Using Genetic Testing To Develop A Personalized Nutrition Program

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At the Biamonte Center we develop personalized Nutritional programs of diet and supplementation to meet an individuals needs. The data that we rely on to determine what is needed for the individual is based on a simple concept. “What does the body tell us it wants now and what may the body need in the future based on its genetics”.

HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT NUTRIENTS YOUR BODY NEEDS?

To determine what the body wants we rely on blood testing, tissue mineral analysis which determines the levels of potential toxic metals like lead, mercury etc and healthful minerals such a iron, zinc, calcium etc and a test called an “Organic acid profile’. Organic acids are wastes that are the result of normal chemical processes in the body. The Organix Profile provides a view into the body’s cellular metabolic processes and the efficiency of metabolic function. Identifying metabolic blocks that can be treated nutritionally allows individual tailoring of interventions that maximize patient responses and lead to improved patient outcomes.

Organic acids are metabolic intermediates produced in pathways of central energy production, detoxification, neurotransmitter breakdown, or intestinal microbial activity. Accumulation of specific organic acids in urine often signals a metabolic inhibition or block. This may be due to a nutrient deficiency, an inherited enzyme deficit, toxic build-up, or drug effect. This Organix test gives us a further understanding of what the blood work and tissue mineral test may mean.

So essentially these 3 tests tell us what the bodies current nutritional requirements are based on the current diet, life style, stress, medical conditions, exercise and exposure to toxins from the present environment.

WHAT DOES GENETICS REALLY MEAN?

A patients genetics are the 2nd area that need to be explored in order to fully understand their body’s needs. The genetic material of all living things is made of up of the molecule

Deoxyribonucleic acid-more commonly known as DNA. Amazingly, the DNA of any two individuals is 99.9% identical. So what makes us different from each other? The crucial one tenth of one percent (0.1%) difference between one person’s DNA and another’s lies in the small but unique variations called “Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms,” or “SNPs” for short. A small variation in SNPs can help identify genetic predispositions; an individual can use this information to maintain heart health and bone strength, for example.

A genome is the total sum of an organism’s DNA, genes and chromosomes. Genomics is the systematic and simultaneous study of multi-gene systems, such as those found in humans. The Genetic testing that we use is a practical application of this understanding of genetics designed to identify areas of the Human Genome that may not be functioning efficiently. The screening and analysis provide us with an improved understanding of your specific body processes and pathways that may not function at their best.

Our lab provides a scientifically well-established method of understanding your unique physiological make-up. Virtually 100% of health conditions are affected by genetic makeup. This enables us to focus specifically on the areas that need attention for you to achieve maximum health and longevity.

In order to determine what the body may want based on its genetics we utilize the Integrative Genomics(TM) DNA screening. The Integrative Genomics(TM) DNA screening starts with a comfortable, easy-to-do mouth swab to collect a DNA specimen. Either you or your healthcare practitioner gently swabs the inside of your cheek, then allows the swab to dry in the drying rack that is included with the collection kit. The dried swab is then placed in a special envelope and sent to the lab for analysis.

The lab analysis focuses on the occurrence of relevant SNPs. Pronounced “snips,” SNPs are small but common natural variations in human DNA. Each person has several million SNPs that account for the wide variations seen in the spectrum of human appearance and physiology. Our screening tests for those functional SNPs that serve as predictable markers for evaluation of genetic function. By determining their unique SNPs, individuals can make precise decisions about their diet and lifestyle, ultimately improving their overall health.

The Integrative Genomics screening process respects the privacy of every individual and has taken many precautions to create a process that allows individuals to maintain the highest level of confidentiality. All information provided by the individual taking the screening is kept on a secure server and all samples are identified by barcode only. This information is never shared with a third party. After the evaluation is completed and validated, all DNA sample material is destroyed. The end result of the analysis is a break down of which genetic “errors” you have inherited from your mother and your father. The research into the “errors” has determined what illness and vitamin-nutrient deficiencies arise from each individual genetic “error”.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER!

My job as the Doctor, becomes studying the results of the blood work, the tissue mineral test and organix test, those are the tests that are telling me the bodies wants or needs now, ‘in present time”, to what the genetic test tells me the body requires based on your genetic needs. I like for comparisons. As an example, if the genetic test tells me that the person may be prone to Candida overgrowth, we will look for deficiencies of nutrients such as selenium, molybdenum, iron, copper or any nutrient being deficient that may predispose one to Candida.

If the genetic test tells us the person is predisposed to heart disease due to Co enzyme Q10 deficiency, I will look over the blood, tissue mineral and organix test for signs of Co-Q10 deficiency. Whatever disease, illness or deficiency the genetic test says is possible will be looked for in the tests that tell us what the body wants or is doing now. Any type of test that tells us what the body wants or is doing now can be compared to the genetic test in order to see if it is occurring. The ones I mention is this article are my preference.

The end result of this process would be to correct the imbalances that show in the present, particularly the ones that also may have a genetic link. Thereafter a maintenance program can be compiled of the nutrients that are needed to support the genetic weakness found. Having a genetic weakness is not necessarily a death sentence. The old saying “to be forewarned is to be forearmed”, never rang more true. If one has the knowledge what his genetic weakness are he can do something to compensate for it. Since illness can occur due to lack of vital nutrients, and since the genetic test tells us which nutrients your body has a greater need for, supplying those nutrients as supplements can help offset the illness you are genetically predisposed to. Since at this time in our planets technology there does not exist a way to easily change ones genetics, supporting your genetic weakness will be found in the future to play a vital role in health care.

For more information in this approach go to