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A few weeks ago during a speaking engagement I was asked my thoughts about this statement “I’m fat because I’ve got bad genetics”. I gave a two part answer. Part one, it’s a common excuse given by lots of folks to not get off their butts and do something to improve their health. Part two, even though some use genetics as a crutch, there might be something to it. I also gave them my car analogy. Just like vehicles that run on different types of fuel: regular unleaded, premium and diesel, humans are very much the same. We also process food at different rates. I’m sure you know some gas guzzlers and hybrids. There may be some evidence that we operate best on specific nutrients that complement our genetics and here are three different programs and theories in science today that support this.
Metabolic Typing – William and Suzi Wolcott’s “Metabolic Typing” program is based on research by Weston Price, George Watson, Roger Williams, William Kelley and others. Wolcott uses two factors that determine your metabolic function. Autonomic nervous system dominance (fight or flight –sympathetic the energy burner or parasympathetic – the energy conserver) and rate at which your cells convert food to energy (cellular oxidation). I’ve read the book, but have yet to go through the full profiling process. Wolcott’s program and screening process make the most sense to me. If you’d like more information on the original metabolic typing program go here. http://www.metabolictyping.com
Nutrigenomics – Nutrigenomics is the link between genes and nutrition. The concept of the DNA diet is based on the reality that dieting doesn’t work for many. In fact 95% will gain back the weight they lose in a few years of which 41% will gain back more weight than they lost. Doctor Oz recently had David Katz MD nutrition expert and founder of the Yale Prevention Center on his show. Katz touts that people fall into three basic diet types based on their DNA. Low Fat, Low Carb and Balanced. Our genes control hormone levels and enzyme levels which affect all the basic levels of metabolism. Ultimately how we metabolize food determines what happens to the nutrients and calories we take in. Therefore their theory claims that specific genetic make-ups determine what nutrients are best for us and how they’re metabolized. Makes sense. More information on the Doctor Oz story can be found here. Dr Oz DNA diet show.
Metabolomics –This budding science is the "systematic study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind.” Recent studies in Germany confirmed that individual genetic differences not only apply to superficial traits, but also define our metabolism. In general, all people react similarly to specific nutritional components," says Hannelore Daniel, "but there are big differences in their responses. The goal of this research is to develop methods to explain the complexity of the body's metabolism. Another great example of scientific proof that we all process nutrients differently.
What are your thoughts? Do you think we’re all different or do you think that one healthy diet fits all?