Genetics
A Longer Lifespan and Healthy Aging May be in Your Genes!
Written by: Jamie October 4, 2019 What is FOXO3? Forkhead box O3 protein (FOXO3) helps regulate genes involved in DNA repair, tumor suppression, immune function, and resistance to oxidative stress, among other things. Some variants of FOXO3 are associated…
Read MoreVitamin B12: Why You Should Care Even if You Eat Meat
Being aware of your specific genes can help you make more informed decisions about the foods and exercises that are right (or wrong!) for your body—all of which can help prevent health problems later down the road.* Written by: Jamie September 6, 2019 What is Vitamin B12? Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is an essential, water-soluble…
Read MoreShould We Worry About Eugenics?
With all of the admitted benefits of direct to consumer genetic testing, I think it is also important to speak about it’s seedy underbelly. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room – eugenics. What are eugenics? According to Oxford Dictionary, eugenics is “the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase…
Read MoreCoffee: Should You be Drinking it Based on Your Genes?
Being aware of your specific genes can help you make more informed decisions about the foods and exercises that are right (or wrong!) for your body—all of which can help prevent health problems later down the road.* Written by: Jamie July 29, 2019 What do genes have to do with coffee? Did you ever wonder…
Read MoreNutrigenetics: What Food Does Your DNA Crave?
Written by: Jamie June 23, 2019 Being aware of your specific genes can help you make more informed decisions about the foods and exercises that are right (or wrong!) for your body—all of which can help prevent health problems later down the road*. What is Nutrigenetics? In a previous blog post we discussed nutrigenomics, or…
Read MoreDo Your Genes Determine How Rich You Will Be?
In a recent WIRED article, it was reported that statistical geneticist David Hill from the UK has found associations between certain genes and a higher likelihood for financial success. Using something called a Genome Wide Association Study or “GWAS”, they analyzed 18 Million different regions in the genomes of 262,00 participants, ultimately finding 30 genetic areas…
Read MoreNutrigenomics: Can Food Change Your DNA?
Written by: Jamie May 22, 2019 Do you know what diseases you are likely to get or what vitamin deficiencies you are at risk for? Did you know that what you eat may affect the likelihood of developing a disease? Being aware of your specific genes can help you make more informed decisions about the…
Read MorePharmaceutical Giant Invests $300 MILLION in 23andme
Big Pharma Wants Your Data Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced in 2018 that they would be partnering with Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing Company 23andme. While this partnership may seem harmless on the surface, it underscores the business model of most Direct-to-Consumer genetics companies. Who Owns You? According to medical ethics experts, the real question is, “Who…
Read MoreHow Much Are Your Genes Worth?
The short answer is – a lot. Just not to you. By some estimates, a person’s genome may be worth up to $50,000. The Direct To Consumer genetics companies know the value of genetic data. Their business models are determined by the value of the data that they can commercialize. They know they can make…
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