DNA testing: the key to your future health
Your future weight, wellbeing, even your wrinkles, are written in your genes. So could DNA testing help us live longer, healthier lives? Amy Laurenson investigates
we’re living in an ageing society and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. ‘Millennials are eager for education on preventative tactics for long-term health,’ says Nia Pejsak, of trend intelligence company Stylus. With fitness wearables now mainstream, self-optimising consumers are used to monitoring and evaluating data around everything from steps and sleep to periods in the quest for optimum wellness. Which could go some way to explain why our interest in DNA testing to inform precisely how we can live longer and, crucially, healthier is on the rise. According to trend forecasting agency Mintel, 42% of British consumers are interested in a personalised diet based on their genes and they predict that, by 2025, at-home DNA testing kits will be mainstream.
Until now, we’ve lived by the notion that if we move more, eat less and factor in our five-a-day then, if all else fails, the NHS has our back. But with our health service buckling, perhaps it’s time to look to advanced preventative solutions, such as DNA testing, which can empower us to live healthier lives based on our specific health markers, rather than some national average. ‘DNA testing enables people to “hack” their health,’ says Pejsak. But, while the old adage is that knowledge equals power, can it also equal lean abs and a longer life?
THE DISEASE-BUSTING ONE
The Rolls-royce of DNA testing, Londonbased Viavi offers comprehensive health testing in a boutique setting. Pioneered by Dr Sabine Donnai, Viavi pinpoints where the potential risks to your future health lie. ‘We try to answer every possible health question – broadly, is there any chance there could be something wrong with me?’ says Oliver Patrick, physiologist and executive director. ‘With heart disease and cancer, people don’t catch them, nor do they happen rapidly, so you can see someone moving towards that. Preventative health isn’t only finding the disease before it kills you, but also finding when your body is becoming dysfunctional and manipulating your lifestyle accordingly,’ adds Patrick.
High-powered individuals also look to Dr Donnai and her team to optimise their performance at work, increase energy levels and reduce stress. To be able to do this effectively, it’s not only your DNA that is tested, but everything from your hormones to microbiome, with areas such as brainmapping and cognitive function analysis thrown in for good measure. However, with Viavi you’re not just paying for the state-ofthe-art testing, but in-depth and expert analysis of the results. The insights you gain are incredibly specific, from whether you have the genetic predisposition for certain diseases and what you can do to prevent them, to which workout is best for you based on your musculoskeletal and movement assessment.
During a consultation with Dr Donnai, the Viavi team puts you through a series of assessments, followed by more at-home testing. Gathering all the data is a task and a half, but it’s vital. ‘Health and illness are the consequence of a domino effect and the closer I can get to the first domino, the more successfully I can influence your future health. That requires a lot of investigation to find the connection between it all,’ explains Dr Donnai. ‘Each client has their own puzzle to unravel and decode.’
Your analysis is delivered by a doctor and your preventative health strategy is agreed on together. If you feel like you need ongoing support, there is the option to have regular meetings for a year afterwards, either face to face or on the phone.
From £13,500 (viavi.com)
THE DIET ONE
‘I have clients who come to me wanting to lose weight, having tried every diet, in absolute despair because they cannot lose and sustain weight loss,’ says Rachel Clarkson, a registered dietitian and founder of The DNA Dietitian clinic on Harley Street. Clarkson uses DNA testing to help gather personalised information about her clients because one size doesn’t fit all. ‘Your DNA is what makes you have blue eyes or brunette hair and it also alters the way your body processes nutrients. We can test to see which variation you have of certain genes to understand the way you absorb, metabolise and use the nutrients you consume.’
Take your morning cuppa, for example. The recommended daily dose of caffeine is 400 micrograms, ‘roughly two coffees from Starbucks’, notes Clarkson. ‘But 50% of the population are slow metabolisers of caffeine, which means consuming more than 200mcg of caffeine a day could increase their risk of a heart attack. The other 50%? Consuming 200-400mcg pptrheoermtdeca.’ ty would
From a weight-loss perspective, Clarkson uses your DNA test results to determine whether you would be better suited to a low-carb, low-fat diet or a high-protein one and gives further recommendations into how to lose belly fat. Your results can even identify dietary preferences, such as a proclivity for fatty or sweet foods. One study found that people on a personalised diet were more likely to adhere to it a year on, compared with people given general guidelines. And that’s the crux of it: so many general nutritional guidelines are based on the population as a whole, ‘but
GENETIC TESTS CAN IDENTIFY WHICH WORKOUT IS BEST FOR YOU
you’re not an average’, says Clarkson.
She takes a multifaceted approach, also looking at a client’s current health, hormone levels, thyroid function, medical history, medications and more. Then she looks at them as an individual – what job do they do? Do they cook? How do they sleep? Do they exercise? Taking all that information and more into account, Clarkson and the client get to work. ‘We start by improving their wellness right away, making them the best version of themselves and helping prevent any disease in the future.’
From £599 for a consultation and testing (thednadietician.co.uk)
THE ANTI- AGEING ONE
Chromozoom offers at-home DNA analysis kits, including a cheek swab and questionnaire, that zero in on different areas, such as nutrition and sport. But it’s the beauty kit that sets Chromozoom apart. The test looks at 100+ genetic markers within more than 70 genes that are linked to skin and ageing. It can identify whether your acne is caused by genetics, lifestyle or environmental factors; if varicose veins or stretch marks are a genetic risk for you; whether you have a tendency to run low on skin-boosting vitamins A, C and E, or if you’re prone to collagen degradation that leads to wrinkle formation. Based on your results, a personalised report offers nutrition and lifestyle advice that can help improve your skin based on your specific DNA markers and, in turn, helps you to age better.
Advising Chromozoom is Dr Anand Saggar, a clinical genetics expert, who believes at-home analysis kits that combine DNA with environmental factors are the future of self-care. ‘They can provide consumers with the knowledge to live a healthier life that is tailored specifically to them.’
£129 (chromozoom.app)