Can your DNA tell you which foods are the best for your personal diet? I've heard that some DNA tests can tell you if you need high/low carbs, protein needs, etc.
I read recent studies on this topic and graded the evidence presented. The study design was such that researchers had isolated genetic phenotypes that would supposedly do better in certain types of diets.
The researchers genetically tested everyone in the study looking for specific gene sequences that technically could predispose a person to doing best on a particular diet. Then the participants were divided into 22-week long nutritional education programs and fed either higher carb lower fat diet or higher fat lower carb diet. The people were allowed to select their own foods and amounts to eat (not prescribed any calorie deficits), and researchers monitored results of who was supposed to fare best on what diet in terms of weight loss.
What did they find?
No significant difference between any of the groups nor versus control.
There is no evidence to support that eating for a DNA type or blood type has any merit whatsoever.
If someone is selling you a kit that can supposedly tell you how to eat based on DNA or blood type, it is a waste of your money and a total BS scam.
A molecular biologist and have been doing research in this filed the
last 25 years. There has been a number of studies in this field. Food
nd diet are very complicated phenomenon and its impact on your health is
governmed more by your habits and type of food you intake than with
your genetic makeup. Of course if you are allergic to certain food
prodcuts, there is a possibility that this might help, but then you
would probably know your allergies well before you take a DNA test. IN
summay, NO. If a DNA analysis company is saying this, it is merely based
on pseudoscience. THere is no scientific study or studies to support
this. DNA tests are very much overrated. WIsh this industry is regulated
since it is giving scientists a bad name.
There are people out there who would tell you this is so, but AFAIK it’s just a scam on a par with the blood group diet and paleo diet - scientificky sounding waffle to persuade you into buying yet more friggin’ diet books.
Humans beings are omnivores, we can and do eat pretty much anything and as long as your intake is reasonably in line with energy expenditure (modern people really do not move about enough) you will be reasonably ok.
The only people who genuinely need to be worried about genes and diet are those with one of the well known metabolic disorders like familial hypercholesterolaemia.
You should know all the standard diet advice by heart by now, doctors never shut up about it, but do not obsess over it. Orthorexia is a real problem, these diet conmen should be ashamed for making people neurotic about food for their own profit. Enjoy your food, don’t waste your life analysing every particle in accordance with some pseudoscientific voodoo some joker sold you in a book.
Taking DNA means is what you are born with..I have a very interesting experience
I am Chinese living in Canada, Chinese have this concept of hot and cold body types, and similarly for good group, e.g. oranges are cold (not temperature)
When I was in my mid-40s, I started to get up in the middle of the night to go the bath room. When I visited Hong Kong, my sister took me to see her herbalist / Chinese doctor to see if there are any recommendation, I expected to hear things like well, you are in your 40s and your kidney energy is low etc
She took a look at me, and check my “pulse”, the she asked me this question “do you have people chasing you in your dreams?”, My reaction is uhhh…what ??? Yes I do
The explanation is I am born with a cold body type, and I eat too much cold food, which then makes me crave hot sauce and spicy food, which then agitates me and give me anxious dreams that wakes me up, then of course when I was up, and feel the urge to go, I just go to the bathroom
She gave me a list of food to eat more of, and a list of food to eat less of, I am in my 60 now, and I am able to sleep through the night without getting up
Even funnier is I went back a few years ago, and visited her again for a check up, again she took my pulse and look very confused, I asked her what’s going on because I felt fine…she said, it is odd, but looks like you have the flu. I was taken aback because I truly was not sick, after a minute or so I suddenly remember that I had a flu shot about 2 months before and the vaccine was still effective
The short answer is yes. Based on your DNA, your body is better suited for some foods than others. This company found that 45% of people’s genes need a high carb diet, 47% need moderate and only 8% need low.
They can also tell you things like if you are sensitive to lactose, gluten, and caffeine, protein needs for your genotype, and even which foods are healthiest for you. GenoPalate
has a great at-home test for this. It’s around $149 for the report and even cheaper if you’ve already done DNA analysis with an ancestry company.
But DNA testing works well for several things, like determining the paternity of an infant, learning the different cultures and countries your ancestors may have come from, identifying a murderer or rapist. Genetic testing can help you and your partner or spouse find out if you are at risk for passing along an inheritable genetic disorder. But neither of the doctors nor the nutritionist who are supervising my weight loss program have mentioned anything about “DNA diets” or “blood type diets” . I haven’t come across any peer-reviewed articles regarding any research studies corroborating that a “DNA-based diet” is scientifically valid, so, I wouldn’t waste my money paying to have a DNA test done for that purpose.
The short answer is no.
There is no scientific evidence that having genomic information can accurately gauge the relevance of certain food types. Most scientific organisations(eg :Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: nutritional genomics.
) have cautioned against the use of genomics to predict nutritional requirements even though the field itself is fairly old.
Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Weight Loss in Overweight Adults
found no evidence of matching genomic information with diet to change weight.
Nor has this Meta-analysis Meta-Analysis of Genes in Commercially Available Nutrigenomic Tests Denotes Lack of Association with Dietary Intake and Nutrient-Related Pathologies.
found any evidence to support the claims made by such companies.
While the field of nutri-genomics is growing rapidly with the advent of cheap sequencing and massive computing power, its still in a very nascent stage. I’d caution against using these services which are nothing but elaborate snake oil scam
Not in the sense sold by fad pseudo-science. Unless you have allergies or IBS or some enzyme disease the genetic issue is that people in some ethnic groups have not evolved to eat the US Western diet as long as others, so diabetes and other disease rates on such diet will be worse (this means you Pima Indians). But you don’t need a DNA test to know, and people of European backgrounds shouldn’t be eating such diet, either. Likewise a few groups like the Inuit may have evolved to do well on a diet of fish and seal blubber (if they could get it without the mercury concentrations that exist now).
Can your DNA tell you which foods are the best for your personal diet? I've heard that some DNA tests can tell you if you need high/low carbs, protein needs, etc.”
Each of us have our own optimal diet. Maybe 20–30 percent thrive on low fat. Maybe 30–40 percent thrive on low carb. It is at least partially genetic. It will turn out to be at least partially environmental as happens with all such systems.
Human genetics are wildly diverse for our reactions to food. This is an evolved ssystem because we are near the middle of the omnivore specturm. We CAN survive on almost any food, though most of us are miserable on any one diet. Evolution does not care if you are miserable. Evolution cases how many great grand children you end up with.
Current technology is not up to the task of testing to see what your optimal diet is. The genetics are too complex and science is still studying how to deal with any one diet not figuring out who should use any one diet.
There are a number of metabolic disorders that make one or another of the amino acids, fats, sugars, etc dangerous to some people. These can be detected with a DNA test, but usually are detected by the neonatal testing mandated by every state. Someday DNA testing will become less expensive than running a battery of tests for things like PKU, maple syrup urine disease, MCAD, galactosemia, and others. I suspect that most states will then start doing a DNA profile instead of the panel of 20–50 tests that the different states currently do. At this time, there is no reason to believe that the people selling the idea that they can tell you what foods you should eat have done enough research to be expected to be reliable.
People who have the genetic flaws I mentioned do not survive long without severe disabilities unless they are fed a special formula nearly from birth, and eat a diet specific to their condition.
No, that’s all baloney, unless you want motivation to eat the diet that’s the best for everyone, no matter what your condition -mostly plants (fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains).
If your DNA test says you have the genes for macular degeneration, for example, you may be motivated to eat more foods with lots of lutein, such as kale and spinach, but these are good for you anyway. If high cholesterol runs in your family, you want to avoid too much saturated fat and get lots of fiber and the antioxidants in fruits and veggies, but again this is a good idea anyway.
See NutritionFacts.org.
I develop nutrition protocols for cancer patients specific to their cell type, stage of diagnosis, microbiome associated with their kind of cancer, and I cross reference all botanicals and nutrients that have been shown to “flip the switch” when it comes to gene expression. While science has a way to go, we can absolutely apply DNA knowledge to best dietary practices. My patients’ results have been confounding and surprising to medical doctors, but not to me!
Absolutely not. If a company says it can, they are a scam. I did DNA research, and the answer is, “a resounding NO!”
Here's why: metabolic pathways are so massively intricate and controlled by so many different hormones, enzymes, cofactors, and many different genes on many different chromosomes, (multi locus of control), that if they can do a simple DNA test of ALL that and tell you what diet to go on, then they'd have already found a cure for Corona, HIV, cancer, and a wealth of other genetic maladies that are far simpler than human metabolism, but for which they still haven't found an answer.
Good luck to you. I WILL say, as a biochemist, that the effective amount of growth hormone (the hormone that burns fat) is produced 90 minutes after you fall asleep. Growth hormone production is inhibited by carbs. So, if you make this simple adjustment, (no matter what diet you're on), to stop eating any carbs at least 4 hours before bedtime, your weight loss will be helped rather than hindered. Any carbs eaten anywhere near bedtime will completely shut down your growth hormone production, and therefore your fat loss. If you don't want to do a low carb diet all day, then eat your carbs at breakfast and lunch then no carb of any kind for supper or after. Weight lift an hour before BEDTIME, NOT before breakfast. Try it. And tell me how you did.
Both answers thus far are great. Only thing I want to add is that there are 2 types Cholesterol HDL and LDL. Both are present in the body. For optimum health, you want your HDL levels to be higher than the LDL and that can absolutely be controlled by food.
Having had a quad bypass 5 years ago with over 90% blockage, I have fully recovered without taking any cholesterol hindering drugs like Statin despite my doctors insistence. My cholesterol levels are perfect due to:
- Daily exercise: I briskly walk 6–8 miles a day
- Tri weekly workouts at the gym
- Paleo diet (100% of the time)
- Organic food only
- 7–8 hours sleep per night
- I wear blue light blocking glasses every night
- No stress
Comments