Is there such a thing as a DNA Diet and is it for you? You may have heard that no single diet works best for everyone. And I agree. So, how do you know what is the best diet to reach your health goals?

Your genes provide the deepest insights into how your body operates. And the biggest contributor to how your body operates is food. In this blog article, I explain how your genes provide the information you need to create a diet that is unique to YOUR DNA.

The DNA Diet and YOU

For the past few years everyone has been talking about genes, genetic testing, and DNA. How so? It began with our interest in tracing our ancestry which is now possible through companies like 23andme and Ancestry. Fascination with our heritage played a huge role in bringing genes into the spotlight and into our day-to-day conversations.

It did not take long before we learned that the same DNA information stored in your unique cells could also tell us how your genes are performing for your health. You upload your data to an interpretive software and bingo out comes the story of your genes!

But…,if you’re like most people, once you get those genetic reports, they’re not easy to decipher and most cannot tell you with precision, exactly what kind of DNA Diet you need for your optimal health

What Does Nutrition Have to Do With DNA?

Let’s begin at the beginning with a quick review of DNA and genes. If you want to get straight to the part about your DNA Diet, jump down to the section How We Figure Out YOUR DNA Diet

Chromosomes are those X-like structures you learned about in biology. They are inherited from your parents. They are located in the nucleus of each of your cells. Chromosomes are made up of different genes.

Each gene is made from your DNA. DNA is the instruction material for YOUR unique human blueprint. Yes, your DNA determines exactly who YOU are.

So, what do DNA and genes do for your health? Genes make proteins that are essential to life. They provide structure for your body (think muscles, bones, and organs). Proteins also have a lot of jobs or functions (think of your immune system, capacity to heal, and ability to break down and digest food). To produce proteins, you have to have active genes. Each gene contains instructions for one protein.

To summarize: DNA makes up your genes. Your genes provide instructions for your cells to make the proteins that are essential for optimal health and wellness.

Depending on what function you want to happen, you need the right protein. This means that you have to activate the right gene for that protein. For example, let’s say you want to improve your detoxification system (I call it our waste management system). One key detoxification protein is called NADPH. To nudge our body to detoxify better, we need it to make more NADPH. We do this by activating a gene called NQ01. When you activate NQ01 (hint: eat your crucifers), it starts making NADPH. And hey presto, you’ve helped your body perform a detoxification function.

What activates genes? Many things, including food (we call this nutrigenomics), exercise, stress and also toxins from the environment. YES, what we eat, how we move and feel, and what we expose our body to all affect how our body functions, and genes are the central switch.

Errors in the Protein Production Line Make Us Unique

The DNA Diet and errors in the protein production line.jpg

On any production line, kinks and errors can occur. Errors in protein production happen too. Interestingly enough, these little errors actually produce the traits that make us different. A positive thing!

Here’s an example. Protein errors (perhaps we should call them protein differentiators) shape how your body uses information from the food you eat. Some of you know you can devour a plate of carb-heavy pasta every night and do the same thing in the morning, with no change to your weight or blood sugars. Others among us claim to just look at pasta and we’ve got to loosen our belt. How come?

These are genes at play. They determine how your body uses food and nutrient information, which actually forms the foundation of your very own “DNA diet.”

Let’s take a look at how these kinks or errors occur and then we’ll talk about food and diet.

How Protein Errors Occur and What They Mean

Errors in protein production occur when the protein recipe provided by your genes is not followed precisely. Imagine making a cake that calls for coarse brown sugar and you use fine white sugar. The cake looks and tastes basically the same. It might have a slightly different color. It’s still a cake. Yet the ingredients are a little different. When genes make a slight error in the protein recipe we call it a SNP or single nucleotide polymorphism. These errors are not fatal. They occur in all of us. One error is neither life-threatening nor fatal.

Are you now wondering if you run into problems when genes make a mistake in their protein recipes? Let me give you an example with some wordplay.

I say: “Two of my friends just got engaged. They are very happy.” Then I say “Two of my friends just got encaged. They are very happy.“ You realize in the second sentence that I said the wrong word. A slip of the tongue. You still understand what I mean, and go about your day. It’s the same with kinks or errors in the protein production line. Errors occur, but for the most part, your body recognizes the occasional error and just goes about its business.

The DNA diet and two women with different color eyes.jpg

Why YOUR DNA Diet is Unique to You

An error here or there in the protein production line does not shut down production and bring protein production to a halt. However, when your gene machinery gets out of balance and kicks out a series of protein errors, we create workarounds for these errors. In a factory, we might shut down the production line and engineers figure out where the errors are and fix them. We can’t shut down human protein production, but we can create alternatives when we have a series of protein errors.

This is how we create a DNA diet, and it is built specifically for you. A DNA diet contains the food information you need to operate, and includes additional nutrients to work around those protein errors.

No one has the same DNA blueprint as you. What you eat is unique to YOU. It is shaped by your DNA and not your neighbor’s.

What About Recommended Dietary Guidelines?

A lot of what we know about which food to eat and how much is shaped by nutrition research that studies the dietary patterns of large populations. In the USA health experts with the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) interview 5000 individuals across the country every year. These interviews gather important data about health, exercise, and diet. This type of research looks for links between nutrient deficiencies, nutrient excesses, and disease. In other words, how what you eat or don’t eat may be related to your risk for heart disease, diabetes or cancer, for example.

Insights from these types of studies provide guidance for recommended daily intake of nutrients which you may know as RDIs or DRIs (Daily Recommended Intake). The purpose of this type of research is to provide general health guidance and to shape public nutrition policy. It is based on what we know about the relationship between food and disease. It emphasizes which foods to include in your diet to prevent different diseases - in general. This type of research is that it cannot account for individual differences like those based on your unique DNA.

YOUR nutrient needs are not your Neighbor's

When I teach practitioners about nutrigenomics (how food interacts with our genes), I always say that food works the same way in all humans. Humans share the same basic biochemistry. Think of your biochemistry like the chip that handles all the functions in your Smartphone. Your biochemistry drives how you function. The chip in your phone may be a little different depending on the type of phone you have, but how the chip works in your phone is basically the same way as your neighbor’s.

It’s the same idea in humans. We all need the same nutrients. What makes each of us unique is how much of each of these nutrients we need, and not whether we need them or not. Your genes determine how much you need!

Regardless of whether we are talking about Vitamin D, calcium, zinc or Vitamin C, each of us need these nutrients to function. The difference between you and I is: you might need more Vitamin D than I do. I might need more zinc than you do. Those SNPs (errors) that shape your biochemistry or nutrition circuitry are the reason why.

What about best-selling diets?

Your DNA could not care less about any diet other than the one that works for you. DNA doesn’t sell books about diet. Your DNA is unique to you. What works for you is determined by the patterns of your SNPs and not by a best-selling book, regardless of how many people have “done well” on that diet.

Trust me on this.

But aren’t those diets healthy? It depends on which food is in those diet plans and how well your DNA handles that food. What we do know, and I teach this at The Genomic Kitchen, is that certain food harmonizes very well with human genes. This is why experts recommend cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or kale because the bioactive sulforaphane that is created when you chop them interacts beautifully with genes to turn on your antioxidant defense system. Another example is that fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir have a dynamic relationship with beneficial bacteria in your gut. The molecules these bacteria create (short-chain fatty acids) are powerful communicators with your immune system.

We know that many herbs and spices can turn off genes that create fiery inflammation in your body if they are left in the “on” position. Some of the same herbs and spices can protect your DNA as well.

For some of you, carbohydrate (whether it is whole grain or not) is not the perfect partner for your genes, even if it delivers lots of nutrients and fiber. It doesn’t mean you avoid carbohydrates. It means you fine-tune which forms of these nutrients you eat, and how much.

Your DNA is the ultimate guide to which food to eat based on which nutrients you need most and how much.

How We Figure Out YOUR DNA Diet

For thousands of years, we humans have survived without knowing our DNA information. From longevity research and also research into non-traditional or primitive societies, we know that humans have eaten uncomplicated, unprocessed food. Much of it has been grown or hunted locally. Herbs and spices, nuts, seeds and berries that grow locally have always been an important part of what we eat around the world, as are the animals we raise and the seafood we catch. We also know that eating is also a way to connect with family and community. Yes, indeed, your genes respond to emotions and contact with others.

In times gone by, the food we ate did not come with a label providing grams of fat or percentages of nutrients. These days, food has become more complex. It is often re-formulated into shapes and products produced by machines. Carbohydrates are mashed together with fats in combinations that never existed in nature. Artificial flavors and colors are added to mimic the hues of nature. And we do not know whether our genes can handle these unnatural combinations.

Genomic testing (your DNA test) provides you with a snapshot of your genes and insights into how they are functioning. Health practitioners (including me!) who are trained to interpret genomic information can detect strengths and weaknesses in the biochemical circuits your genes direct. Your genomic information, plus lab testing, can further evaluate the efficiency of your genes. From this high-tech information we can now create more precise guidance on which nutrients you need more of and how much of each you need. This is precision work. You can’t buy it over the counter. This is how we figure out YOUR DNA diet.

**Can I follow a DNA Diet without a DNA Test?**

Genomic testing is growing in popularity and I use it as the foundation of my work every single day. If you have been struggling with unresolved health issues, even though you have followed the best health and medical advice, then I recommend DNA testing. If you’re not ready to jump into your own DNA test, but do want to know how you can make food choices that harmonize with your genes, take a look at The Genomic Kitchen Ingredient Toolbox.

Our Ingredient Toolbox contains familiar ingredients that you can immediately put on your grocery list and easily add to your plate. These ingredients are organized based on how they communicate with your genes. We call this system M.I.S.E. (Master Ingredients, Influencer Ingredients, Super Foods, Enabler Ingredients).

The M.I.S.E. system is rooted in the science of how food influences the genes that impact long-term health. Choosing these ingredients allows you to eat in harmony with pathways that tackle oxidative stress and inflammation, fine-tune your metabolic needs, or help you optimize your gut health. They allow you to start the journey of fine-tuning the biochemical circuitry of your body and eat in accordance with the language and flavor of human DNA.

What You can Do Right Now to Optimize Your Health With Food

Learn more about eating for your genes by downloading our QuickStart Guide.
To learn more about how genes influence your health and how to use the science of nutrigenomics to optimize your health, sign up for The Genomic Kitchen newsletter.
Learn how to select and prepare foods that optimize your health by taking the Genomic Kitchen Fundamentals course
Reach out to us and set up a call to discuss how genetic testing can shed light on your past health experiences and illuminate your future.

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