Not that long ago I sent off a sample of my DNA to Ancestry.com. To my mind, it was well worth the experience. My genes can be traced not only to the Scottish heritage of which I was aware, but also to the Scandanavian vikings and even to the Jews. As much as that knowledge tickled my fancy and gave me a buzz, my report enabled me to discover cousins I never knew existed.

Well, the DNA testing we offer at our clinic is not like that. This is about your health. Simply put, it identifies genetic traits that effect your health.

There is much information to be gleaned about your health by having your DNA analysed – everything from your predisposition to common conditions, to how you’ll respond to medication.

The type of genetic test you have depends very much on why you’re having the test in the first place. You might have a known genetic family condition and want to have specific genes analysed to find out if you’re at risk. Genomic testing, on the other hand looks at the genome – the complete set of DNA we inherit from our parents. This type of testing gives you an overall picture of your health so that you can take steps to reduce your future disease risk, in effect changing your health story.

It’s not definitive: You could set yourself up to worry about something about which you have no control. Finding out you have a variation in a gene involved in a particular condition doesn’t tell you if you’ll get it or to what extent.

One of the best things about getting to know your genes is that the knowledge can influence your health decisions to help you prevent a disease from developing, delay disease onset or reduce its impact.

Personalised Healthcare: Western medicine has a long history of applying a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. But with advances in genetic testing, personalized healthcare is becoming a reality, where your genetic predispositions are recorded on your file and prevention and treatment decisions are made based on that information.

What tests are available?

Of course, there is what we call “The wellbeing bundle” which is the fisherman’s basket of DNA testing. It includes all profiles.  Some people, however would prefer limited specific testing … they don’t want the fish, just the prawns and no fries.  Here are the available profiles:

Methylation Profile

Methylation is the name we give to chemical the process within the body of taking a single carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms, known as a methyl group, and applying it to countless critical functions. This methylation cycle is responsible for a plethora of important functions in the body from healthy gene expression and immune cell function, to energy production and weight management.  The methylation cycle is also responsible for the regulation of homocysteine levels, which when raised and left untreated increases the risk of certain chronic diseases.

This DNA test can be used to identify any risk factors for diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, reproductive issues, healthy cell production and cognitive dysfunction.

What’s a SNP? (Pronounced “SNIP”).  SNP stands for single nucleotide polymorphism. SNPs are what these DNA testing packages are looking for. A SNP is a variance in your genetic coding that will influence how your genetic ‘instruction manual’ works.

Hormone and Fertility Profile

This profile looks for SNPs that provide critical insights into oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid and luteinising hormone function as well as  the key metabolic pathway MTHFR.

Mood and Cognition Profile

This tests for SNPs associated with the production, function and metabolism of key neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, histamine and GABA.

Detoxification Profile

Identifies SNPs associated with how your liver detoxifies as well as your response to oxidative stress (chemical rusting) and cell oxygenation.

Nutrigenomic Profile

Provides personalised nutrition advice based on your SNPs associated with the metabolism of vitamins A, C, D and B12, as well as folate, glutathione and coenzyme Q10.

Wellbeing profile

Focus on all of the above, that is 60 genetic variants, to offer extensive insight into methylation, detoxification, endocrinology, neurotransmission, oxidative stress and nutrient metabolism.

Currently we are offering incredible savings off these tests. The Wellbeing bundle normally costs $545- but at this stage you can get it for $299.  Individual profiles cost $149 for the first with each extra profile for $99-.

Call us for more information