GeneSupport panels

ApoE Panel

The ApoESupport panel analyses the ApoE gene in the body. This gene codes for a protein called apolipoprotein E. This protein combines with lipids (fats) in the body to form “lipoproteins.” One of the major functions of lipoproteins is to package cholesterols and other fats and carry them through the bloodstream. Apolipoprotein E is a major constituent of a highly specific group of lipoproteins called very low-density lipoproteins, or VLDLs. VLDLs are responsible for removing cholesterols from the blood and taking them to the liver for breakdown. It is widely known that maintaining normal levels of cholesterol is absolutely vital for protection against cardiac conditions, like heart attack and stroke.

The human population contains three variants of the ApoE gene. Differences in these gene variants create slightly different proteins, which in turn differ in their abilities to clear excess cholesterol from the bloodstream. Also, different forms of this gene are also linked to increased risk of certain debilitating diseases, like Alzheimer’s; or risk of cardiac disorders.

Knowledge of the gene variant through the test will help the nutrigenomic counsellor to devise appropriate diet and exercise regimen to support the function of the gene and ultimately, the protein to perform its functions to the maximum and alleviate the risk of any disorders that the person might have

Lactose Intolerance Panel

Lactose Intolerance is a condition in which an individual is unable to produce an enzyme called lactase, which is vital for the digestion of lactose, a sugar found in milk. Due to this condition, the individual is unable to digest milk or milk products and the consumption of milk or milk products leads to symptoms like, bloating, cramps, nausea, vomiting, flatulence and diarrhoea. Surprisingly, reports suggest that around 30% of the North Indian population and around 70% of the South Indian population has been found to be lactose intolerant. This has a grave impact on the calcium consumption of individuals because the main sources of dietary calcium are milk and milk products. Calcium deficiency can lead to a host of other medical problems.

Our LactoseIntoleranceSupport panel is a simple genetic test which can be easily done and can accurately predict the presence of lactose intolerance, without the associated risks of other tests which depend upon challenging an individuals’ body with lactose. With proper dietary interventions, this condition can then be easily managed.

Gluten Intolerance Test

Our GlutenSupport panel analyses a common hereditary condition, in which gluten, the protein commonly found in wheat, barley, oats and rye damages the small intestines; reducing their ability to absorb food; and causes inflammation. According to estimates, gluten intolerance affects 1% (around 72 million people) of the world population. Out of these, 97% (around 70 million) of the cases generally go undiagnosed. About 25% cases that are diagnosed are the ones which manifest with typical symptoms and the rest are “silent” or atypical ones.

The most confusing aspect of Gluten intolerance is that it can present itself with wide-ranging symptoms. Some people show typical (and highly unrelated) symptoms like, recurrent digestive complaints, acne, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff, obesity and so on. It affects nearly every tissue in the body, including the brain, skin, endocrine system, stomach, liver, blood vessels, smooth muscles and even the nucleus of cells. It is associated with an astonishing variety of diseases, from schizophrenia and epilepsy, to Type 1 diabetes and osteoporosis, to dermatitis and psoriasis, to Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism to peripheral neuropathy.

Since this condition is genetic, it is, as yet, untreatable. But it is completely manageable through the knowledge that comes from the test, which analyses specific genes which are responsible for this condition.

Oestrogen panel

Our Oestrogen Support test panel helps females understand their genetic constitution, with regards oestrogen imbalances. Research has shown that fluctuating oestrogen levels are a cause of concern for the female health as it is associated with risks including infertility and cancers. Oestrogens are a group of female a hormone which are responsible for bestowing “femaleness” on an individual and gives females the exclusive gift of giving birth. The female body has its own unique ways to balance levels of oestrogen as and when needed. One of the major functions of oestrogens is to cause the thickening of the endometrial lining in the uterus to support the nesting of the fertilised ovum and subsequent development of the foetus.

The levels of oestrogen need to increase dramatically just prior to ovulation (release of the ovum from the ovaries) and then there needs to be a sudden decline in their levels for the ovum to release. If, however, the oestrogen levels fail to decrease, the ovum is not released from the ovary and it remains within it and forms a cyst. Thus, this could be a major reason for infertility. Oestrogens have a cell-proliferative action. If oestrogens show this kind of activity in other regions of the body, where it is not required, they can cause cancers, like breast- and uterine cancers.

Through this test, the genetic tendency for oestrogen imbalances is found out and a diet strategy is devised to normalise such imbalances, which will ultimately result in the alleviating of cancer and infertility risks in the female.

Sports Support Panel

Our SportsSupport test panel helps aspiring young sportspersons to go to the next level and excel in their chosen sport by explaining to them various facets of their bodies’ mechanisms which are absolutely vital for sporting brilliance.

The most important risk a sportsperson has to live with is the risk of injury. Due to the physically demanding nature of sports, every sportsperson’s body is at risk of different kinds of injuries. But how great or small is this risk can be known from the study of the genes. After an injury, how much time would the body need to heal itself and get back on track is equally important. This information can also be gotten from the analysis of genes.

To see one’s child become a sporting superstar is the dream of many parents. For this reason they plan to provide sports training to their children from a very young age. But little does one know that many factors that determine whether a young child will excel in sport and become a sportstar is written in his/her genes.

Our Sports Support panel tests vital genes which deliver targeted information about the child’s body in sports-related mechanisms. Whether a child will excel in endurance sports (like Football, Marathon, Cycling) or whether she will be good at power sports (boxing, sprinting, weight-lifting) can well be deduced from this test. Also, information about injury risk, recovery potential, aerobic capacity and muscle fatigue threshold can be provided by this test. All this information can then be collated to devise the perfectly customized diet, exercise and training regimen to help the child unleash her true potential and climb the pedestal of sporting glory.

This revolutionary test panel also provides vital information regarding aerobic capacity and muscle fatigue threshold, which help the sportsperson to better understand his/her body’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. Targeting these areas, the nutrigenomic counsellor can devise efficient strategies for diet, exercise and training which help fuel the sportspersons body with the zeal required to excel in sports.

Health Support Panel

GeneSupport’s Health Support panel optimizes health and wellness through gene-based personalized nutrition. It tests 27 genes involved in important biological processes that are all key factors in the onset of chronic disease, namely cholesterol metabolism, methylation, detoxification, oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, bone health and iron metabolism. The results provide individual recommendations that include: a gene-based personalized nutrition plan, dietary goals for relevant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and foods, and requirements for nutritional supplementation, where required.

The test is aimed at patients who might have a predisposition to lifestyle diseases due to the presence of one or more genetic risk factors. Identifying both favorable and less favorable gene variants, the test aims to maximize human health and wellbeing, by enabling us to make well-informed dietary and lifestyle choices.

A rigorous selection process is utilized when selecting genes for the Health Support test; only the most scientifically relevant genes are considered, and only those where a lifestyle intervention can modify the effect of the gene, are included. As research into the Health Support metabolic areas continues, and the body of evidence supporting the role of additional genes in the disease process is developed, so new genes will continue to be added to the test.

Caffeine Support

Caffeine is a bitter substance found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, kola nuts, and certain medicines. It affects the body's metabolism in many ways, including stimulating the central nervous system. This can make you more alert and give you a boost of energy. This is the underlying reason for many people’s dependence on their morning cup of coffee. Caffeine affects the secretion of adrenaline and thus acts as a stimulant and raises the level of energy.

Coffee has a greater effect on people who metabolize caffeine more slowly. The reason behind this is the activity of the enzyme CYP1A2, which is important for the metabolism of caffeine. This enzyme doesn’t work adequately in some people, so the daily dose of coffee has to be adapted to this deficiency.

For most people, the amount of caffeine in two to four cups of coffee a day is not harmful. However, too much caffeine can cause problems. However, one must be careful when consuming larger amounts of coffee. Because of the potentially ineffective CYP1A2 enzyme's activity, some people can have problems after 2-3 cups of coffee per day. These people are slower caffeine metabolizers, who are susceptible to problems with high blood pressure heart attack.

Caffeine is metabolized in the liver by CYP1A2. This enzyme is responsible for 95 percent of the metabolism of caffeine. CYP1A2 is characterized by a high variability in its activity, which is also a consequence of differences in our genetic makeup. Therefore, changes in the DNA sequence have a significant impact on its efficiency and thus greatly determine the rate of caffeine metabolism for the individual.

A stronger caffeine effect is not necessarily favorable, because an ultimate effect of caffeine may be increased blood pressure. If one consumes more caffeine, or if the caffeine is present during a longer period in our system, it can considerably increase the blood pressure. Researchers have shown through several studies that people who metabolize caffeine more slowly, when ingesting large quantities of coffee, are much more susceptible to complications associated with high blood pressure and have an increased risk of heart attack.

GeneSupport’s Caffeine Support tests the CYP1A2 gene variants to find whether the individual is a slow or fast caffeine metabolizer and how much caffeine intake is good for the body.

Weight Loss Support Panel

Our WeightLoss Support test panel provides detailed analysis of genes which play a major role in making a person gain weight easily and make it difficult to lose weight. If these genes are targeted by making subtle changes in diet and a complementary exercise regimen, the individual loses “fatty” weight and gains lean muscle mass.

This test analyses 13 genes, including those to know the tendency and ability to absorb nutrients from food which contribute to lean mass and fat absorption and storage in the body. In individuals with a high tendency of being over-weight or obese, this test helps to optimise the right amount of protein and fat through diet to contribute to lean mass, rather than fat.

Genes for exercise responsiveness and time (duration as well as hour of exercising) help understand type of exercise to complement muscles and lean mass and burning of excessive fat Genes for satiety help to enhance feeding of right nutrients to add lean mass and encourage the individual to satiate food cravings through a healthy food intake.

Inflammation and energy-intake genes complement each other to help understand inflammation tendency towards certain foods. This necessitates addition of muscle tone improving foods into the diet to balance energy intake and build lean muscle mass to gain the perfect weight.

These and other genes shed light on various factors affecting optimum weight. This test will help your nutrigenomic counsellor to devise a highly personalised diet and exercise program which will help you gain your perfect weight, along with lasting health and wellness.

Finasteride Response Prediction Test

The Finasteride Support is a predictive genetic test to determine whether the patient will have a slight or great treatment response to Finasteride; thus, allowing Tricologist to provide the patients with the improved treatment to save their hair loss. At GeneSupport this test is carried out on genomic DNA isolated from buccal swab sample. Human Androgen Receptor gene is amplified and then sequenced on an ABI 3130 genetic analyzer platform. The Genetic Test for Finasteride Response provides men with a number, called the “CAG repeat number”. A smaller CAG repeat number is associated with an increased response to Finasteride for treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. In addition to this, the Test helps in assessing the patients whether he is at an increased risk for developing Benign Prostatic H yperplasia (Enlarged Prostate). Finasteride also assists such patients in a significant way.

Hair loss prediction Test (For males)

The test is a predictive genetic test to determine whether the patient is susceptible to male pattern baldness (MPB) due to androgenetic alopecia; thus, allowing tricologist to provide the patients with the improved treatment to save their hair loss. The Test has been designed to determine the variation in Exon 1 in a patient's androgen receptor gene, and thereby offers the opportunity for early medical intervention before visible signs of hair loss, subsequently helping patients to retain their hair. At GeneSupport this Genetic Test is carried out on genomic DNA isolated from buccal swab sample. Human Androgen Receptor gene Exon 1 is amplified and StuI restriction enzyme digestion pattern is analyzed. The polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene in Exon 1 suggests its closeness to a functional variant that is a necessary component of the polygenic determination of male pattern baldness. The Genetic Test for hair loss prediction in men identifies presence or absence of this single nucleotide polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene. Presence of Mutated nucleotide (G) in AR gene Exon 1 is associated with an increased risk of hair loss whereas absence of nucleotide ‘G’ in AR gene Exon 1 is associated with a lower risk for hair loss.

Hair loss prediction Test (For females)

This test is a predictive genetic test to determine whether the patient is susceptible to female pattern hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia; thus, allowing tricologist to provide the patients with the improved treatment to save their hair loss. The Test has been designed to determine the CAG repeat number on a patient's androgen receptor gene, and thereby offers the opportunity for early medical intervention before visible signs of hair loss, subsequently helping patients to retain their hair. At GeneSupport this test is carried out on genomic DNA isolated from buccal swab sample. Human Androgen Receptor gene is amplified and then sequenced on an ABI 3130 genetic analyzer platform. The Genetic Test for hair loss prediction provides women with a number, called the “CAG repeat number”. A smaller CAG repeat number is associated with an increased risk of hair loss (Ludwig grade II or III hair loss) whereas greater CAG repeat number is associated with a lower risk for hair loss.