Genetic testing vs. genetic screening – what’s the difference?
At-home gene testing has grown exponentially in the past decade, with growth almost doubling in 2017 over 2016, and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. After all, genes have been the center of a lot of scientific research in the 21st century and gene testing has been widely adopted by the medical community as a way to help folks detect disease early and understand their risk for disease.
In the health and wellness worlds, genetic screening and genetic testing are often used interchangeably, but they are different tests altogether in both why they are done and what the results will tell you.
What is genetic screening?
In the simplest of terms, genetic screening takes a look at your genetic makeup in order to tell you your individual risk of developing certain health conditions. Genetic screening relies heavily on the genetic data available about the population as a whole in order to make comparisons and find trends.
One of the best and most common examples of genetic screening is the gene tests performed on fetuses and newborns to determine their risk for being born with or developing genetic disorders, like Down’s syndrome.
Overall, genetic screenings are pretty good at identifying potential risk factors, but they leave a lot of questions unanswered, and they don’t provide any real actionable information about your genetic makeup outside of risk factor data.
What is genetic testing?
Genetic testing, on the other hand, is much more personal to you and your unique genetic makeup. Genetic testing takes a deep dive into your genes and DNA to tell you information about your past, present, and future.
There are lots of different types of genetic tests available direct-to-consumer, like ancestry tests and tests that give you interesting info about physical traits you have, but 10X Health is one of the only methylated genetic tests on the market, and it’s by far the best way to evaluate your current health and demonstrate where your health could be with optimization.
Our methylated gene test looks at enzymes in your body that are key to the methylation cycle and how they are affected by your genes. The methylation cycle – essentially how your body takes nutrients and turns them into usable forms – is at the core of a few important bodily processes, like detoxification, repairing damage, regulating hormones, and more.
Almost half of the world’s population has a genetic mutation making it harder for them to produce enough of the MTHFR gene that’s crucial to this process, and the only way to know if you’re part of that 44% is by taking a test!
Why should you get genetic testing?
One of the biggest challenges folks often face with at-home genetic tests is that they are given great information but no real direction on actions to take or changes to make based on that information. That’s where 10X Health takes a different approach.
With our comprehensive at-home gene test, we’ll deliver a host of great information about your health, identify possible inefficiencies, and provide a detailed plan of attack to address issues and get your body performing at an optimal level.
By starting with a simple saliva sample shipped to our lab, we can help you identify changes that will have a real impact on your health, helping you sleep better, eat better, feel better, and move better.
Best of all, you only have to take this test once, and you’ll have results for life. After all, your genes won’t change as you age!Â
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If you’re ready to take control of your wellness and optimize your health to its full potential, why not start with a genetic test from 10X Health? Learn more about our approach to gene testing and order your own, at-home test kit to get started on your journey to better health!
