We know that many diseases can be written into our DNA: Alzheimer\’s, breast cancer and Parkinson\’s are just a few examples of diseases where we\’re repeatedly told that our family history can affect our risk.
But our genetic code can affect our health in so many other ways, beyond our risk factor for a number of major diseases.
Our genes can affect our ability to metabolise certain nutrients; for example, people with a MTHFR defect can\’t turn folate into a form that can be used in the body, and can get very unwell and fatigued as a result. People whose ancestors came from colder climes or experienced famine may find that their body holds onto fat more tightly than someone whose ancestral line leads back to a warmer country.
Prevention is always better than a cure; if you get a genetic test done, you\’ll be tackling problems from chronic fatigue to weight loss with full understanding of what your body needs and how it\’s built.