Scientists say that DNA holds all the information about you. But they often don’t do justice to just how much information it could contain. With a poppy-seed-sized DNA archive, scientists could store the contents of the Library of Congress 6,000 times.
Most of that information is about how you look, or how your body performs its everyday functions. Dig a bit deeper, though, and you could discover even more. For example, a DNA test for weight loss could show you the best course of action for shedding pounds.
Is a DNA test for weight loss actually worth it, or is it just the latest health fad? We take a closer look in today’s article.
What Is a DNA Test for Weight Loss?
Everyone is drastically different from the next person thanks to their DNA. The way your body metabolizes, heals after injuries, or builds muscle will make you unique compared to the next person. Thus, how you best lose weight will depend in great part on your genetic makeup.
You don’t have to be an expert in genetics to see this for yourself. Everyone has that one friend who can eat whatever they want and yet remain skinny as a rod.
So, a DNA test for weight loss focuses on the aspects of your DNA that have to do with caloric intake and processing. How your body handles food, how it stores fat, and how willing it is to burn that fat. Genes and weight loss have a very close relationship!
How Does It Work?
There’s nothing special about a DNA test for diet, compared to typical DNA test types. It all begins when a lab takes a sample of your DNA. Usually, a cheek swab with your saliva in a plastic test tube.
Same as a regular DNA test, you send that sample off to the lab and wait. Results could take several weeks. A team of DNA analysis specialists will replicate that DNA and then decode your genome.
Once they have decoded your genome, they begin to do some analysis. They compare your DNA to the human genome — that is, all the unique human genes we know of. Scientists have figured out what many of these genes do.
Examining Your Genes
From there, the laboratory can determine how your genes operate in relation to weight loss. This is where the fun begins. Analysis will often reveal many seemingly unrelated factors that contribute — to some degree — to how your body gains and loses weight.
For example, have you ever considered whether or not you are a morning person or a night owl? Having a sleep routine that fits your body’s natural clock will ensure you have the proper downtime. It’s a well-known fact that sleep deprivation leads to weight gain, not weight loss.
Some of the results of the DNA test may seem even less related to weight loss. For example, it may reveal why you are so stressed out all the time. Cortisol, the hormone behind stress, increases your appetite.
Understanding what triggers your stress response all the time will help in finding ways to reduce it. The result would be massive improvements in cortisol and thus weight loss.
Creating a Weight Loss Regimen
With all of that information in mind, it’s time to create a weight loss regimen. This is where the DNA test for weight loss really shines. Personal trainers and weight loss programs would subject you to the same gamut as everyone else; not so here.
For example, the results from the DNA test may reveal that you need to cut back on coffee. Because of your genetics, you metabolize caffeine differently, and this is driving increased weight gain. The DNA test for foods to avoid will help prevent eating the things that exacerbate weight gain for you.
You may also have food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance — which is determined by your genes. If you stop consuming lactose, you’re much less likely to experience bloating and weight gain.
And then, of course, there’s the exercise. Some people benefit from weightlifting with a bit of cardio, while some are best off focusing on cardio and low-weight, high reps. That way, you maximize every minute at the gym.
Caveats for DNA Tests
To be clear, this premium DNA test kit for diet gets a lot of misunderstanding from those who hear about it. Let’s clear up some misconceptions about genomics and the DNA diet, as well as establish some caveats.
The DNA Test Doesn’t Cause Weight Loss
Let’s be very clear that the DNA test does nothing to directly influence weight loss. That is, you won’t take the DNA test and then notice next week that you’ve dropped 5 pounds.
Rather, it gives you helpful information about yourself that you can use in your weight loss journey. Diet and exercise make the changes, or in other words, you do. Not the test.
It Requires an Active Mindset
Following the previous point, it’s important to understand that the DNA test is really only the catalyst. Nothing will happen unless you devote yourself to making it so. If you’re not willing to commit to the regimen, both the diet and the exercise, then it’s just a big waste of money and time.
DNA Tests Are Risk-Free
Many people worry about the risks when they hear about medical interventions of any kind. The great thing about a DNA test is that it’s entirely risk-free. That’s right, the only thing it requires is swabbing the inside of your cheek with a cotton Q-tip — an entirely risk-free endeavor.
The only potential risk comes with the regimen that you have to adhere to. Naturally, having diseases such as diabetes or others that require a strict diet could lead to challenges. It goes without saying that you need to speak to a medical professional (your doctor) before beginning any new diet.
Get Your DNA Test Today
A DNA test for weight loss helps you understand the best course of action for you to lose weight. It’s easy to do and risk-free. However, you will only get results if you make the effort.
