What is Nutrigenomics?
Have you ever wondered how your environment or the foods you eat impact your body on a molecular level? It is true that your genes - the makeup of the internal structure of your being - are affected by external factors such as the foods you consume on a daily basis. If you have ever heard the old saying "You are what you eat," you may never have realized just how true of a statement that is. The foods you eat affect your genetic structure over time.
When it comes to optimal health, it is essential that you (or your nutritionist) understand the interaction of the genes in your body and the foods on your plate. Whether you are on a high-fat diet, high protein diet, have a certain lipid metabolism or are under an obesity risk, your nutrition can influence whether or not you develop certain health conditions based on your genes.
Everyone has unique and diverse genetic backgrounds, so that is what makes figuring out the interactions between food and your genes so challenging and interesting for nutritional experts. There is a still-blossoming field of study known as nutrigenomics that is dedicated to this exact pursuit in order to ensure patients all over the world can have great health all the way down to their genes!
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What Is Nutrigenomics?
Nutrigenomics, or nutritional genomics, is the study of the interaction between nutrition and genes for both prevention and treatment of disease. Yes, we are trying to figure out how to harness the power of nutrition in order to treat bodily diseases that people frequently suffer from. In other words, it is the study of gene-nutrient interactions, how foods affect our genes, and how individual genetic differences can affect the way we respond to nutrients in the foods we consume.
Personalized nutrition has become an increasingly popular trend, and it is important to understand an individual's genetic variations to determine the gene-diet interaction. Genes are affected by environmental factors (such as nutrition), and these factors can regulate or destabilize gene expression. Many chronic conditions and diseases are not caused by monogenic mutations or single genetic effects connected to a certain diet. Rather, there are complex interactions between gene variants and nutrition.
The field of nutritional genomics is dedicated to understanding the complexities of gene-diet interactions so that nutritionists can recommend the optimum dietary factors to be included in their daily food intake. It can help to prevent chronic disease and ensure that everyone is living at the optimum level for their genetic variation.
Nutrigenomics and the Human Genome Project
Without the launch of the Human Genome Project in the 1990s as well as the mapping of the human DNA sequence, we would not have the field of research we now call nutrigenomics. This field has come from those projects by using the concept of genetic testing to understand how nutrition, food, and genes are all related to each other when it comes to regulating the human body.
Human health, body weight, insulin resistance, and many other things all fall under the category of genetic variants, and nutrition experts are dedicated to learning how genes and nutrition correlate. We already know that gene-environment interactions exist, so it is critical to find out how we can use those interactions to further medical studies such as cardiovascular disease research and molecular biology.
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Relationship between Nutrigenomics Research and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
The study of nutrigenomics allows for personalized medicine and health based upon an understanding of our nutritional needs, nutritional and health status, and genotype.
Nutrigenomics can even help you with losing or maintaining your weight. Additionally, genomic testing will help you not only learn your susceptibility factors but also show you how you can reduce your chance of developing chronic diseases like diabetes as well as autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease. It will also help us create a plan for you that will allow you to finally lose the weight you have tried for so long to lose--and it will be effortless.
How Does Nutrigenomics Utilize Gene Expression?
As we have said, genes react to environmental factors such as nutrition. Specific nutrients such as folate, choline, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A have a direct environmental influence on the genes. Specifically, Vitamin A regulates gene expression. And dietary patterns can result in the influence of genes to express their predisposed nature toward conditions like insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes.
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Contact Our Nutritional Experts for Information on Nutrition Research and Genetic Factors on Dietary Intake
There are so many possibilities where nutrigenomics will play a huge role in improving your health. Let us help find the most appropriate genomic testing for your health needs. With nutrition counseling from Dr. Cheryl Winter in Boerne, Texas, you can rest assured that your personalized nutrition therapy will be based on a number of factors including genetic makeup.
We are working to continue to understand gene interactions with nutritional factors, and this influences our nutritional and environmental health perspectives. When you come to Dr. Cheryl Winter for expert nutritional advice, she will take into account your typical diet, body mass index, and physical activity level to determine the right dietary intervention that suits your needs and helps you to meet your health goals.
In addition to nutrigenomics, Dr. Cheryl Winter and her team offer a variety of other functional medicine services to help you live your best life. These include: Diabetes reversal, weight loss, digestive health, and nutrition and diet counseling. She also provides medical assistance with hormone and sexual health as well as therapeutics such as infrared sauna, yoga, and pilates.
Dr. Cheryl Winter and her friendly staff in Boerne, Texas, are here to help you find the best way to live the life you want. From nutrigenomics to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, our team will discuss all of your options with you and assist you in determining which of our services best suits your personal needs. Call us today!
