Lifestyle factors—not genes—have the biggest impact on aging, but genes do affect your body’s response to lifestyle changes
When it comes to aging, we’re not slaves to genetics. The choices we make—such as whether or not to eat right, exercise, smoke, or drink excessively—are actually more predictive of health and longevity than genes. In fact, one recent study gave genetics just7 percent of the credit for controlling the aging process.
However, this doesn’t mean you should just ignore your genetics. In recent years, scientists have identified many specific genes that affect how the body responds to diet, exercise, stress, and other factors affecting aging. Your lifestyle choices will be most effective in promoting health, fitness, and longevity when they are directed by your unique genetic profile—rather than by generic advice.
Take skin aging for example. The rate at which your skin becomes dry, loose, wrinkly, and saggy is primarily determined by lifestyle factors, not genetics. Sun damage, smoking, and poor nutrition all make your skin age faster. However, certain people need to be more cautious about exposure to these stressors based on their genes. Individuals who have the genes AGER and GLO1 are more susceptible to skin glycation, which means they are more likely to experience more damage from poor nutrition. Skin glycation occurs when a high sugar diet leads to the formation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). AGEs cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin. While skin glycation occurs in everyone to some degree, it is more pronounced in individuals who eat a high-sugar diet and have the AGER and GLO1 genes. If you know you have these genes, you can defend your skin against glycation by being especially careful to limit sugar and increase antioxidants in your diet.
At Renew Youth, we offer three DNA panels that can help you unlock the secrets of your genetics and create a personalized plan for optimizing health and longevity:
GxRenew: GxRenew includes analysis of 28 genetic traits related to aging, based on 98 genetic markers. You’ll learn whether you are at low, moderate, or increased risk of age-related issues in areas like mental function, organ health, hearing loss, sleep duration, skin aging, and more.
GxSlim: This test includes 48 genetic markers that directly affect your weight, such as genes that influence hunger, fat metabolism, and more. You’ll learn whether your genes make you more susceptible to turning certain foods into stubborn fat, and how to adapt your diet to your genes to lose weight more effectively.
GxNutrient: With this DNA panel you will learn how your genes affect your body’s ability to absorb, process, and use various nutrients, helping you be more proactive in spotting and correcting nutritional deficiencies that affect aging. The test is based on 42 genetic markers that influence 15 micronutrient tendencies.
Each of these DNA tests can be done quickly and conveniently in your own home. Simply use the enclosed cheek swabs and return them by mail. You will then receive detailed test results describing your unique genetic profile along with personalized recommendations for how you can change your diet, activity level, and other lifestyle factors to work with your genes rather than against them in your quest for better aging.
To learn more, contact Renew Youth today.