Genetics and health are well-connected
Your genes are one of the most important indicators of not only how you look, feel, and function, but they help us identify possible issues with your body’s efficiency at carrying out bodily processes, too.
With how crucial genes are to your health, understanding your genes can help you understand and identify diseases you may be at an elevated risk of developing.
But, many of our clients ask, are genetics connected to weight gain (and loss)? The answer is, yes, and understanding how your genes affect your ability to lose weight is a crucial first step in the weight loss process.
How do genetics affect weight?
There are two major ways in which genetics play a role in weight gain and the effectiveness of weight loss efforts:
Genetic Conditions / Disorders: Certain genetic conditions, like Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome, can make someone more susceptible to being overweight, but having one of these disorders doesn’t always mean that you will struggle with weight in the future.
Vitamin Deficiencies: Having a deficiency in certain nutrients can make your metabolism less effective, leading to weight gain or making it harder to lose weight with regular weight loss techniques. Most of the time, though, the deficiency alone won’t cause weight gain but may cause issues in your body that can indirectly lead to weight gain, like cravings causing you to eat more or fatigue causing you to be less active.
Genetic testing to lose weight
Our 10X Health gene tests are fairly unique in that they test the effectiveness of your methylation cycle – a crucial process that helps your body detox, repair damage, produce energy, balance hormones, and more.
In more specific terms, the methylation cycle is the process by which your body takes nutrients and turns them into usable forms, and a broken methylation cycle can have serious consequences on your body, including vitamin deficiencies, a weakened immune system, and even weight gain.
44% of the population is thought to have a mutation that impacts their methylation cycle, and, in the context of weight loss, this mutation can be a major factor in not only weight gain itself but also ineffective weight loss efforts.
By identifying this mutation, you can make immediate changes to fix this cycle and tackle weight loss in a way that may be more effective for your body.
Gene testing for health
While knowing the best way for your body to lose weight is a great benefit of genetic testing, there are tons of other great pieces of information you can learn from a gene test that may improve your overall health, too.
For example, gene tests can identify vitamin deficiencies that may be causing symptoms like low energy, trouble sleeping, and mental health issues.
Gene tests also pair well with blood testing to evaluate how well your organs, like your liver, your kidneys, and your thyroid, are functioning and whether those inefficiencies are causing a larger issue than you may think.
No matter what you choose to do with your gene test results, just knowing more about how your body works (and maybe also why your body doesn’t work as well as it could) can be life-changing.
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If you’re not convinced of the benefits of starting your weight loss journey with a simple gene test, just take a look at Dana White’s success story. After taking a 10X Health genetic test and blood test and learning he had just 10 years to live, he dedicated 10 weeks to making serious lifestyle changes and is now feeling better, sleeping better, and losing weight like never before.
If you’re ready to take control of your health and lose weight in a healthy and effective way, a genetic test is a great first step! Order your at-home genetic test from 10X Health online today, and let our team get you started on your journey to feeling and looking your best.
