Could a DNA test be for you?

Have you ever wondered if a DNA test is for you? Do you know exactly what a DNA test can tell you? Did you know that a DNA test gives you key insights into your health? Genes are not just about ancestry, crime or parenthood. Your genes can give you highly personalised insights into your health and well-being. By understanding your genes, you can find out which actions to take for your optimal health.

How your genes work

You might have believed that your genes are your destiny, that there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change your genes. In one sense, this is true. Quite simply, some of your genes are what they are. You cannot change the colour of your eyes, for example, because the activity of some genes is fixed from birth.

In another sense, however, your genes do not have to be your destiny, because you can influence the way these genes work. Scientific evidence shows that some genes are responsive to food molecules and lifestyle habits. Known as gene expression, the activity of these genes may lead to beneficial or detrimental effects on your health and well-being. Your food and lifestyle choices can improve your health outcomes.

Your genetic blueprint 

Although you may feel that you know what your genes are, your instinct is, in fact, guesswork. For the very reason that you can influence the activity of your genes for different outcomes, it is not possible to know exactly what your genes are without discovering your genotype, which contains the raw material of your DNA.

Your phenotype is your characteristics and traits, which can be observed. This is the result of your genotype, which may have also been influenced by your environment (such as your food and lifestyle). You may even have unknowingly influenced your genes! For example, a “sweet tooth” is carried in genes. But a lifetime of avoiding sweet foods may reduce an individual’s taste for sweet foods, because the gene has become less active.

A DNA test is the only way to know for sure what your genes are. This way you can find out about your genetic strengths and your genetic vulnerabilities, for your personalised health goals.

DNA panels

Grouping a selection of genes into panels helps to create a profile for a specific area of your health, such as general health, weight management, sports performance, hormones, pregnancy, resilience or mental health. The detail of your DNA profile clarifies the results for your specific gene variants (also known as Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or SNPs), known to be associated with that chosen area of your health.

Some genes may be included in a number of profiles, for example, the genes which affect the way you process caffeine. Caffeine may enhance sports performance. Caffeine may disrupt sleep. Caffeine may increase risks for cardiovascular health. Although you may have some idea about the ways that caffeine affects you, the only way to really understand how caffeine affects you is by knowing your specific gene variants.

Gene variants are associated with aspects of your general health. The impact of salt is affected by your genes. If you are concerned about your salt intake and high blood pressure, this depends on your genes. Whether you should adopt a strict approach to salt intake or whether you can be more relaxed – it depends on your genes. Because of your genes, you may require a higher level of particular nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin B12 or vitamin D.

A number of gene variants have an impact on weight management, such as snacking behaviour, a sweet tooth and exercise requirements. By clarifying your genes, you know the challenges you may face, to help you develop strategies to overcome these.

Sports performance is affected by your genes. Some genes lead to an increased risk of soft tissue injury. Some genes favour endurance potential while others favour power potential. Knowing your genes empowers you to make choices in favour of your sports performance.

A DNA test

A simple pin-prick blood test at home is all you need for a sample of your DNA to be sent away and analysed in a laboratory. Sophisticated analysis then creates a highly detailed report with key insights into specific genes known to affect your health.

A DNA test is definitely for you if you want to understand more about your health and you want to take proactive action to optimise your future health by making beneficial food and lifestyle choices.

By choosing an ethical company, your test will be based on robust scientific evidence to support genes which are clinically relevant and which may be actionable.

Your future health

Whatever prompts you to look into your DNA for your health, you may have reached a point in your life when you realise you have some control over your health goals and that your future health matters.

Whether you are seeking to support current symptoms or whether you have decided to take a preventive approach to symptoms developing down the line, a look at your DNA clarifies your innate strengths and vulnerabilities. A DNA test helps you to find out about the actions that you can take for your optimal health now and into the future.

Working with a practitioner

A registered practitioner in personalised nutrition who has trained on a certification programme in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics helps you to make the most of your DNA test results for highly personalised health goals, by:

• making sense of the complex science for you
• identifying the priority areas for your health
• setting practical and realistic steps with you
• providing support and guidance for your health journey

References

• F. Ceriani, M. Montalvan, B. Quintero et al (2023) Ethics of the clinical practice of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667268523000189 (Accessed 3.6.2025)
• National Human Genome Research Institute (2025) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Available at: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Single-Nucleotide-Polymorphisms-SNPs (Accessed: 3.6.2025)
• National Library of Medicine (2014) From Phenotype to Genotype. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4293721/ (Accessed: 3.6.2025)