So many people are dieting, trying out different types of diets. Some work for those who are determined but many don't at least not for a long term. We met people who are or were successful with Keto Diet, 16/8 Intermittent Fasting or Slimming World but most of them just follow it for longer or shorter periods, which they could fit into their lifestyle. And then we hear about how an individual's DNA can guide what diet is suitable for a person, also called DNA-based diet. This made us curious. Could our genes tell us what our body needs exactly? So, we looked into this…
A few of these DNA-based diet companies are: Habit, uBiome, Nutrigenomix, DNAFit, FitnessGenes. These diet companies recommend what we should eat and how we should exercise via a type of DNA testing method they use; it is all scientific. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule made up of two chains, wrapped around one another creating the genetic structure or blueprint. DNA is providing information creating the structure and function of living organisms, in humans, plants, and some viruses. DNA-based diets interpret how up to 100 aspects of one’s DNA sequence influences their health and susceptibility to disease. DNA diet companies make recommendations for what would be the best for a client’s DNA composition via meal plans, recipes, even grocery lists. [News Medical Life Sciences] The DNA testing is simple, you order a kit online. Sampling process: rub the inside of your cheek with a swab or spit your saliva into a tube and post it to the testing lab, where your DNA gets screened.
Evidence suggests that people metabolize carbs, protein, and fats differently based on their genotype but there is no evidence or clinical trials to backup that the actual tailored diet works. Environmental factors in life such as food we eat, exercise we do constantly change our genome. Complex traits like fitness, height or alcoholism are not decided over a handful of genes, hundreds or thousands could play a relevant part. [Nutritious Life] Our characteristics are influenced by hundreds of our genes and it will be very different for different individuals. A simple test examining a number of limitations in single genes does not seem to be reliable evidence. [ZOE] There are exceptions though, such as for Celiac disease, where genes can tell us if we have a variant or genes that show how we metabolise caffeine that can help with figuring out heart disease risk factors. [Nutritious Life]
‘NO SINGLE DIET WORKS BEST FOR EVERYONE’
Some people do really well on higher fat diets (probably more active people) and others would develop high triglycerides or cholesterol. Some people lose weight by consuming less carbs, others need to eat complex carbs with less fat to result in weight loss. A study called PREDICT from a research team of King's College London and Harvard Medical School found factors that determine individuals’ response to food. The research was conducted on 700 twins and 400 non-twins. The research mainly evaluated how blood sugar and blood fats respond (rise and falls) to different types of foods. It turned out differently, people respond very differently to the same diets, as twins should have responded similarly genetically but they didn’t. Genetics accounted for less than a third of insulin and triglyceride responses. Fats and carbs were also not predictive in the diet. However, stress, sleeping habits, exercise and gut microbes (gut bacteria) played an important role in how one responded to a diet. [Scientific American]
Overall, what I gathered and understood from just reading a few articles is that our genotype is not predicting what diet is suitable for us. It is definitely that a wholefood diet can work (see my previous blogs and this Sources section), more vegetables, less processed food, low alcohol and less sugar consumption, varied exercise, good sleeping habits that can tailor a healthy lifestyle and maintain our weight in the long term. So, DNA-based diets seem to be failing at present, because it cannot predict an overall picture of one’s dietary requirement, there is so much more to it in each and individual person’s life.
Even though nutrigenomic testing is lacking in overall evidence, science will continue to explore and add factors from digestive and metabolic processes: biological markers (blood sugar and fat), metabolites (the molecules involved in metabolism) and gut microbiome. [BBC Food] Until then it doesn’t hurt to try ZOE’s at-home genetic nutrition test kit, that analyses the gut, blood fat and blood-sugar response to food or a suitable diet and optimizing metabolism.
So, probably DNA-based dieting might not be as reliable a platform but if we do try, we should definitely take into account lifestyle changes as well, mentioned above, eating more veg, less sugar intake, good night sleep etc. whatever we are lacking or not doing right.
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Sources
1. The Truth About DNA-Based Diets, Nutritious Life https://nutritiouslife.com/eat-empowered/truth-dna-based-diets/
2. What is a DNA Diet?, News Medical Life Sciences, Francesca Burton, https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-a-DNA-Diet.aspx
3. Can genetic diet tests really tell you what to eat?, ZOE, https://joinzoe.com/post/genetic-diet-nutrition
4. Could a DNA diet test transform your health?, BBC Food, by Sue Quinn https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/dna
5. Personalized Nutrition: The Latest on DNA-Based Diets, Scientific American, By Nutrition Diva Monica Reinagel, September 27, 2019 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/personalized-nutrition-the-latest-on-dna-based-diets/
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