Studies have shown that genetics play a role in what type of diet is best for us, but what does that mean for the average person?
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that our genes may determine how many calories we should consume to maintain our weight.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 7,000 twins and found that people who ate the most calories were also the heaviest.
Genetic testing is becoming more popular as people become more interested in their personal health.
Some people believe that our genes dictate what type of diet is best for us, while others believe that a healthy diet can be adapted to any person.
but if you're looking to improve your health, genetic testing may be a good way to start.
Our own genes can determine the best diet for us
Nutrition Science
- Nutrition Science or nutritional genomics tries to find the answers to these questions.
- It is a scientific field that is devoted to the relationship between nutrition, human genes, and the subsequent development of diseases.
- It investigates how diet can affect our genes, but also what effect genes have on the body’s intake of food.
- This type of science, which is still in its infancy but is developing quickly, is also interested in the development of diseases related to diet and genes.
- Thanks to the scientists who are dedicated to this issue, one day we could be able to determine the ideal diet for each individual and thus prevent the occurrence of certain diseases and live a healthier life.
Personalized Nutrition
Each of us is different and each of us also has a different genetic make-up. Based on her knowledge, it is possible to arrange a tailor-made menu.
There is no universal diet that is suitable for everyone. A personalized diet could thus help people in promoting weight loss, preventing diseases, improving their sports performance, and other aspects.
Based on interagency testing, it is, therefore, possible to decide in practice on certain eating habits that may help the patient or, on the contrary, will not do well. The results may reveal, for example:
Increased likelihood of developing high blood pressure and cholesterol - based on such results, patients can follow dietary steps that will help them reduce the likelihood of developing these diseases. For example, they can reduce sodium and saturated fat intake.
Increased appetite for sweets - patients with such a predisposition can purposefully avoid increased sugar intake, which helps, for example, in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
More efficient fat burning with strength or cardio training - thanks to these results, people can adapt training to their needs and improve its effectiveness.
Nutritional testing course
- How does such testing take place? DNA interagency tests are evaluated from a simple oral swab. The sample is sent for laboratory analysis, and the results are known within about a week.
- The results are very accurate, but they show how the body will most likely react to the nutrients.
- The test results will therefore point out certain components in the eating habits that have the greatest impact on the health of the person in question.
- Based on this, it is possible to influence and reduce the risk factors behind the emergence of various diseases.
- Genetic testing for diet was developed after scientists realized the value of genetic data.
- The Salmonella germs from your stool sample are then sent to genetic testing by the health department, which confirms that they belong to a strain that is consistent with many other confirmed cases in your neighborhood, all of whom reported eating papayas.
- Although there are some risk factors for insulin resistance that you can't control, such as age or family history, you may try to reduce your chances of getting it by eating a good diet, staying at a healthy weight, and exercising frequently.
FTO and Obesity
Obesity is one of the chronic diseases of civilization. It is caused by many external factors, especially poor lifestyle - lack of movement and excessive energy intake.
However, heredity is largely behind its origin. Estimates of the share of genes in the development of obesity are estimated in studies at 30 to 70%.
One such gene is the gene for FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated protein). The exact way in which FTO acts on the development of overweight is still unknown.
However, it is related to metabolism, energy expenditure, and overall energy balance, which affects the regulation of adiposity, i.e., fat storage in the body.
FTO affects the metabolism of fats and proteins. This is also related to the development of other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Our food can affect multiple generations
- Nutrition Science assumes that not only do genes influence the diet we receive but also diet influences genes.
- They even claim that the food we eat can also affect our grandchildren. And in the same way, according to them, our health is also affected by the food that our grandparents ate.
- Also, based on this, some of us have a greater predisposition to the development of certain diseases, for example, colon cancer.
- However, it must be said that studies have so far only been conducted on animal models, such as bees. In humans, this is only a hypothesis that requires further research.
Genetics and lifestyle
Knowing how we are genetically predisposed to process certain nutrients and prone to developing certain diseases is undoubtedly valuable information.
However, human health comprises a complex of various factors. Besides genetics, what we eat, and whether we get enough exercise and sleep, play a big role. A healthy lifestyle should include all these factors.
Conclusions
In conclusion, our genes can play a role in dictating the best diet for us, but ultimately it is up to us to find what works best for our individual bodies.
Diet is a complex topic and there are many different options available to us.
The best way to figure out what works best for us is to experiment and find what makes us feel good both physically and emotionally.