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DNA Diet and Healthy Weight Test
review on December 8, 2015
by Craig Macpherson
At a Glance
Summary
The Diet and Nutrition DNA test from International Biosciences has really pushed me to consider my relationship with food, the diet choices I make, and has convinced me to make long-term changes.
At times I was disappointed that my DNA didn’t reflect my real life experience (e.g. the test predicted I’d be lactose intolerant which I’m not), as this caused me to put less stock in the recommendations. In addition, it wasn’t clear what most of the suggestions would do – would the advice help me lose weight, control my eating, or lower my risk of heart disease? I think I’d have valued the recommendations a little more if the benefit had been explicit.
There’s no doubt that this test contains valuable insights that I’m confident will help me stay healthy – time will tell if it’s value for money.
Full Review
International Biosciences have recently upgraded the genetic health tests they offer, one of which is the ‘Diet and Nutrition DNA Test’. We’ve been impressed with every International Biosciences health test we’ve taken so far so we couldn’t wait to try this one!
Product Expectations
International Biosciences’ website said this test would evaluate my food intake and give me the tools to tailor my diet to my DNA. Apparently I’d learn about my DNA’s effect on my weight, metabolism, eating habits and food intolerances. I read that the test would also recommend exercises according to my genetic profile.
Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, I felt the test was designed so that the results could be used to help me lose weight.
Ordering Experience
The website was easy to use and the ordering process was nice and simple. I received the kit within a few working days and had no problem taking samples with the cheek swabs and sending them back. The lab confirmed they’d received my samples a few days later.
The terms and conditions I had to sign were nice and simple, but it was disconcerting to read that by signing I was giving International Biosciences the right to keep my sample, conduct research with it, and that if a product was developed because of it, I wouldn’t receive any compensation.
The Results
Several weeks later I was emailed my results as a 19-page PDF document. The report was split into four sections: ‘Welcome’, ‘Diet Plan’, ‘Eating Behavior’ and ‘Exercise Potential’.
Results Section: Welcome
The ‘Welcome’ section was short and sweet – I read that the report would tell me about the traits I’m likely to possess according to my DNA. I learned that non-genetic ‘environmental’ and ‘lifestyle’ factors (e.g. what I eat, what I drink) influence the traits I’m genetically predisposed to.
There were three fantastic summary tables (shown below) that gave me my results at a glance:
My Diet, Eating Behaviour and Exercise summaries.
Results Section: Diet Plan
According to the genetic variations I possess, International Biosciences recommend I have a ‘balanced diet’. I found this odd because shouldn’t everyone be eating a balanced diet? I was told my genetic makeup is ‘associated with’ a diet balanced in healthy fats, low glycemic index carbohydrates, protein and overall low calories. I didn’t understand what they meant by ‘associated with’ in this context, but I presume these are the components that should make up my diet.
The highlights of my diet gene analysis were:
• I don’t desire food more than normal and it should be possible for me to maintain a healthy diet
• I’m less likely to suffer with high triglyceride levels (I didn’t know why that was important)
• I’m less likely to lose control while eating, and more likely to have balanced eating behavior
• I’m likely to be lactose intolerant
• I’m sensitive to bitter food and I might be eating too much salt to compensate
I thought these results were intriguing. I definitely have a poor relationship with food – I overeat when I’m stressed or bored – so it was interesting to see that my DNA isn’t responsible for my lack of control. In terms of the highlights associated to milk and salt; I regularly drink milk without issue, and consciously avoid salty foods, so these two findings didn’t ring true with me either.
The report went on to give me the characteristics of a balanced diet. I knew most of these already from school, government ads and TV shows, but there was one surprise; apparently I should eat three portions of fruit per day instead of five.
Healthy lifestyle habits to complement my balanced diet were also listed (e.g. daily physical activity), and there was an interesting point about ‘socialization’. I read that cooking and eating with others at a table creates a sense of ‘togetherness’ when you eat, helping to maintain control and prevent overeating. This made a lot of sense to me, and I decided to make a conscious effort to eat on my own less often.
There was then a ‘Food Exchange’ section (shown below) which went through each type of food and recommended what I should try to include and avoid:
My Food Exchange recommendations.
A few of the stand-outs for me were that my DNA indicates I avoid sausages (my favorite food!), that I eat popcorn if I want to snack, that I avoid pastries and cakes, and that I avoid products containing butter! I have to say, I didn’t relish the prospect of identifying the foods in my diet that contain butter, in order to chop them out.
I noticed the Food Exchange recommendations for fish stated I should avoid ‘1 serving per week favoring fat parts’. I wasn’t sure if this was saying I should avoid fat on fish, or if I should include a weekly serving of fatty fish in my diet.
Just like my ‘balanced diet’ recommendation, I found the Food Exchange recommendations pretty broad – they didn’t seem particularly personalized to my genetic makeup.
At the end of the Diet Plan section I was given a ‘Sample Weekly Menu’ (shown below):
My Sample Weekly Menu.
I was really impressed with this menu. The recommendations sounded tasty, the meals are nice and simple, and the ingredients are easy to buy. It struck me that it’d be difficult to prepare some of the lunchtime meals as I can’t go home to ‘cook fish in the oven’, but I got a feel for the sorts of salads and sandwiches I could buy. It was also a surprise to see that four of the seven evening meals suggested were vegetarian – I like to eat red meat most evenings so transitioning to this plan would be quite a shock!
All in all, I found the menu to be very informative, and I was encouraged to try many of the meals and suggested snacks. However, the thought of completely adopting the diet was pretty overwhelming, and I envisaged adapting my current diet with a few suggestions from the menu instead.
Results Section: Eating Behavior
I read that certain genes affect the foods we desire, our eating behavior, whether we snack excessively, and if we have difficulty feeling full.
Broadly speaking, I was told my DNA indicates I shouldn’t have ‘loss of control’ eating episodes (which I do) and that I’m likely to have balanced eating behavior (which I don’t).
I learned I’m genetically predisposed to eat foods that are high in sugar (which is true, I definitely have a sweet tooth), and that fruits, carrots and sweet potatoes would help me deal with sugar cravings. It was also recommended that I try to eat my snacks slowly, and that I should try to reduce their size. I was a little perplexed by some of this advice, not just because I find it obvious, but because I hadn’t provided my weight as part of the test – encouraging me to reduce portion size without knowing my weight seemed a little irresponsible.
For my genetically determined ‘reaction to foods’ I was told I was more sensitive to bitter flavors like coffee and chocolate. It’s hard to say if I’m sensitive to these flavors, but I know I eat a lot of chocolate and drink a lot of coffee!
The report said I was likely to be lactose intolerant and that this might lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, cramps, nausea etc. There was lots of information on lactose intolerance and what I could do to mitigate the symptoms, but as I regularly drink milk without issue, I didn’t find the info meaningful.
Lastly, I was told that I’m likely tolerant to gluten which I believe to be true as I’ve never had any stomach problems.
Results Section: Exercise Potential
I was told my genetic makeup fits both speed and endurance activities, but I wasn’t sure if ‘fits’ meant I’d receive a health benefit from these activities, or if I should undertake them to lose weight. Whatever it meant, I definitely enjoy long-distance running and cycling.
I was also told I’d receive minimal benefit from regular exercise and I’ve definitely found this to be the case – dieting has a much bigger effect on my weight compared to exercise.
The report said I was likely to have a lower BMI than average (which isn’t the case) and that exercise would have little effect on changing my BMI (which is). The report touched on the health benefits of exercise, but I didn’t find the exercise recommendations very useful – the report simply said that my makeup ‘fits’ speed and endurance activities, and that I may be a sprinter or an endurance runner.
The Exercise Potential section finished with a description of the ‘sprinter gene’ (ACTN3) which makes a protein found in fast-twitch muscle fibers. Apparently, these fibers are important for generating explosive bursts of force. Although I found this info interesting, it wasn’t clear if I had a functional copy of this gene or not, which left me feeling a little frustrated – this would have made a good boast!
Summary
The Diet and Nutrition DNA test from International Biosciences has really pushed me to consider my relationship with food, the diet choices I make, and has convinced me to make long-term changes.
At times I was disappointed that my DNA didn’t reflect my real life experience (e.g. the test predicted I’d be lactose intolerant which I’m not), as this caused me to put less stock in the recommendations. In addition, it wasn’t clear what most of the suggestions would do – would the advice help me lose weight, control my eating, or lower my risk of heart disease? I think I’d have valued the recommendations a little more if the benefit had been explicit.
There’s no doubt that this test contains valuable insights that I’m confident will help me stay healthy – time will tell if it’s value for money.
Please note that we were invited to take this test free of charge.
See a description of this DNA test from International Biosciences >