“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” - Hippocrates
This core belief, that we must eat for our health, continues to evolve and withstand the passage of time.
One recent evolution in the concept of food as medicine is personalized nutrition.
You are unique, and your nutrition recommendations should be personalized and guided by two factors:
1. Your genes
2. Your current health status
Your genes can help you determine the correct portions of macronutrients, highlight potential micronutrient risks, and identify potential sensitivities to alcohol, caffeine, gluten and lactose.
At GenoPalate, the genes we analyze tie certain biomarkers to both health outcomes and nutritional interventions.
Your ancestors determine your personal nutrition
In order to survive, our ancestors ate the foods that were available to them. They ate whole foods from the land and sea based on the season—and on the success of the hunt. This means different populations evolved with metabolisms that are better suited for different foods.
- Does your brain kick into high gear after you’ve eaten a piece of chicken, fish or red meat?
- Does your energy level spike after you’ve eaten raw vegetables?
- Do you double over with a stomach ache after you’ve slurped down a milkshake?
You have your ancestors to thank for how your body responds to certain nutrients.
Eating for your DNA may help prevent disease
Knowing which foods are the right match for your unique biology provides clarity and eliminates confusion. Instead of a trial-and-error approach to your nutrition, you’ll know exactly what your body needs for optimal health.
This knowledge can prevent or improve health risks including elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, abnormal lipids and elevated blood pressure.
For example, the AGT gene makes a protein called angiotensinogen. This protein is part of a system which regulates blood pressure and the level of salts and fluids throughout the body.
Your DNA is made up of four building blocks that are commonly denoted as A, G, T and C. Because you have two copies of each gene (one copy from each parent), your genotype for each biomarker has two letters (also called alleles). The AA genotype means that you inherited an A allele from each parent for this biomarker within the AGT gene.
Studies have found that people with the AA genotype tend to be at higher risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease than other genotypes. However, this risk was reduced when people lowered their sodium intake. When looking on their food list, these individuals may find, for example, that their recommended meats and cheeses are lower in sodium.
Eating for your DNA can help manage disease
If you’re already facing health changes like elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, abnormal lipids and elevated blood pressure, you’ll want to focus on food choices that may alleviate or lower those elevated numbers.
Here’s another example:
The IRS1 gene mechanism provides instructions for the production of a protein which helps transfer signals from insulin to multiple important biological pathways. These signals help tell the body to absorb glucose, and allow an uptake in energy.
People with certain genotypes for the IRS1 gene may be more prone to develop insulin resistance. This is a detrimental condition where the body encounters difficulty bringing down blood sugar levels—which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Depending on a customer’s genotype, studies have shown that this risk decreases when people increase their carbohydrate intake. Because of this, we recommend these individuals increase the amount of good carbs they consume, based on their unique biology.
Our food science has a place in modern medicine
Always follow your doctor’s recommendations. However, we do encourage people who take a genetic nutrition test to discuss their personalized and scientific recommendations with their health care team, nutritionists or health coaches.
How do you know what foods you should be eating?
Once we know your nutrient profile, we match it to the thousands of nutrient profiles in our food database.We connect our customers’ profiles with over 20 different nutrients. This way, we can tell you which foods are best for your genetic makeup.
Each personalized list ranks all major food groups broken down into 14 subcategories and includes over 85 foods that are the best fit for your body. For example, in the case of the AA genotype within the AGT gene, the foods with lower sodium would rank higher on our customer’s recommended food list.
This allows you to know which nutrients you need without scrutinizing food labels or agonizing over meal planning.
It’s important to eat a variety of foods from different food groups in order to experience optimal results. Not all nutrients can be found in one food, or in one food group. We highly recommend that our users look at their personalized nutrition recommendations as a collective list of foods, rather than focusing on eating only their top ranked foods.
When you start eating based on your DNA, you’ll feel empowered to eat smarter, start feeling better and know that you are taking proactive steps to protect your health.
Ready to experience the power of food science? Get your personalized nutrition report and food list today.