Lactose tolerance

Throughout much of human history, humans only needed milk as babies, when they were breastfeeding from their mothers. Therefore, the gene responsible for digesting the lactose in the milk turned off in late childhood. Learn if you have the variant associated with being unable to digest lactose in adulthood.

Low fat diets

Some individuals on a low fat diet lost more weight than those on a high fat diet. Learn if cutting out fat might help you lose more weight.

Gluten tolerance

Your gluten tolerance is your ability to digest gluten, which is actually a protein. People sensitive to gluten may experience negative effects after consuming food that contains gluten. Find out about how your genetics may influence your gluten tolerance.

Saturated fat

A healthy diet includes moderation in everything. But, for some people with a specific genetic variant, paying attention to the amount of saturated fat in their diet can make a big difference in weight loss. Learn if you’d benefit from restricting the amount of saturated fat in your diet.

Sweet Tooth

Have a sweet tooth? Lots of different genes influence how your body processes and craves sugar. Find out if you have a DNA variant that early studies have found more common in people that consume more sugar.

Bitter Taste

Not a broccoli fan? Your tongue is covered with taste buds that have lots of different receptors for different flavors. One specific taste receptor detects bitter-tasting things, and a common DNA variant determines how well it works. Find out if you’re more likely to taste bitterness in certain foods.

Caffeine Metabolism

The speed at which your body breaks down caffeine. Learn if your genes make you likely to be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than other people.

Sugary beverages

Someone’s DNA can indicate they have a predisposition to gain more weight if they drink sugar-sweetened beverages like sweetened coffee, juices, and sodas. Learn from your genetics if sugary beverages may have more of an effect on your weight than others.

Blood glucose

Blood glucose is more than just the level of glucose in your blood—it is affected by the foods you eat, when you eat them, and how your body responds. Learn about the role of genetics in your body’s response to glucose.

Vitamin B12

B vitamins are an important part of a balanced diet. Learn more about the role vitamin B12 plays in brain and blood health and how genetics may affect these roles.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is involved in your digestive and immune systems. Learn more about the role genetics plays in affecting the level of vitamin B6 your body is metabolizing.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important nutrient—it’s involved in biological processes from nerve function to blood pressure regulation. Lots of foods are good sources of magnesium, but your genetics can influence the level of magnesium in your body.

Omega-3

Omega-3, a fatty acid, plays an important role in heart health. By looking at the genes associated with omega-3 metabolism, you can learn if you have the variants associated with lower or higher levels of EPA in your body.

Body mass index (BMI)

It’s no secret that genetics plays a role in weight, since two people who eat the same foods can have very different responses. Learn about how genetics may influence your BMI.

Physical activity

Everyone knows that being active is healthy. Have you ever wondered if exercise is extra helpful for certain people? It turns out that genetics has a small impact on whether being physically active will lead to lower BMI.

Endurance vs. power activities

Being a world class endurance athlete takes disciplined training, years of practice, and the right attitude. It also seems that genetics can provide people an edge. Learn more about one genetic variant found more commonly in endurance athletes.

Sodium levels and hydration

Sodium is an critical mineral and the levels in your body are influenced by your DNA. Learn if you have the variant associated with lower sodium levels and how to properly hydrate when exercising.

Iron

Iron is an important nutrient, but having too much or too little can cause problems. With genetics, you can learn more about how your body metabolizes iron.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is very important for healthy bones, and we also need vitamin D for many diverse processes in the body. You probably know that dairy is a great source of vitamin D, but your genetics can play a role in how well you utilize the vitamin D in the foods you eat.