Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomic testing focuses on weaknesses in known, characterized nutritional pathways. Knowledge of these pathways lends itself to providing nutritional bypasses for genetic mutations. These nutritional pathways can be viewed as complex roadways. Any mutations in the pathways can be visualized as road blocks. If we are familiar enough with the roadways and the maps, we can design detours to get around the road blocks. The field of nutrigenomic testing and the supplementation of nutrients should take the fear out of genetic testing, at least for these well characterized nutritional pathways.
Methylation Cycle
The methylation cycle is the ideal pathway to focus on for nutrigenomic analysis and supplementation because the function of this pathway is essential for a number of critical reactions in the body. As a consequence, genetic weaknesses (mutations) in this pathway are risk factors for a number of serious health conditions. This knowledge lays the groundwork for the further assault of environmental and infectious agents that may result in an increased risk for additional health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, thyroid dysfunction, neurological inflammation, chronic viral infection, neurotransmitter imbalances, atherosclerosis, cancer, aging, neural tube defects, Alzheimer’s disease and autism.
Nutritional Supplementation
There are some basic types of supplementation that should be beneficial for anyone. The goal is to use low doses of a variety of supplements to support a number of points of the pathway. I have found that this is easier on the system than using high doses of just a few supplements for this pathway. To understand this better, we can go back to our road way visualization. Think of mutations in the pathway as accidents on a roadway. While it is possible to use a bulldozer to clear an accident, that approach causes a great deal of collateral damage. On the other hand, if you recognize that there is more than one way to get from point A to point B, then you can bypass the accident all together. It is important to keep in mind, that as you begin to supplement or bypass your genetic weaknesses in this pathway, that this pathway is also involved in the ability to silence viral infections and to detoxify environmental toxins and heavy metals. As perhaps for the first time in your life, it may help your body to trigger natural detoxification mechanisms. While detoxification is important for overall long term health and wellness, there can be temporary discomforts associated with the detoxification process. This is another reason to use the more gentle approach of supplementing with low doses of a number of supplements, rather than using the bulldozer approach.
There are simple non-invasive tests that can be utilized to monitor the rate of excretion of toxins from your system as you support your body to bypass methylation cycle mutations. As you detoxify, you begin to lower the environmental contributions to risk factors that affect your long term health and wellness. It is essential that we take advantage of the strides that have been made in the human genome project not only to understand our underlying genetic susceptibilities but also to successfully deal with chronic health issues.
