Ep. #468: Dr. Anthony Jay on the Surprising Science of DNA Testing

These days, there are a variety of companies offering DNA testing so you can learn about your genealogy, origins, and genetic makeup. Chances are you’ve already used one of them, like 23andMe or Ancestry.com.

There’s even more you can do with these services, though.

Poke around online and you’ll find quite a few self-styled experts who are eager to review your raw DNA data and provide you with very specific lifestyle recommendations that will purportedly maximize your health, performance, and well-being, including specific foods to eat and avoid, exercise programs to follow, supplements to take, and more.

On the other hand, you’ll also find plenty of credentialed guys and gals saying that such DNA-based plans are little more than pseudoscientific scams that won’t have any meaningful impact on your life beyond your wallet.

As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and that’s what Dr. Anthony Jay and I discuss in today’s episode.

And to make it more interesting, I sent Dr. Jay my raw data from Ancestry before the episode so he could not only explain the ins and outs of genetic testing and how our DNA can affect our sleep, mood, body composition, risk of disease and dysfunction, and more, but also demonstrate what a solid, science-based DNA consultation looks like.

In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Jay, he’s a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who earned his Ph.D in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine and provides genetic consulting to everyone from professional athletes to special forces soldiers and everyday gymgoers and everybody in between.

Dr. Jay’s also the author of the book Estrogeneration, which is all about a class of estrogen-like chemicals that are prevalent in our society and contributing to many different widespread health problems, including weight-gain, depression, infertility and many others.

(And if you want to learn more about that, check out the previous interview I did with Dr. Jay on it!)

So, if you want to learn more about how to use your unique genetic blueprint to live a longer, healthier, and happier life, this episode is for you.

7:54 - How does atrazine affect humans?
14:26 - What is a snip?
29:43 - What are the five categories of genes?
37:24 - How do our genes affect stress, anxiety, and caffeine metabolism?
48:06 - What is HRV and is a higher HRV better?
50:51 - How does the blue light gene affect our sleep?
58:39 - How do our genes affect obesity?
59:55 - What is brown fat and white fat?
1:09:20 - Which genes increase your risk for leaky gut?
1:23:07 - How do our genes determine our muscle types?
1:26:46 - Which genes determine how weak or strong our joints are?
1:31:49 - Which genes determine if you’re a gout risk?
1:37:55 - Where can people find you and your work?
1:38:56 - Have you found commonalities in the genes of professional athletes?

Mentioned on The Show:

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