For decades, we’ve operated on the principle that our DNA, a genetic code, is our unchangeable destiny. If a disease ran in our family, we were simply tagged with that risk. But a revolutionary field of science, combined with cutting-edge diagnostics, is changing the narrative entirely. Let’s take a look at how…
The breakthrough lies in epigenetic testing, and it’s proving that our health destiny isn’t actually a fixed blueprint, but a dynamic instruction manual that we can absolutely influence.
The Software Of Our Genes
To understand epigenetic testing, let’s use a simple analogy: our DNA / Genetics are the hardware of a computer, a fixed sequence and the physical makeup that we inherit. Our Epigenome, or Epigenetics, is the software that tells the hardware when and how to work properly.
Epigenetics literally means “on top of genetics.” and refers to the chemical modifications like adding a tiny “methyl” tag to a gene that turn genes “on” or “off” without ever changing the underlying DNA sequence itself.
The Crucial Difference here is that oour DNA is static, as we can’t change our genes, but our epigenome is dynamic as it changes throughout our life in response to every major external and internal factor: diet, exercise, stress levels, environment and even sleep.
The Power Of Epigenetic Testing
Traditional genetic testing tells us of the risks that we were born with, whereas epigenetic testing tells us the risks that we are currently running, offering a clear path to be able to change these risks. Epigenetic testing is often conducted via a simple blood or saliva sample to analyse these chemical tags, most notably a process called DNA methylation, to provide two revolutionary insights:
1. Our True Biological Age: The Epigenetic Clock
Our chronological age is the number of candles on our birthday cake, but our Biological Age is the true age of our cells and tissues. If we’ve lived a high-stress, unhealthy lifestyle, our biological age can be significantly older than our chronological age, indicating accelerated cellular wear and a higher risk of age-related disease.
Epigenetic tests can accurately measure this age gap, allowing the findings to provide a powerful, real-time measure of health, whilst giving people the irrefutable evidence they need to make profound life changes.
2. Personalised Disease Risk Markers
Epigenetic changes are often the first sign that a disease process is beginning, sometimes years before symptoms appear or standard diagnostic tests flag a problem. By looking at specific methylation patterns, scientists can identify molecular signatures linked to the expression of genes associated with:
- Cardiovascular Disease: By identifying markers related to inflammation and lipid metabolism
- Neurological Disorders: Offering an earlier window into risks for conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Cancer: This is where the life-saving potential is most evident
How Epigenetic Testing Is Saving Lives Today
The shift from predicting risk to proactively detecting disease is the life-saving core of epigenetics which has revolutionised cancer screening. As tumours develop, they shed unique epigenetic markers into the bloodstream. New blood-based tests, liquid biopsies, analyse these markers to detect the presence of cancer, even in early stages, across multiple types of cancer simultaneously.
For cancers like pancreatic or ovarian, which are notoriously hard to detect early on, a non-invasive epigenetic test could flag the danger long before the patient ever feels a symptom or seeks help. Early detection is therefore the single greatest predictor of survival, with epigenetics making that possible for more people than ever before.
Tailored Interventions & Precision Prevention
Perhaps the most empowering aspect is the ability to monitor and reverse negative changes, as we know that epigenetic changes are modifiable.
- Providing An Action Plan: A traditional test might say that you have a high risk of heart disease, whereas an epigenetic test might show accelerated cardiovascular ageing due to high inflammation markers and suggest specific dietary or exercise changes to reverse that ageing.
- Measuring Progress: Individuals can then make targeted lifestyle adjustments, such as improving their sleep, tailoring exercise or taking specific supplements, and then re-test their epigenome months later to see tangible proof of a reduction in their biological age. This measurable success motivates lasting behavioural change in all ages.
Epigenetic testing has turned health from a guessing game into a clear, actionable science, giving people the power to look beyond their inherited genes, understand the invisible forces at work in their bodies, and actively work to turn off the risk of disease. It’s the ultimate tool for preventative medicine, equipping us with the knowledge to take full control of our health.
Muhdo Health: DNA + Epigentic Kit
Muhdo Health is a global leader in genetic and epigenetic health testing, with their insights extending beyond traditional DNA reports. The DNA test analyses 187+ genetic traits, allowing the understanding of every health aspect from fitness to nutrition and health risks alike. Highlighting how our lifestyle and environment actively shape our health at a genetic level, these test results reveal what we can change, allowing us to improve our lives with practical guidance to boost health and wellbeing.
Truly understanding our health, with longevity science and epigenetics, we can now move far beyond the understanding of the fixed traits that we’re born with, to the deeper level of understanding for our lifestyle and environment which are actively influencing our genes in real time.
Epigenetics look at our chemical markers, which can turn genes on or off, and change over time based on our diet, stress levels, exercise, sleep and exposure to toxins. This information allows us to track our everyday habits and measure how they affect our health at a genetic level.
With no need for needles or clinic visits, I took my DNA + Epigenetics Test in a matter of minutes from the comfort of my home. Providing a 2ml saliva sample, I popped it into the post in the enclosed packaging in my test kit, with all updates and results processed and uploaded directly to my Muhdo Health app.
My test results allowed me to discover my biological age, with is 8yrs younger than my actual age. Revealing my real-time methylation patterns has also given me a clear picture of how I’m ageing at a cellular level which is fascinating. With an AI Health Coach included for free in the app, I’m able to ask questions and receive explanations and understanding to make sense of the medical science behind my test results – a luxury rarely afforded to us by our own doctors when sick! Offering tailored guidance, based on these results, I’m fully equipped with personalised recommendations across my individual diet, exercise, recovery and lifestyle to maximise my health and longevity, step by step. This test is a powerful tool for taking control of our health, helping us to make smarter lifestyle choices, and live a longer, healthier life.
My DNA Test Results
The depth of detail within my DNA test results is incredible. I’m absolutely blown away by how much information is included in the app, from compact and concise overviews with “real world” terminology, to fully in-depth PDF reports for each and every aspect of your DNA,covering Anti-Ageing, Cardiac Health, Diet, Eye Heart, Gut Health, Hair Health, Health & Metabolic Conditions, Hormone Health, Immunity & Inflammation, Injury Risk, Intolerances & Sensitivities, Kidney Health, Liver Health, Lung Health, Mental Health, Neuro Health, Physical, Psychological Traits, Skin Health, Sleep, Stress, Supplements, Vitamins & Minerals.
With an instant overview of all results, bullet-pointed for convenience and colour guided through green, yellow and red for identification of needs, the app allowed me to immediately understand the main target points of my DNA. As well as areas of concern for genetic health risks inherited from my parents, I had such wonderful surprises of understanding my gifted muscle mass, VO2 max, anaerobic threshold and intelligence which brings such clarity to my current lifestyle and career choices.
Despite nobody in my family ever having been an athlete, and being a mother of two myself, I’m perhaps the least likely relative to have ever found my way into bodybuilding. For quite some time, just the fact that I had a gym membership alone made me the black sheep of the family. Yet here I am as a natural bodybuilding professional, having competed in 2017 and gained my UK title. To know that my DNA is physically gifted, essentially fine-tuned for fitness, makes this natural progression into the fitness industry seem more like destiny than a random choice. How incredible it is to know that what is meant for us in life will always find its way, no matter how unexpected or unusual it may seem.
If only I had a pound for every time I’ve explained my health symptoms to my doctor which is always automatically deflected with “drink more water, get more sleep and try to reduce your stress levels” rather than actually looking to identify, let alone address, the root cause of the problem to resolve my symptoms.
It almost makes you feel like an inconvenience to return to a doctor with reoccurring symptoms that are have remained unresolved for years, if not decades and lower your quality of life unnecessarily. With no clear, precise of tailored guidance to help you as an individual, just a general “try to be healthier and see if it improves” I now rarely ever consult my doctor because no appointment ever concludes to a resolution.
Just like having your favourite meal at a restaurant, you can never seem to recreate in the same way at home, but if we were given the recipe, ingredients and measurements necessary we would stand a far better chance of recreating the dish. To have every element of our DNA decoded and broken down into the exact gene type is literally the recipe of our creation which fills in all of the blanks.
Of course, we’re not all doctors medically capable of interpreting medical notes, and so the breakdown of each test result with real world advice and information regarding what steps to take next is incredibly useful, instantly exceeding that of a GP. Should you wish to dive deeper into the full reports, they are conveniently converted into a PDF which can be emailed or printed out to pass to the GP to seek resolution for symptoms with a clear path of action.
The in-app AI also allows you to ask any questions that you may about your results, as it is medically trained and instantly provides the answers in terms that the average person can understand and appreciate. I asked the AI to give me an overview of the most important findings from my DNA results, which then allowed it to suggest suitable supplements that I may take to support my DNA, as well as prepare a daily routine for fitness and nutrition based on my vegan, gluten-free dietary requirements.
Far from general health and a one-size-fits-most approach to healthcare, which is effectively playing roulette with our health and guessing what may or may not work, this DNA test provides a clear and fully informed path to achieve optimum health and longevity which is beyond priceless.
The time, money and pain saved from erasing health chronic symptoms and avoiding silent triggers, which could in time lead to terminal illness and disease, is immeasurable. So many lives can be improved, saved and flourish because of DNA testing and medical advancements which remove the guess work from our genetics, once and for all.
As I have the DNA & Epigentics Testing kit, my saliva sample has completed the DNA testing process and has now been passed onto the epigentics lab for processing, for which my results will be delivered to the app in approximately 2-3wks from now.
My Epigenetics Test Results
My results are in and I’m shocked, but also highly inquisitive about what it’s uncovered, as it suddenly makes my life make so much sense! I’ve had two laser eye surgeries to achieve 20/20 vision and still wear glasses, several years on from my last eye surgery, as I always believed that eyesight is something that naturally deteriorates with age and lifestyle.
To not only discover that my eye and hearing age is five years older than my biological age, but to learn that some of my lifestyle choices today have exasperated my inherited risk is such an eye-opener – if you excuse the pun. For all of the times that my mother told me as a teenager to “turn the music down or you’ll go deaf!” and “if you sit any closer to that screen you’r eyes will turn square”‘ll have square eyes!” she was right.
Our environment and lifestyle habits play a huge part in modifying gene expression over time. I now know that I’m genetically susceptible to poor vision and hearing, as both of my parents suffer from this, which I simply put down to age but realise this isn’t the full case.
Lifestyle factors such as diet, noise exposure, screen time and cardiovascular health are now well and truly on my radar, and I shall aim to turn the tables away from accelerating decline, towards slowing it instead with the tools that my test results and AI guidance have given me.
I’ve never been one to wear sunglasses, but now I won’t leave home without using UV-blocking sunglasses outdoors. I’ll also be sure to use blue light filters during screen time, and take frequent breaks, fixing my sight 20 feet away from me for 20secs for every 20mins of screen use, adopting the 20-20-20 rule. I’ll also ensure that I have an eye exam each year and regular check-ups to monitor any early changes to my eye health.
And finally, I’ll be mindful to include spinach, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, nuts and flaxseeds into my diet to keep my nutrition on par for optimum eye health.
In regards to my hearing, I’ll switch my headphones from loud to moderate volume when at the gym, and avoid loud environments such as fireworks or concerts. I’ll be sure to exercise regularly to improve blood flow to my ears, as well as maintain sleep and hydration to support tissue repair and function.
I’ll be including nuts, leafy greens, bananas, potatoes and legumes into my diet now for my hearing health, as well as ensuring that I supplement with Omega 3 and a high quality multivitamin, including B vitamins. It’s also important to be mindful to avoid smoking, limit alcohol consumption and effectively manage stress levels, which can worsen inflammation and exasperate decline, as a way to support our overall health.
A wake up call, received loud and clear, with a precise plan of action to not only understand my body and lifestyle, but allow me to live with the highest quality of life possible and my healthspan to flourish. Whilst nobody likes hearing bad news, it’s important that we don’t bury our head in the sand when it comes to our health, and instead take informed and proactive steps to support longevity.
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