatory response.   Cue Autoimmune conditions   An autoimmune condition requires you need to have the genetics that predispose you to develop it. It doesn’t mean, however,  that if you carry the genetics,  you will develop it. However, we know how hard and how long it can take to diagnose an autoimmune condition. HLA Autoimmunity Genetic test With the test, you can see if you have the risk factor and it’s so helpful to show your medical care person/s when trying to get a diagnosis. It can make the process of searching and knowing what to test for so much easier.   Contact me if you’d like more information on this test or see my Genetic page for more information.

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Connecting the dots in Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease, Genetic Testing / /

Disclaimer: this information is not meant to treat, cure or diagnosis any condition. It is purely educational and informative information. What do the following all have in common? Vitamin D, B12, B6, zinc, Folate, calcium deficiencies Oxidative Stress Neurological problems Inflammation Methylation problems Detoxification problems Vitamin Deficiencies Since Celiac Disease damages the lining of the intestinal wall, causing intestinal permeability, micro nutrients are unable to be absorbed effectively, resulting in malnutrition. The Microvilli hairs that are destroyed absorb nutrients but they also release digestive enzymes. When the villi are broken down, they can’t perform either function which is why people with Celiac start to have difficulty digesting many different foods due a lack of digestive enzymes. Lactose intolerance is one such example. Oxidative stress Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radical molecules and antioxidants in your body.We need Antioxidants to stabilize free radicals to make them less harmful. Otherwise without antioxidants, the free radicals can start doing damage to fatty tissue, DNA, and proteins in your body. Intestinal inflammation creates oxidative stress. {See my post on oxidative stress} Neurological disorders Vitamin Deficiencies such as B12, folate and minerals like copper, Selenium and zinc manifest as neurological problems or anemia in people with Celiac disease and in those with NCGS. Neurological problems can be: brain fog, confusion, poor memory, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, mood swings and others. Inflammation Inflammation is the host defense required for survival. However it can become chronic due to an overactive immune response or oxidative stress and then continue for an extended time which can lead to disease and other conditions or autoimmune conditions. Methylation Methylation is a chemical process of DNA repair. A molecule called a ‘methyl group’ is added to another substance, such as: DNA, RNA, a protein, neurotransmitters, immune cells and nerves so the substance receiving the methyl group is able to function. Methylation needs optimal levels of B vitamins to work effectively. B Vitamins provide the building blocks for cells and protect out cells from damage. They also turn genes on and off. Detoxification Detoxification means the elimination of foreign compounds from the body. It occurs in the liver.The detoxification process in the body has two phases. Phase 1 involves identifying, flagging and activating the harmful substances so that they can be first neutralized then removed. Phase 2 involves making them water soluble so that they can be removed out of the body through sweat or urine.   So what do these all have in common? All these processes impact each other. If one is not working correctly, others won’t either. In the development of Celiac Disease, most of these processes described here are impacted in one way or another. Which is why going gluten-free does not solve everything. All of those processes need to be brought back into a state of homeostasis(balance) and this can only be done if [1] you know the state of your body and a genetic test can give you a good foundation with all of this [2]if you put into play various nutrition, diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. DNA Health test The DNA health test serves as a basis to understand the functioning of key biological pathways that govern overall health, and how genetic weaknesses in these pathways may increase predisposition to chronic diseases of lifestyle. It is the foundation to health’ test and is appropriate for any individual seeking to improve their health outcomes, be it those who already suffer from, or those who are concerned about a family history of chronic disease.   The Health test looks at: Lipid Metabolism Methylation Detoxification Inflammation Oxidative Stress Bone Health Insulin Sensitivity Caffeine Sensitivity Salt sensitvity Alcohol metabolism Lactose Intolerance Celiac Disease Vitamins: A, D, B12 and C Please contact me if you are interested in knowing more or would like to take the test. Available worldwide.      

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