DNA Customized Nutrition

It’s been in the news a lot lately…

And as you will read, it’s actually not a vitamin. But it’s called one.

Here’s a quote from the article I came across in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

New Study say Vit B3 may protect Pilots' DNA

Here’s the latest bit of info I’ve come across concerning nutritional support that helps at the DNA level.

I love seeing that other organizations and researchers are proving what we at Genewize already know: DNA and nutrition have a dynamic relationship. This study was conducted at the US Center for Disease Control- a powerful US agency…which is indicative of just how widespread the knowledge is becoming!

It’s possible to improve our odds by supporting our DNA’s expression with nutrition!

Increased intakes of niacin (vitamin B3) from the diet may protect
against DNA damage in people exposed to ionizing radiation such as
pilots, says a new study.

Ionising radiation is radiation from both natural and man-made sources
which is energetic enough to ionise atoms or molecules by removing an
electron. At high altitudes, like those achieved by commercial jet
airlines, are exposed to significantly higher levels of cosmic
radiation than at ground level.

According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of
Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), airline flight crew workers are exposed to
higher average doses than any other worker, including those in nuclear
power plants.

The detrimental effects of this radiation exposure include potential
increased risk of DNA damage, which is considered an important trigger
in cancer development.

No Previous Study of B Vitamins and DNA damage

“To our knowledge, no previous study has examined the intakes of these
B vitamins in relation to translocation frequency as a biomarker of
cumulative DNA damage in an IR-exposed human population with which we
can directly compare our findings,” stated Dr Lee Yong and Martin
Petersen from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Writing in the British Journal of Nutrition , the researchers report
that the link had biological plausibility since niacin plays an
important role in the formation and maintenance of the co-enzyme
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which is the substrate for an
enzyme involved in the repair of DNA after DNA strand breaks.

Study details

Yong and Petersen analyzed data from 83 US airline pilots aged between
35 and 56. Dietary patterns, and the subsequent intake of various
nutrients, were assessed using a 138-item food frequency questionnaire
developed by Harvard’s Walter Willett. Intakes included fortified
products.

Blood samples were taken from the participants to allow the
researchers to measure DNA damage using the frequency of chromosome
translocations as a biomarker.

While no associations were observed with the dietary intake of folate,
riboflavin or vitamin B6 or B12, Yong and Petersen calculated that the
highest dietary intakes of niacin (an average of 28.4 mg per day) were
associated with a 42 per cent reduction in the frequency of chromosome
translocations, compared with pilots with the lowest dietary intakes
(an average of 20.6 mg per day).

The recommended daily allowance of niacin in the US is 16 mg/day,
according to the Institute of Medicine . The average intakes for men
is approximately 28 mg per day (and 18 mg per day for women).

On the other hand, a fondness for red and processed meat was
associated with an increased frequency of chromosome translocations.

“These findings suggest that a high intake of niacin from food or a
diet high in whole grains but low in red and processed meat may
protect against IR-induced cumulative DNA damage,” wrote the
researchers.

Read more about the study: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Health-condition-categories/Cancer-risk-reduction/B-vitamin-may-protect-pilots-DNA-from-damage

AntiAging through whole-foods and customized supplementation

Anti-Aging. HUGE topic, yes? Just happened across this article at LIVESTRONG.com, that speaks to it in very clear and simple terms.

The truth is, as many of us who are baby boomers head kicking and screaming into our 50′s, there’s more and more interest in finding ways that we can- if not reverse it- then at least slow down the degenerative process! In fact, this topic has inspired economic-trend-analyst Paul Zane Pilzer to write a whole host of books about how this generation is creating an economic windfall, including the book “The Next Trillion”. Fascinating, how culture shapes the economy…

But I digress.

Click here to check out the article at LIVESTRONG.

As a professional in the alternative medical field, I’ve often repeated this mantra to my patients:

‘Food FIRST.”

In other words, taking supplements (which I believe strongly in) is something we do for exactly that reason- to SUPPLEMENT our diet. There are so many tiny, but important, enzymatic processes that occur when we get nutrition through FOOD, that we can’t possibly get all of these- certainly not through a synthetic source. And probably not completely in an organic source. To most closely approximate the results, you need to look for organic, whole-food supplements. I’ve written at length about how to choose the right supplements- you can read more here.

But what I enjoyed about the article is that it emphasizes 2 important things:

• Simple food and water concepts to follow
• And ONLY eating until you’re 80% full.

This 2nd one is so important! And one that we often forget when diving face-first into a delicious meal…

In Chinese Medicine it is said: “Eat for another man’s body.” Meaning…you KNOW what’s good for someone else! So do what you KNOW, not what you FEEL when it comes to your eating habits.

It will make for a much longer, much HEALTHIER journey.

And afterall, isn’t that the whole point of anti-aging?

There are 12 identified gene snp’s (pronounced ‘snips’) that have been identified.

Each of these particular segments of your DNA reflect your inherited traits in particular targeted areas:

• Bone health
• Eye/Vision
• Cardiovascular health
• Lung and Breast tissue
• Oxidative stress capacity
• Immunity
• Neurological
• Pulmonary
• Collagen
• CoQ10
• Detoxification and Environmental Challenges

Pretty comprehensive for the foundations of wellness, wouldn’t you say?

From here, the cheek swab home-test is analyzed for your particulars- either one or both chromosomes will indicate an inherited ‘gap’ in your defense in one of the 12 categories- and a custom blend is developed to suit you! From over 100 ingredients, which means the number of variable blends is somewhere upwards of 500,000.

How DNA testing leads to supplementation

Beats the heck out of expecting a One-A-Day to do the same job.

Not sure? There’s plenty of science here…do your homework! Starting HERE: http://dnacustomizednutrition.com/dnacustomizedsupplements/dna-science/