Dr. Christina Rahm: Putting a Spotlight on Genetic Testing

I am excited to write about this topic for multiple reasons. First, genetic testing is an ever-evolving, fascinating display of science, research, disease, and general genealogy.

Second, genetic testing can provide key criteria and information for diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness, though limitations do exist. For example, if you are a healthy person, a positive test result reflecting a disease anomaly does not always mean you will develop that disease. On the other hand, a negative result does not guarantee you will not be diagnosed with a certain disorder.

According to Wikipedia, the history of genetic testing began in the mid-1800s with Gregor Mendel’s experiments on pea plants, which laid the foundation for modern genetics.

By the 1950’s, genetic testing methods primarily involved counting chromosomes under a microscope, thus allowing for the diagnosis of conditions like Down Syndrome by identifying abnormal chromosome numbers.

By the mid-1970s, scientific advances allowed the use of DNA for the identification of individuals, which was a phenomenal advancement. With the development of molecular genetics, genetic testing expanded for the analysis of individual genes and DNA sequences, which has led to a wide range of testing options identifying a variety of genetic disorders, today.

Genetic testing can be important for all the following:

Predicting the risk of disease: Genetic tests can help determine a person’s risk of developing a disease in the future, such as cancer.
Planning treatment: Genetic tests can help determine which medicines work best or how a tumor might respond to therapy.

Helping guide treatment: Clinicians can be guided in deciding the best medicine and dosage for a patient.

Making life decisions: The tests can help couples make decisions about family planning, career choice, and even insurance coverage.

Finding genetic diseases in unborn babies: Genetic tests can be done before a child is born to detect genetic changes that could affect their health.
Screening newborn babies: Genetic tests can be done to screen newborn babies for certain treatable conditions.
Providing peace of mind: Genetic tests can provide peace of mind if they find that you did not inherit a harmful genetic change.
Helping family members learn about their risks: Genetic tests can provide information about your family member’s risk of developing certain diseases.

Since we do not possess a crystal ball to see what our future holds, genetic testing can be a valuable resource to attain a glimpse into the future of our health, our children’s health, and even generational lineage. At the same time, it is important to understand the testing procedures, their benefits and restrictions, and the possible consequences of their results.

Dr. Christina Rahm

Based on my decades of scientific research, we have recently created a genetic testing option under my company, DRC Ventures. Titled DRC-Gx, our testing technology delves into lifestyle and wellness markers, to better understand how the uniqueness of individual genes can influence nutrition, exercise, and overall health and wellness outcomes.

Further, our program is tailored to detect gene sequences which dictate the processes of carbohydrates, fat, protein, micro-nutrients, and the efficacy of fitness activities, which is invaluable for overall success when it comes to managing healthy fat-to-muscle ratio weight loss goals and fitness objectives.

According to a recent study published by the European Society of Human Genetics, dieters employing weight management programs tailored to the individual’s genome lost up to 33-percent more weight than those following standard, one size fits all weight loss programs.

With the evolution of genetic testing technology and better scientific understanding of the human genome, these new genetic testing models are a fantastic opportunity for individually tailored health, wellness, nutrition, and exercise programs based on personalized DNA studies.

We hope our testing model will bring better lifestyle choices and health for our thousands of customers in more than eighty countries. For more information on DRC-Gx genetic testing, go to https://therootbrands.com/drc-genetic-testing/.