Why should I test my genetics?

-By Dr. Samantha Boldt

Genetic testing for health has been becoming more prominent in the last few years. There’s constantly more research being done on how to clinically apply the results, allowing more effective treatments and care plans for patients. Companies are also increasing the number of genes they test for while also bringing the pricing down, making genetic testing much more informative and cost-effective.

Why test genetics? The good thing about genetics is that they don’t change. It’s not a test you need to redo every few years. Once you have the test done, you can have a much more guided road to which enzyme pathways are working efficiently in your body, and which ones may need some help.

For example, one of the most well known genes is the MTHFR gene. The MTHFR gene codes for an enzyme that helps create the usable form of B9 (folate) in our body.  If you have an issue with the gene, it will be very challenging for you to create B9 and so will need to take methylated forms of folate to get the resources you need. It’s a simple fix once you know what the problem is!

When it comes to hormone, digestion, and autoimmunity issues, it often comes down to the question of how well do we get junk out of our system? Or how well do we detox? There are many, many, many different detoxification systems in our body. How well these different systems work is controlled by our genes. The better the genes, the more quickly and efficiently we can remove unwanted waste from the body. This allows better cell to cell communication, less inflammation, increased healing pathways, decreased environmental toxin build-up, better immune system activity, and the list goes on.

Genetics aren’t everything!

However, genetics aren’t everything, especially with the rise of epigenetics. Epigenetics states that by changing our environment (diet, exercise, stress levels) we can change how our genes work. Epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can turn genes on and off.

When we follow a healthier lifestyle, we turn more of the good genes on, and more of the bad genes off. This means that even if you have some genetic variations, you typically don’t need to worry too much. Our body often has multiple genes coding for the same thing, so just because one isn’t working quite the way it’s supposed to, the others can help pick up the slack. And if you know you’re predisposed to certain health issues because of your genes, there’s a lot we can do lifestyle-wise to counteract it!

Important genes for hormone balancing:

CYP19A1: This is the gene that codes for the aromatase enzyme. The aromatase enzyme turns androgens (testosterone) into estrogens and also converts estrone (a medium strength estrogen) to estradiol (a strong estrogen). Typically, most people in the United States are going to have more issues with estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is too much estrogen compared to other hormones. Because aromatase basically pushes hormones to the strongest estrogen pathway, it’s an enzyme we monitor very closely when working with hormones.

However, the genetic variation of CYP19A1 results in decreased aromatase activity. If the aromatase is decreased too much, women are more often pushed towards PCOS (high androgens), and men are pushed towards elevated DHT (a strong androgen associated with balding and prostate enlargement). By knowing your genetic map and testing to see what the aromatase enzyme is actually doing, we can speed up or slow down the enzyme as needed!

CYP1A1 and CYP1B1: Both of these genes help code for enzymes that remove estrogen from the body. However, CYP1B1 is found at much greater amounts in cancerous tissue due to turning estrogen into a more dangerous substance. CYP1A1 takes estrogens down a safer route, and while these substances still need to get out of the body, they are much less dangerous than the CYP1B1 pathway. Again, when we know your genetic road map, we can make more informed decisions about how to epigenetically tweak your DNA!