Genetic Analysis – Your Key to Optimal Health!

Since the Human Genome Project was completed in April of 2003, the scientific community has been scrambling to find practical applications of human gene sequencing. We’ve heard everything from cloning sheep to correcting genetic flaws that could prolong our lives in the future…but what can our understanding of genetics do for YOUR health TODAY? It turns out that a few labs have brought genetic discoveries to market that make your health journey a more specific reality.

The Birth of Epigenetics

In 13 years and with 1 billion dollars, scientists around the world were able to sequence the approximately 20,500 genes that make up the human genome. This solidified the groundwork for the field we refer to as genomics, while clarifying those of epigenetics and nutrigenomics which study how we are programmed to respond to our environment and our diets respectively. Companies like Ancestry.com and 23andme.com (traditionally known for their family genealogy) had expanded their offerings to include gene testing along these lines. From hereditary disease predispositions to even the types of exercise you are more genetically adapted to perform, these services created insights into how YOUR genetic sequence can hurt or help you on your health journey. Other companies like Nutritiongenome.com have specialized even further into the nutritional side of things to let you know which specific foods your body needs to function to its genetic potential. Things have come a long way since Conrad Waddington hypothesized in 1942 that our genes could determine different expressions within our environment…and now you get to benefit from these advancements.

What if I have done genetic testing through Ancestry or 23andMe?

At VENMETRICS, we’ve taken the genetic tests from several companies in an effort to see how practical the health information that they provide would be to our clients…and there were some benefits. Ancestry’s “Ancestry Health” was a common choice best for those wanting to know if they have predispositions for hereditary diseases and a couple general health markers. They tested for breast or ovarian cancer traits, Lynch Syndrome, cardiomyopathy, endurance fitness predisposition, muscle fatigue time and metabolism of six nutrient groups (vitamins A, B12, C, D, E and omega-3). 23andme’s “Health + Ancestry” service was also a popular choice in recent years, checking for late-onset Alzheimer’s, Celiac and Parkinson’s Diseases as well as Type 2 Diabetes; so if any of those were more prevalent in your family, it could have been a better choice for disease markers. The “Carrier Status” section of 23andme’s offering also featured 44 different reports for other genetic diseases compared to the 3 that Ancestry offered, so they were more thorough in that department. While Ancestry tested for nutrient metabolism and 23andme did not, 23andme did check for markers related to how deep and how much you are predisposed to move while sleeping, your genetic wake time and your genetic weight that Ancestry did not. If you were curious about more in-depth checks for genetic disease risks, general wellness or even physical traits (like balding, toe length, dimples, etc.) then 23andme was generally the best choice. If you were more concerned about specific disease markers or nutrient metabolism, then Ancestry was better. Both had their merits, depending on what you are looking for, but unfortunately the health option for Ancestry was discontinued in 2021 and 23andme filed for bankruptcy in March of 2025 (both after the original publication of this article), so unless you already have their raw data those options are no longer available. Most available genealogy services will calculate your percentage of different heritages at roughly the same price, but health metrics from genetic testing have been deprioritized by the more well-known companies.

Don’t Forget About NutritionGenome.com

Unlike the more commonly known companies above, NutritionGenome.com skips the genealogy and focuses more specifically on how your body responds to different foods, lifestyle, and your environment. This test costs $359 and includes 8 sections that detail your genetic needs for over 60 pages of information. If your health questions include “is XYZ diet healthy for me?”, “how does my body process ABC nutrient?”, etc. then this test would be more appropriate. It looks at how you digest and metabolize nutrients, how you create and utilize hormones or neurotransmitters, cardiovascular and exercise predispositions, and much more. While Ancestry’s tests were more appropriate for genetic disease predispositions, NutritionGenome still wins out when it comes to how you should tweak your diet and lifestyle to perform optimally.

Our Vitalis Offerings

By taking the NutritionGenome test in the VITALIS segment of your Health Journey, we will be able evaluate your results and incorporate recommendations most specific to you that are needed within your chosen program. The blood labs or other metrics taken in the FUNCTIONALIS or SUPREMUS offerings will change as you move closer (or vary from) your goal, but your genetics generally stay the same. Genetic tests also only have to be taken once, so the specific recommendations will remain largely unchanged. An easy way to imagine it is that your blood labs are like the “GPS of your health journey” (giving you location/status of where you are NOW relative to where you should be), while genetics are more like your “compass” (giving you specific direction towards your “true north” regardless). Genetic tests can take up to 6 weeks to receive your report, so getting started with the INITIUM in the interim will allow you to move forward in your journey while awaiting your results to be processed.

Bottom line, taking one or more of these assessments allows us to incorporate recommendations most specific to you that will always exist. In the VITALIS section of your Health Journey, we will keep you pointed in the right direction, which will get you to your goals sooner! With the SUPREMUS health report, we are also able to narrow down short-term versus long-term supplementation needs in context with your genetic dietary recommendations. If you are curious to figure out which of these tests could be used to optimize your lifelong health journey, we encourage you to set up a FREE consult with us to discuss further. Now that you know the basics about how genetic testing could benefit you, we look forward to teaching you more about how your personal genome can be used to refine your Health Journey in the future!

References:

https://www.wizardhealth.co/timeline-of-human-genome-sequencing/?lang=en

U. Deichmann / Developmental Biology 416 (2016) 249–254251

By Eric Pyles, MEd, CSCS, Pn1 | October 27th, 2020; Revised May 15th, 2025