Could I need higher doses of Vitamin D to improve my general health
The thyroid is an endocrine gland in the neck that produces two thyroid hormones - triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and calcitonin. Thyroid hormones control the metabolism of almost every cell in the body, with wide-ranging metabolic, developmental and cardiovascular effects. This report also shows tendencies to general inflammation and autoimmunity including diseases like Type 2 diabetes, as well as thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s and Grave’s Disease.
This report is a good baseline report that will be beneficial for everyone. It looks at many aspects of health including your food response to gluten, lactose and caffeine, it looks at the potential for optimisation of your gut microbiome, your vitamin absorption, blood pressure, circadian rhythm and risk of inflammation. Inflammation is the main cause of all Chronic Diseases and inflammation can be worsened by certain foodstuffs as well as our environment. This report also gives information of genetic variations that can affect your appetite, this is looked in much greater detail in the Metabolics report. This report will also explain to individuals why some variants on genes would recommend that a plant based diet would not be beneficial to them.
Methylation is a crucial process that occurs in every cell in our body millions of times a day. It is involved in almost every metabolic process in the body contributing to numerous crucial functions. Insufficient or excessive methylation can increase the risk of heart disease, circulatory issues, fatigue, infertility, mood disturbances- anxiety, depression and anger, memory loss; allergy and food/chemical sensitivities, autoimmunity and DNA instability. The demands on our body become more as we get older or suffer with illnesses, the demand on our methylation process therefore increases, some people’s methylation can’t keep up due to their gene variants, and hence there is a further decline in their wellbeing. This is particularly prevalent in some perimenopausal and menopausal ladies who have relied on genes within this process that are dependent on oestrogen to function correctly.
Detoxification is the physiological removal of toxic substances from the human body. It is mainly carried out by the liver, and to a lesser extent the small intestine, kidneys and lungs. Substances such as nutrients, food additives, pesticides, medications, air pollutants, alcohol and hormones are transformed from being fat-soluble to water-soluble, allowing them to be more easily excreted from the body. The process occurs in two major phases: Phase I primes toxic molecules for deactivation and Phase II finishes the deactivation and prepares for elimination. Any inability to perform these actions to their potential can lead to oxidative stress and ultimately toxic damage within the body.
Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that are involved in the regulation of many physiological processes in both men and women. They are important for the development and function of the reproductive system, metabolism, inflammation and immune system. Symptoms of hormone imbalance can affect men and women, and include: infertility, low libido and sex drive, low sperm count, acne, excess facial hair in women, PCOS, blood clots, mood swings, depression, substance misuse, poor memory, weight gain (belly fat for men), breast appearances in men, and hormone sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer or prostate cancer. This report focuses on the best evidenced genes and variants that can have an impact on creating imbalances and can advise how with a focused approach these imbalances can be corrected
The nervous system supports the transmission of messages around the mind and body, it does this via molecules called neurotransmitters. Symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalance include, anxiety, depression, migraines, mania, ADHD, OCD, lethargy, addictive behaviours, poor memory and sleep disturbances. This report focuses on the best evidenced genes and variants that impact neurotransmitters, serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, glutamate and GABA.
Histamine has many functions: as a neurotransmitter, it sends messages to and from the brain and nervous system. It triggers the release of stomach acid to help digestion; and is released as part of the body’s immune response during stress, injury or allergic reactions. Histamine intolerance is the body’s reaction to an imbalance between accumulated histamine and the capacity to break it down. When the body is unable to break histamine down quickly enough it becomes toxic. Symptoms of histamine toxicity may include skin irritation or breathing difficulties (mimicking an allergic reaction), digestive problems, headaches, insomnia and anxiety.
Cholesterol always seems to get itself a bad name but the most important thing about cholesterol is having the correct type in the correct amount, stored appropriately in our body so we have enough to utilise for making hormones and giving us energy but not too much of the wrong fats in the wrong location to cause health problems. The Apolipoprotein E gene is best known for its role in fat metabolism by helping to remove cholesterol from the blood stream. It can exist in three main forms E2, E3 and E4. It is the E4 form that has been associated with increased plasma cholesterol and triglycerides and susceptibility to cardiovascular disease -heart attacks or strokes due to atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease. Having this genotype doesn’t mean you will develop any of these conditions but is one of the risk factors. Due to it’s association with the potential of developing Alzheimer’s some people choose to not want to know this, so please don’t order this report if this is something you would prefer to not know. Remember though knowledge is powerful and if you can make changes to reduce risk if you have this genotype, most people are keen to know.
Metabolism refers to all cellular chemical reactions and is essential for life, it allows us to grow, reproduce, heal and adapt to our environment. This Metabolics report describes how nutrients are absorbed and metabolised, and the genetic, nutrient and environmental factors that support metabolic flexibility or can lead to dysfunction. For the body to function optimally there needs to be a balance between the amount of energy sources being made and utilised eg. Sugars, fats, proteins and nucleic acids and the breakdown of these products to produce the energy needed to allow cellular activity to occur. It is the balance between these two processes that is key to healthy energy metabolism and cellular function. Although this report can advise why some people struggle to lose weight or gain weight more easily, struggle to control their blood sugar or might struggle with digestive issues, it is far more than that, it explains metabolic individuality that underpins, longevity and health span. This report can give valuable information to individuals at risk of Metabolic Syndrome, which now affects approximately a quarter of the world’s population and is characterised by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and hyperlipidemia ( high cholesterol); which can ultimately lead to Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
DNA sequencing has opened the door to personalised approaches to health and fitness, enabling a more intelligent approach to training, recovery and performance. In this report, we present elements of your unique DNA profile that have been shown to affect athletic performance
