Selenium and Your Genes
Selenium is a trace element found in certain foods. Learn how selenium is used in the body, why it is important, and how genetic variants can make someone more susceptible to problems with a selenium-deficient diet.
Are you getting the right form of vitamin A? Do you need more biotin than most people? What about folate?
Knowing which specific nutrients you may ‘genetically’ need more of can be the key to solving health issues or optimizing wellness.
Here you will find the tools you need to dial in your nutrition. This isn’t a one-size-fits all approach. Instead, you’ll learn which nutrients may be more important for you, and then you can decide how best to implement the many possible solutions.
Where to start?
Selenium is a trace element found in certain foods. Learn how selenium is used in the body, why it is important, and how genetic variants can make someone more susceptible to problems with a selenium-deficient diet.
Genetics plays a big role in how well your body breaks down histamine. You can use your genetic data to figure out if your genes are part of the reason why you have histamine intolerance.
We all vary in how well we convert the plant-based omega-3 oils into the DHA and EPA that our body needs. Some people are really poor at this conversion and thus should either eat more fish or consider taking a DHA / EPA supplement. Learn more about how your variants might affect your health.
BHMT is involved in homocysteine methylation and impacts the methylation cycle.
Methylfolate may be a better option than folic acid if you have certain genetic variants in the MTHFR or DHFR genes.
Genetics plays a huge role in how well you convert beta-carotene into vitamin A! Discover how well you convert beta-carotene into retinol.
Genetic variations cause people to have higher or lower levels of vitamin K, which can affect blood clotting. Learn more about the genes that affect vitamin K and how it relates to your genetic raw data.
Tyramine intolerance happens when you can’t break it down. Too much tyramine can lead to a hypertensive crisis. Learn more and check your genetic raw data for results.
The SCD1 enzyme converts saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fats. Learn how your genes impact this enzyme, and how this relates to weight loss.
Mushrooms contain a healthy antioxidant called ergothioneine. But for people with a SLC22A4 genetic variant, this antioxidant can be too much of a good thing, leading to intestinal problems. Check your genetic data to see if you carry this mushroom intolerance variant.
Vitamin B6 is an important co-factor in hundreds of different enzymatic reactions. Low levels of B6 are linked to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. B6 is also essential for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
Interested in vitamin A foods? This article focuses on foods high in the retinol form of vitamin A that your body doesn’t need to convert plus some great links to vitamin A-rich recipes.
Genetic variations play a role in how people react to carbohydrates in the diet. Learn about a few genes that affect insulin or glucose levels based on carbohydrate consumption. Use your genetic raw data and discover how your body handles carbohydrates.
The TRPV1 receptor is activated by capsaicin in spicy foods. But there is a lot more to this story… find out how this receptor impacts diabetes, metabolic function, and more.
Your vitamin D levels are impacted by sun exposure and your genes. Learn more about how vitamin D is made in the body and how your genetic variants impact your levels.
Our ancient ancestors lived much differently than we do today. They were hunter-gatherers, living off of fish, meat, and plant foods that they gathered. A huge shift took place when those hunter-gatherers began farming, growing grains, and storing them so that there would be food available all year. Learn if you carry the hunter-gatherer or farmer gene variant. (Member’s article)
An essential nutrient, your need for choline from foods is greatly influenced by your genes. Find out whether you should be adding more choline into your diet.
If you have tried fasting or perhaps a ketogenic diet and felt horrible, there could be a genetic reason. You might carry a genetic mutation that causes SCADD (short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency).
Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth with an enzyme called amylase. Take a look into how the amylase enzyme works, genetic variants that impact your production of amylase, and solutions if you are low in amylase.
Consuming caffeine along with carbohydrates changes glucose response for people with certain genetic variants and yet it doesn’t change blood glucose levels for those without the variants. Find out more about your response. (Member’s article)