High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, or a Family History of Heart Disease?
Ever wondered why two people on the same diet will experience completely different health outcomes? The reason of course lies in their genes. We have known for a long time that one size does not fit all. Dietary guidelines that one person will thrive on, will drive another down the pathway to poor health. Importantly the science of epigenetics now provides us with the information that the answer to better individualised healthcare, lies within an individualised dietary and lifestyle plan.
Lets take heart health and the ingestion of fats. Now there is a minefield of conflicting information. Who do you listen to? General principles are based on studies focussing on the "norm", or the largest percentage of the study group. Opinions from friends and colleagues come from those who have had amazing turnarounds in their health by following guidelines outside of the "norm". But what is right for you? The answer is that nobody knows what is best for you until they understand your genetic vulnerabilities.
Enter epigentics - the science of understanding external or environmental factors that turn genes on and off. The last two decades of research in epigenetics have provided us with an immense body of large scale studies that show how different genetic variations respond to different stimuli. It means we are unique in all sorts of ways - including how our bodies respond to different types of foods and environmental factors.
Back to heart health. If you have heart disease, a high cholesterol profile or a family history of these conditions, this information is vital to you. Does a glass of red wine really raise your good cholesterol levels - yes for 70% of you. For the other 30%, it will actually drive then down. Are saturated fats really that bad? Is exercise a vital component of good heart health? All these questions plus many more can only be truely understood by knowing your genetic profile.