Shocking DNA Test Results for $20?
Are Over-the-Counter DIY (Do It Yourself) DNA Tests
Your Key to Longevity?
Or are FREE Self-Empowerment Epigenetics Really the Answer?
by www.SixWise.com

A home DNA test kit that costs around $20 has been developed by Pathway Genomics, and the kit may soon hit Walgreens store shelves near you.

As the WJZ news station reported, the kit claims that a simple swab of your saliva is all it takes to reveal:

• How you’ll react to certain medications

• What diseases you might develop

• What “bad genes” you might give to your children

"We essentially show people that this is by no means telling them they are going to get something, but something they should be aware of to make better lifestyle decisions," Pathway Genomics Vice President Jim Woodman said on WJZ.com.

There are both legal and ethical concerns surrounding the new tests, especially their over-the-counter status, including the need for FDA approval as well as ramifications for those who receive bad “genetic” news.

Important, too, is the fact that your lifestyle is instrumental in dictating how your genetic code pans out ... and this may not be something that the DNA test kits reveal.

Your Lifestyle Can Influence Your Risk of Disease

While your genes may give you a slightly higher risk of developing a certain disease, they in no way dictate with certainty that you will get a disease.

For instance, if you have a family history of a certain cancer, it does not necessarily mean you will get it. Your genes may or may not “express” this tendency, which is just as true in a person with a family history as without. A new field known as epigenetics is increasingly showing that your lifestyle and even your emotions play a major role in switching genes “on” or “off” -- and this may be an even bigger factor than your genetics.

Epigenetics, which means “changes in gene function that do not involve changes in DNA sequence,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, offers incredible empowerment for all of us, including those who feel we’re destined to repeat a family history of a certain illness.

In reality, researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University recently revealed that your diet and lifestyle choices may directly influence your risk of getting a degenerative disease.

Their research focused on the HDAC enzyme, which is known to turn off genes that help suppress tumors, essentially allowing cancer development to continue if you have too much HDAC.

However, there are HDAC inhibitors in common foods, including broccoli, garlic and onions, that actually stop the HDAC enzyme from turning off the tumor suppressor genes. This is an incredible example of how eating a healthy diet may help turn off harmful genes in your body.

"Metabolism seems to be a key factor, too, generating the active HDAC inhibitor at the site of action," Rod Dashwood, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology and head of LPI's Cancer Chemoprotection Program, told EurekAlert. "In cancer cells, tumor suppressors such as p21 and p53 often become epigenetically silenced. HDAC inhibitors can help turn them on again, and trick the cancer cell into committing suicide via apoptosis.”

"We already know some of the things people can do to help prevent cancer with certain dietary or lifestyle approaches," he continued. "Now we're hoping to more fully understand the molecular processes going on, including at the epigenetic level. This should open the door for new approaches to disease prevention or treatment through diet, as well as in complementing conventional drug therapies."

Your Behavior Changes the Expression of Your Genes … for Good or for Bad

Genes are not black and white like you may have been lead to believe. They can actually function in different ways that can be either good or bad for your health.

You can “instruct” your genes to express themselves in a positive, disease-fighting way through diet, exercise and even your attitude.

"We have a choice to bathe our genes with joy, happiness, exercise, and nutritious foods, or we can bathe them with anger, lack of hope, junk food and sedentary lifestyle," David Rakel, MD, director of integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said in a UW Health article. "This area of research holds so much potential and gives us the hope to say 'Even if my genes indicate a history of family illness, I can make positive lifestyle choices that can keep a gene from being expressed as a disease.'"

Epigenetic changes are so profound that they even appear to influence future generations. One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that mice fed a nutrient-enriched diet had offspring with dark brown fur, while those fed a standard diet had golden fur. The changes remained consistent into the next generation as well, as offspring of the dark-furred mice had dark brown fur as well.

Epigenetic changes act to influence your entire body, and may have implications on countless diseases and even the rate of aging itself. While medications can only treat a specific symptom or ailment, epigenetic changes have the potential to promote body-wide healing.

"If I have 10 minutes with a patient, I could write them a prescription to lower their cholesterol. But I'm just treating one thing," Rakel told UW Health. "If I encourage them to exercise and eat better, I'm doing much more than lowering their cholesterol. I'm reducing their risk of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes…the list goes on. Epigenetics impacts the whole body, but drugs are geared toward one specific disease.”

Likewise, while at-home DNA tests may give you a window into your genetic weaknesses, they do not do anything to change your genetic expression one way or another.

Only you can do that.

6 Tips to Favorable Genetic Expression

In 2007, Dr. Steven Schroeder of the University of California-San Francisco authored a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “We Can Do Better – Improving the Health of the American People.”

In this report he revealed just how important your actions are in determining your health. He wrote:

“When it comes to reducing early deaths, medical care has a relatively minor role. Even if the entire U.S. population had access to excellent medical care — which it does not — only a small fraction of these deaths could be prevented.

The single greatest opportunity to improve health and reduce premature deaths lies in personal behavior. In fact, behavioral causes account for nearly 40% of all deaths in the United States.

Although there has been disagreement over the actual number of deaths that can be attributed to obesity and physical inactivity combined, it is clear that this pair of factors and smoking are the top two behavioral causes of premature death.”

As you might suspect, the same behavioral changes that can keep you healthy and strong are the very same ones that will prompt positive genetic expression. Among them:

1. Practice Good Nutrition

Avoid processed foods and buy whole foods fresh whenever possible. As you switch over to more fresh foods, we highly recommend you take advantage of the healthy and absolutely delicious recipes in Alive in 5: Raw Gourmet Meals in Five Minutes. When prepared with locally grown ingredients from a source you trust, these are among some of the safest meals you can eat.

As you start adding more fruits and veggies to your diet, you can help maximize nutrient absorption from these nutrient-rich foods using the plant-based enzyme supplement, AbsorbAid Platinum from NutritionsFinest.com.

This vegetable-based digestive enzyme system combines its effective ratio of proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases with two "acid-tolerant" bacteria or a probiotic combination, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, to help break down all food groups and maximize nutrient absorption from the food you eat.

Take stock of your beverage selections too, and replace drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup with better choices.

When you’re looking for a healthy and tasty alternative to soda, try AjmeraIncredibles.com for Ajmera’s line of all-natural delicious beverages. Ajmera's Orang-O Energy, Coco Energy and Mang-O Energy are 100% natural with NO caffeine, no preservatives, no synthetic food colors and no artificial flavors, making them a healthy alternative.

2. Exercise

It will help you relieve stress and improves your circulation and overall health. If you’re looking for an exercise program you can do right from your own home, we highly recommend adding SheaNetics from MySheaNetics.com, a mind-body workout, to your exercise routine.

SheaNetics, founded by fitness expert Shea Vaughn, blends ancient and contemporary movements with eastern philosophy, creating a stylized approach to fitness designed to improve the quality of today’s western living.

Shea spent years researching and teaching in the commercial fitness industry and has a first-hand understanding of the physical, mental and emotional benefits of living a life of exercise.

The range of SheaNetics students are impressively diverse from 25- to 75-year-olds, men and women, fitness buffs and athletes, people who want to get in shape, those who wish to maintain their present state of fitness and many who want to take it to a higher level.

3. Keep Your Stress Levels in Check

The simple act of giving your partner or a friend a hug each day will induce a sense of calm when chaos erupts throughout your day. Also, take a moment twice a day to practice deep breathing for three to five minutes. Other relaxing activities include journal writing, lighting scented candles, playing with a pet, and working in the garden. You can also clear your mind of the day’s stressors and bring peace to the end of your day by listening to relaxing music.

To keep stress levels at bay, the staff at SixWise LOVES Staying Healthy in a Stressful World, the highly praised CD by Dr. Peter Reznik, one of the most respected mind/body integrative therapists of our time. The program will actually help you to embark on a practice for transforming your stress into life-enhancing experiences.

4. Detox Regularly (every six months is recommended due to toxic air and food)

Every day we’re exposed to chemicals in our food and water, pollution in our air, and emotional stress in our lives. Over time, these toxins accumulate in your body and can manifest as insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, aches and pains or even chronic disease.

Detoxification gives your body a chance to rest, clear out toxins and become nourished. Generally this is done by first removing and eliminating toxins, then providing your body with healthy nutrients.

You can also support the removal of toxins from your body using HMD,™ the natural heavy metal chelator from DrHMD.com.

The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program recommended by your health care professional is another great option. The dietary component of the purification program is designed to be a nutrient-dense diet with the added benefit of utilizing whole foods and whole food supplements to support detoxification.

Along with a diet and exercise program, the 21-Day Purification Program includes the following Standard Process supplements:

• SP Cleanse® -- purification

• SP Complete™ -- nutritious supplement shakes

• Gastro-Fiber® (capsules) or Whole Food Fiber (powder) -- fiber support

• SP Green Food™ -- phytonutrients

5. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep strengthens your stress-coping abilities and may even help control your appetite as research has shown that not getting enough sleep can send “hunger hormones” out of whack and possibly trigger overeating.

To help you retreat into a restful night’s sleep, try creating a relaxing bedtime routine. Give yourself time to get ready for bed slowly. Savor the moments of winding down as you wash your face, brush your teeth, and change into your pjs. You can also use relaxing aromatherapy misters, soft music or if spirituality is important to you, a prayer.

6. Stay Positive

Your mental state directly influences your physical one, so as much as possible focus on your thoughts on optimism, hope, love and joy. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do. The simple change in attitude can do wonders for your mental state, and expressing gratitude regularly has been linked to better health, well-being and progress toward your goals. A simple way to get started is to jot down 10 things you love about your life every day.

For even more tips on how to tweak your lifestyle in ways that will tip your genetic expression in favor of health, read through the Recommended Reading suggestions below! 

SixWise Says ...

Today is the first day of the rest of your life … make it count!

Recommended Reading

Nine Lifestyle Changes You Can Make to Help Prevent Cancer

Your Odds of Dying Too Early?  What is “Normal” Aging, and How Can You Help Slow Down the Clock?

Cancer Mistakes Food Can Correct

Sources

EurekAlert.org April 28, 2010

WJZ.com May 11, 2020

UWHealth.org

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 14, 2006; 103(46): 17308-17312

New England Journal of Medicine September 20, 2007, Volume 357:1221-1228, Number 12