Vitamins Based on your DNA

This is creepy to me. They sample your DNA to find out the best vitamin Cobo for you. I would not send that information to any company.

GENEWIZE

This has me highly intrigued. I'm curious as to what crazy concoction they will decide is best for me based on what my DNA says. Any takers? I'm feeling pretty ballsy.

I must admit that I, too, am intrigued and find myself wondering a few things not having to do so much with vitamins, but having to do with medicine:

-Considering how adaptive pathogens are said to be getting and how increasingly resilient they are alleged to be against our current medications, tailoring meds to one's DNA sounds like it would possibly be more effective.

-Is that exactly what "they" want us to think?

-I don't feel so vitamin-defficient that I'd be willing to submit my DNA for tailor-made suppliments...sounds like something that would be prohibitively expensive to me.

If it were life saving medication then maybe, but for vitamins? I would not send in my DNA.

If they can taylor make something to help you, they can do the same to destroy you IMO.

Ama

This is complete nonsense. There's no correlation between normal DNA and a healthy individual and the need to take extra vitamins.

All people who are active should take a multi-vitamin, fish-oil capsules, and possibly calcium and magnesium supplements. If you're not getting enough sun you might benefit from extra Vitamin D.

There's no need to take some kind of concoction of herbal garbage which has got to be what these guys are pushing.

In addition you do NOT want someone to have your DNA profile (though a cheek swab is safe enough).

What they're really doing is selling DNA profiles to someone else and giving you crap in the guise of a customized 'prescription'.

Caveat emptor.
Edit to add: In fact, what's to guarantee they aren't just flushing your sample and sending you some made up profile. It costs money to do a profile and they're not in it for the science, IMO. There's literally no way to know if they were being truthful, unless you sent in two from a different address and then matched 'em.



[edit on 12/27/2008 by Badge01]

Good point. I did not even think of who the Dna would goto.

reply to post by amatrine


Of course, the above is my considered opinion. There's a small chance there're on the up and up.

But there's no science upon which this could be based. We're a product of nature and nurture, not just our genes.

So in that respect, they think they've found some kind of 'angle'. Trouble is, it's ridiculous.

We all need a certain amount of nutrition, which I've outlined above, and anything else just ends up as expensive urine. Because of co-factors and other unknown potentiators, we're much, much better off getting our nutrition in food. Since there's some chance that stored food may be slightly vitamin depleted due to the storage or shipping, you can cover your bases with a multi-vitamin and of course the fish-oils, because it's hard to get enough of the right Omegas.

[edit on 12/27/2008 by Badge01]

Personally, I wish there was a hospital - laboratory type place that I could send my DNA to and they could tell me all about my health problems and things to look out for.

As far as the vitamin thing goes, I just don't know.

I know there are major advancements towards DNA studies now and maybe they'll be able to cure whatever ails you by preventing it from ever even manifesting itself at all.


Kinda like, send in this sample (swab, blood, urine, hair folicle, whatever) and they send you and your primary care Dr. a shot that heals everything that's going to happen.

If you started early enough with it you could prevent, say, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancers of all types, depression, baldness, pimples, grey hair, etc etc etc.

OMG I can't wait!!

I wonder if my HMO will cover it when this happens? I sure do hope so! It would save them a TON of money when I develop parkinsons or something like that later in life.

Then they can get me to be physically able to work until I die and actually be productive in those years. Like a 25 year old with 89 years of experience. WOW 13 hour shifts a few times a week ? NO PROBLEM! Put you on salary and work the crap out of me? No problem! Hell, they do that anyway. 6 day work weeks at 12 hours per day? No problem, boss. Just say the word.


Can't wait. Can you?

Your need for vitamins/supplements will be affected by:
- your lifestyle,
- the toxins you are or have been exposed to,
- your diet,
- diseases you may have or come in contact with,
- previous damage done to your body,
- your age,
- your emotions, and
- your genetic make-up.

I don't believe genetics are an important enough part of the big picture to make it worth proving someone with your DNA.

Most people will benefit more by including more fresh fruit and vegetables in their diets and adding ascorbate salts and cod liver oil.
_ - and getting a reverse osmosis water filter.

reply to post by Kailassa


I'd like to know the specifics of your list.
How does toxin exposure affect need for vitamins and which ones?

How does disease exposure affect need for vitamins and which ones?

What damage done requires what vitamins?

What emotions require what vitamins?

What genetic makeup requires what vitamins?

TIA

Originally posted by Badge01
I'd like to know the specifics of your list.

Sorry, but I'm not a trained naturopath, so I can't be very specific.
Besides, specific answers to these questions would easily fill a couple of books. However I have had a long-term interest in food and additional nutrients as a means of attaining the best health possible. So I'll try to give a few examples of things I've found useful.

How does toxin exposure affect need for vitamins and which ones?

Certain vitamins and minerals can help in eliminating heavy metals from the system.
Debilitation from exposure to pesticides can sometimes be partially alleviated by increasing B vitamins and vitamin C.
Reactions to toxins from stings and bites can be helped by taking vitamin C, particularly as calcium ascorbate powder in a large amount of water, preferably with fresh juice added.

How does disease exposure affect need for vitamins and which ones?

This is much too wide a field to answer here. However I do recommend Adelle Davis' well researched book, Let's Get Well, as a useful place to start.

What damage done requires what vitamins?

Sunburn, radiation damage and heart damage are three just off the top of my head that can be helped by nutrition and topical application of vitamins. One simple remedy that helps protect from or repair radiation damage is water that has had grapefruit pith soaking in it.

I'd like to make it clear that I'm not advocating anything here as an alternative to conventional medical treatment. I'm talking about optimal nourishment as an adjunct to whatever available treatment it is sensible to get.

What emotions require what vitamins?

Prolonged anger can exhaust the adrenal glands, and certain nutrients, including a range of B vitamins, can help get your adrenal glands working well again.

What genetic makeup requires what vitamins?

Lol, do you really expect me to go into different genotypes, telling you a selection of vitamins that are best for each?

I've looked into my extended family's health patterns and concluded we have a genetic need for more magnesium than the average person.
I've known children with hereditary conditions whose doctors have put them on special diets.
However I'm not qualified to advise anyone else.

Prescribing specific nutrients is complicated by the fact that they are synergistic. You need certain nutrients for others to work, and they can magnify each other's effects. If you don't use the right ones together, you can create a deficiency in certain nutrients by giving large doses of other nutrients. Some nutrients in therapeutic doses can cause unpleasant side effects. At least one nutrient, B6, should never be given in large doses for long because the body becomes dependant on it.

So using nutrition as healing requires moderation and common sense, using foods rather than supplements as nutrient sources wherever possible. When you want to use nutrients more drastically it is vital you research them yourself, as well as asking for qualified help. There are too many charlatans in this field to take any one person's word as gospel.