Problems with IBS? Personalized solutions based on your genes - We tend to take happy bowels for granted — until something goes awry! For many people, a daily battle seems to wage in their intestines. Pain, discomfort, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation — known as IBS Read more…
Wine Tasting Genes: How your genetic variants influence the way that wine tastes to you - When you think of wine, do you wax poetically about the subtle notes of springtime apple blossoms with hints or truffles — or do you just hope that all your friends can’t tell that you Read more…
The genetics of high triglycerides - Triglycerides are the main type of fat in your blood. Triglyceride is a general term for a type of lipid-containing three fatty acids (tri) bound to a glycerol. Triglycerides are used by the body as Read more…
Genetic links to infertility for women. - The statistics on infertility are astounding. The CDC estimates that 12% of women overall in the US have impaired fertility. For women over age 30, that statistic rises to 25%! [ref][ref] Some of the causes of Read more…
Should you take folic acid? - There is a lot of buzz online about MTHFR variants and the need to avoid folic acid. I’ve seen recommendations ranging from avoiding all processed foods that are fortified with folic acid — to recommendations Read more…
How do your genes influence your vitamin B12 levels? - Vitamin B12 is essential for your health! It is a cofactor for biological reactions such as creating the myelin sheath in nerve cells and the synthesis of DNA (rather important!). A lack of vitamin B12 Read more…
CBD Oil and Your Genes: Will it work for you? - CBD oil is the hottest new health hack for everything from anxiety to pain to cancer — according to the marketing geniuses. While my skeptical side tends to go ‘pshaw…‘ when I see most of Read more…
Are you a spicy food wimp? - Some people thrive on spicy foods — eating the ghost pepper salsa or ordering the ‘nuclear’ hot wings. Are these people just tougher? stronger? superior? Or are they the genetic oddities? Personally, I say that there Read more…
Back Pain and Your Genes - For some people, back pain is a daily occurrence that drastically affects their quality of life. For others, it may be an intermittent nagging problem that pops up occasionally, often without rhyme or reason. If you Read more…
Heart attack risk and hantavirus protection - Say that you slip with the knife while cutting up an apple for lunch. Ouch. It may bleed a bit, but you know that pretty soon it will stop. A whole cascade of events takes place Read more…
HPA Axis Dysfunction: Genes and Environment - Stress. We all face it at times! But it doesn’t affect us all the same way. Some people bounce back easily from a stressful situation. Others may face the effects of stress continually over their lifetime. Read more…
Melatonin: Key to Health and Longevity - It seems like everything that I’ve written about lately has a common thread: melatonin. When I started weaving together all those melatonin threads, a big picture was revealed. You could say it is a… tapestry Read more…