Whether or Not Your Diet is Working May Depend on Your Genes
Genetics and our fascination for it has appeared in many sci-fi films, from Jurassic Park to Gattaca, and more recently in Altered Carbon. There is just something so alluring about the science that looks at what makes you unique.
There has been a lot of interest in this lately, where the home DNA kits have become available and people are now using this tech to trace their roots via popular genealogy tests such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe Review, which give an individual’s genealogy profile, detailing a person’s ethnicity and origins. These services have become a big hit by revealing who we are at our very core.
Some DNA analysis services can tell you which nutrients or what diet work best for your genetic makeup, for example. It also provides your ideal method of preventing diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This study of genetics and how it affects nutrition is called nutrigenomics.
Nutrigenomics helps you discover how you respond to food based on your genetic profile. This gives you an idea of why a popular diet works for your friend but not for you, or why your sibling, who barely does any exercise, can be skinny while you have to consistently workout just to keep from having a dadbod. It analyzes genetic variations that affect individual nutritional needs, sensitivity to certain nutrients, and fitness traits.
The good news is that there is a nutrigenomics test that is now available in the country, and it comes with insurance coverage. The Pru Life UK myDNA Pro Program bundles a DNA test by Prenetics, the leading genetic and digital health testing company in Southeast Asia, with the company’s eligible insuravest or investment-linked life insurance products: PRUlink Assurance Account Plus, PRUlink Exact Protector, and PRUlink Elite Protector. The package also provides coverage for disability, accident, hospitalization, and critical illness.
Nutrigenomics helps you discover how you respond to food based on your genetic profile. This gives you an idea of why a popular diet works for your friend but not for you.
With ambassador Liza Soberano
According to Danny Yeung, Chief Executive Officer of Prenetics, it can detect factors such sensitivity to alcohol, gluten, or caffeine; appetite control; and injury risk. The myDNA Pro Program gives you a picture of your general well-being and provides tailored advice that leads you to a healthier life. “Nobody wants to get sick, and nowadays health is really about wealth, the earlier we learn about our genetic health predispositions, the better.”
To get your DNA analysis, you send your saliva swab using the sampling kit. The sample is sent to Prenetics, where a team of scientists and registered dieticians decode your genetic makeup. After the analysis, the user receives a detailed and personalized health risk and nutrigenomics report and an exclusive 12-month access to the myDNA Pro mobile app where the user can set health goals, find recommendations based on his DNA, record his food and calorie-intake through a photo-food diary, chat-on-demand with a health coach, and follow a 16-week lifestyle intervention program.
Pru Life UK Chief Marketing Officer and SVP Allan Tumbaga says, “The myDNA Pro will help our consumers achieve a healthy life in the most personal way and encourages them to take control of their well-being today and beyond. Combined with our lineup of high quality protection and investment solutions, myDNA Pro will offer them a holistic package covering life and wealth protection as well as health management.”
Rachel Alejandro, Bok Santos, Danny Yeung, and host Boom Gonzales
During the launch, Rachel Alejandro of The Sexy Chef and fitness coach Bok Santos explained how a DNA test could help tailor-fit a diet and exercise regimen for you. Actress Liza Soberano, who was cast in the commercial to promote the new Pru Life UK product also talked about how she would be able to modify her busy lifestyle according to her DNA test and take charge of her future.
Liza’s commercial looks futuristic, and while we have not achieved Gattaca levels yet, Yeung says that there is a growing trend where even newborns are receiving DNA screening in places like the US. “The tests let the parents and doctors use the results to make sure that if the babies get sick they will not be administered the wrong medications, according to their genetics. At the same time, the earlier they can be tested for their health risks, the earlier they can do prevention.”
To find out more about Pru Life UK’s myDNA Pro Bundle, visit http://www.prulifeuk.com.ph/mydnapro.
