DNA Metabolism Test - Double Pack

What does a  DNA Metabolism Test do?

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight and to keep it off knows: it is difficult! The relationships between nutrition, exercise, metabolism and body weight are complex.

On top of that, your genes play an enormously important role. This is because variations in your DNA help determine how your body utilises carbohydrates and fat, how much hunger you feel and which sports are best suited to your muscle fibres.

Studies indicate that certain genes are associated with exactly these phenomena. If you have knowledge of the variations in these genes, you are able to adjust your diet and sports routine. You can follow a personalised genetic diet that truly suits your needs.

Who should take the DNA Metabolism Test?

The metabolism test is relevant and designed for any adult over 18 who wants to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. It is particularly useful for anyone who has tried many diets and weight loss programmes, but has not been successful and is looking for an individual solution.

In addition, the DNA Metabolism Test is also worthwhile if you are interested in what is happening in your body and want to know what kind of genetic diet and exercise best suits your body.

How does the DNA Metabolism Test work?

For the DNA Metabolism Test, take a small saliva samples from the oral mucosa with the cotton swab that is included in the DNA Metabolism Test kit. After the swab, you insert the saliva samples into the enclosed sample tubes. Send the saliva samples to our medical partner laboratory by using the free return envelope. The lab will then carry out the analysis based on DNA sequencing.

DNA sequencing is a highly complex, state-of-the-art process. How long the analysis will take depends on the quality of the sample provided - sometimes the medical laboratory has to repeat the analysis multiple times. Therefore, it can take up to four weeks until you receive your individual test results.

How long does the analysis take in the laboratory?

Once your sample has arrived at the laboratory, it will be analyzed there by specialists. How long the analysis takes depends on the exact measuring method and the processes in the laboratory.

If the sample is sent on the correct days (Sunday to Tuesday), this makes it easier for the laboratory to adhere to the times.

For the DNA Metabolism Test - Double Pack, the laboratory analysis is usually completed within 3 weeks after the sample is received in the laboratory.  

What do I need to consider when I take the DNA Metabolism Test?

The higher the quality of the sample, the faster and easier the laboratory is able to analyse it. You can contribute to this by adhering to the following guidelines for saliva sample taking:

-  Do not eat or drink anything for at least half an hour before collect the saliva sample - Do not brush your teeth or use mouthwash at least half an hour before collecting the saliva sample - Do not smoke in the 30 minutes before taking the tests - The sample must be stored in a dry place for 24 hours before sending. Throughout this time the sample dries via the aeration membrane at the bottom of the sample tube.

What does the results report tell me?

Based on the six genes analysed, the results report will provide you with information about your metabolism.

You will receive answers to the following questions: - Am I a carbohydrate or fat metaboliser? Of which nutrients am I most likely to gain weight? - How intense is my sensation of hunger and how quickly do I get full when I eat? - Is my muscle fibre type fast-twitch, intermediate or slow-twitch? Which sports are genetically ideal for me?

What kind of recommendations will I receive?

The results report not only provides you with information about your metabolic genes. It also provides you with a whole range of recommendations for action to follow a genetic diet.

You will receive tips on foods and recipes that match your personal DNA profile. In the results report you will also find recommendations for sports that are particularly suitable for your muscle fibre type. 

How are DNA and metabolism related?

Human DNA is more than 99% identical - but the rest of the DNA, which is slightly different for each individual, accounts for quite a number of things. It is responsible for the variations in characteristics such as hair and eye colour, but also the risk of diseases and how you metabolise food.

Various genes are also responsible for the fact that some people generally gain weight faster or feel more hungry, and that some people gain weight quicker from carbohydrates or fat than others do.

Scientists have found in research studies that some genes are repeatedly linked to these effects: Among other things, there seem to be certain genes that determine which nutrients your body processes best and which sport is most effective at reducing weight.

Which genes are being analysed with the DNA Metabolism Test?

For the DNA Metabolism Test, the medical laboratory analyses the variations of seven genes. The combination of these variations then provides information about your individual metabolism.

The seven genes FTO, PPARG, APOA2, APOA5, LEPR and ACTN3 will be analysed. These are some of the effects that scientists associate with these particular genes:

FTO plays a role in the absorption of saturated fatty acids and the energy balance.

PPARG is involved in the formation of fat cells and the absorption of saturated fatty acids.

APOA2 influences the transport of LDL cholesterol.

APOA5 is involved in the transport of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (blood lipids).

LEPR activates the saturation hormone leptin.

ACTN3 provides information about your muscle fibre type.

Why are there fat and carbohydrate metabolisers?

For the greater part of human history, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. They fed mainly on meat, berries and herbs and consumed few carbohydrates. Their metabolism was therefore optimised to consume proteins and fat.

Only later did agriculture emerge and cereals became a basic food products. However, our DNA adapts to such new conditions only very slowly and over the course of many generations.

That is why many people today are still more likely to metabolise fat - their bodies are not adjusted to many carbohydrates. A high-carb diet can then quickly lead to overweight while fat and protein have little influence on weight.

At the same time, there are people whose metabolic genes have adapted greatly over the last centuries and who can better metabolise carbohydrates. They are more likely to consume carbohydrates. Many of these people gain weight quickly if they eat a lot of fat and protein.

What are hunger and satiety types?

Your genes also influence how strong your sensation of hunger is and how quickly you feel satiated by food. If you are a strong hunger type and a weak satiety type, this means that you are often hungry and do not feel full as quickly when you eat.

A lot of hunger and a weak sense of satiety make it difficult to cut back on eating and reduce the calorie intake.

People of these types are best advised to pay close attention to their portion sizes and the number and times they eat. This is because the body does not send the right signals to keep weight under control.

Why are children under 18 not allowed to take the test?

Our tests are not suitable for underage children and adolescents under the age of 18. Under 18s cannot activate the tests online and therefore cannot receive a test result. We ask that you do not administer the tests to your children either.

Children and adolescents need much closer supervision and counselling regarding medical tests and their interpretation. Testing with lancets and chemicals is not without risk and would need to be closely supervised by guardians. In addition, the reference values we give are always based on adult data. In the case of children, the risk of misinterpreting the results would be very high.

We want to fulfil our responsibility as a provider of medical products and ensure that children and adolescents are not unsettled by measurement results that are difficult for them to interpret. Since we cannot control whether the minors' legal guardians actually consent to the test being carried out and supervise them, we exclude tests for under 18s altogether.

If you are under 18 and have purchased a test, please contact our customer support.

Why does it take up to a week for the sample to reach the lab?

Please bear in mind that your results will not be analyzed in the UK but in Germany. For that reason, it can take up to a week for the sample to arrive at the lab. This does not affect the stability of the samples, as the method we are using is optimized for long transports.

Initially, your sample is sent to our collection center in the UK. From there, it is shipped to our central sample sorting facility in Germany, which then distributes samples to our partner laboratories. Once your sample is analyzed there, you will receive a notification and can access your result online.

Please check your mailbox regularly. We will notify you as soon as your sample is sent, arrives, or is analyzed.