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Choline was declared an essential nutrient by the Institute of Medicine in 1998. Essential nutrients are compounds that the body cannot produce or produces in insufficient amounts and need to be supplemented through diet.
Choline is required for several important functions in the body, including the regulation of the muscular system, nervous system, and liver function. It also helps maintain an active metabolism.
Choline is a part of a type of fat called phospholipids, which are essential to protect the structural integrity of the cell membranes. It produces compounds that aid the transportation of lipids, thereby preventing their accumulation in the liver.
Choline is also needed to produce acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters help transmit signals from the brain to the target cells.
Along with vitamin B9 and B12, choline is involved in the synthesis of DNA.
Small amounts of choline are produced in the liver, but this is not enough to meet daily requirements. This essential nutrient needs to be supplemented through diet. The requirements vary from person to person based on their age, genetic makeup, and various other factors.
The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 550 milligrams and 425 milligrams of choline for adult men and women, respectively.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended to increase their daily intake to 450 milligrams and 550 milligrams, respectively.
Choline deficiency is rare, but certain individuals are at a higher risk. According to a 2018 study, men are at a higher risk for choline deficiency than women!
However, post-menopausal women are at a higher risk, followed by pregnant women. Higher choline intake can help prevent birth anomalies like neural tube defects.
Other at-risk groups for choline deficiency include:
Choline deficiency can also increase the risk of developing certain health conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, hypertension, and liver damage.
A choline-rich diet is very effective for preventing choline deficiency. Eggs, organ meat such as chicken liver, salmon, and cod are good sources of choline.
Plant-based sources include vegetables like broccoli, and cauliflower, fruits like apples and tangerines, and certain vegetable-based oils like soybean oil. Soy lecithin is a food additive that contains about 3-4% of choline content.
Image: Dietary sources of choline
*DV - Daily Value
Source: National Institutes of Health
Certain genes also influence your choline requirements.
The PEMT gene is one such example. This gene contains instructions for making an enzyme that is involved in the production of choline.
Variants or changes in this gene affect the levels of choline in the body.
In case you are at risk for choline deficiency, talk to your doctor. You might need to take choline supplements apart from eating a diet rich in choline.
A genetic test can help find out if you have any genetic variations that affect your choline levels.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file known as the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
We, at Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your choline levels.
Fiber is well-known for its ability to promote healthy digestion. It helps move the contents in the large intestine more quickly.
Soluble fiber, found in oats, barley, nuts, and seeds, also reduces the absorption of cholesterol, thereby lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. It’s no surprise that this wonder nutrient can aid weight loss too!
Did you know that fiber has 0 calories? Most foods rich in fiber, like broccoli, zucchini, turnip greens, and carrots, are super-low in calories as well!
Despite being calorie-free, fiber helps you feel full for a much longer time.
How does it do that?
Fiber swells in the stomach, and in that process, provides bulk to foods, thus keeping you full. This makes the stomach expand, which releases the cholecystokinin hormone, more commonly known as the satiety hormone. This hormone signals to the brain that you’re full.
What’s more?
Fiber also gives a nice boost to your metabolism! Fiber cannot be digested by the body. But the body puts in all the work to try and digest it anyway. This process results in burning off those excess calories.
Despite having such a range of benefits, a lot of people do not meet their fiber needs!
Decreased fiber intake has been associated with health conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. A fiber-rich diet has been shown to decrease the risk of all these conditions! Weight loss on fiber is moderated by several factors, like your body weight, lifestyle, other health conditions, and genetics.
FTO is a gene that has been studied to influence weight loss upon fiber consumption. This gene contains instructions to produce Fat mass and obesity-associated protein and has been implicated in conditions like obesity.
People carrying a certain variant of this gene tend to lose more weight on a high-fiber diet than others. Such individuals may benefit more from a fiber-rich diet in terms of weight loss.
A simple genetic test can be used to find out what variant of the FTO gene you carry.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file called the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
We, at Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your weight loss and weight gain tendencies on different diets.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body! In fact, all our cells contain magnesium!
Most of it is stored in the bones, muscles, and soft tissues. It plays an important role in numerous body functions.
Magnesium is a cofactor. Cofactors are not proteins; they attach to a protein, mostly an enzyme, to help activate it. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.
It also plays a crucial role in metabolism by breaking down the food you eat to provide your body with energy. Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the main source of energy in the body. For ATP to be active, it must bind to magnesium.
Magnesium, along with calcium, plays an important role in muscle contraction and relaxation. During exercise, magnesium maintains a balance of electrolytes, both within and outside the muscle cells, thereby preventing muscle cramps.
This process doesn’t just benefit your skeletal muscles, but your heart muscles too! It regulates the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles, thereby keeping a check on your blood pressure.
Magnesium also helps form new bone cells in order to maintain bone strength.
Studies show that about 68% of the US population does not meet their daily magnesium requirements.
The recommended daily intake is 400 milligrams for adult males and 310 milligrams for adult females.
This varies with age and other factors like pregnancy or underlying health conditions.
Magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesemia can lead to muscle weakness, cramping, numbness, irregular heartbeat, loss of appetite, and several other symptoms.
In certain cases, people may also have very high levels of magnesium, and this is termed hypermagnesemia.
The mineral content of these foods depends on the nutritional content of the crop and soil.
Sometimes, you might need magnesium supplements to meet your daily recommended intake.
The magnesium levels in your body are partly influenced by your genes. CASR is one such gene, which contains instructions for producing a protein called the Calcium Sensing Receptor.
The CASR protein mainly regulates calcium levels but also influences the reabsorption of magnesium in the kidneys.
Certain types of this gene can increase your risk of magnesium deficiency by reducing the reabsorption of magnesium.
Through a genetic test, you can find out if you have any genetic variations that affect your magnesium levels.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file called the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your magnesium levels.
Vitamins are organic substances needed for the growth and development of the human body. Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C is one such vitamin.
It was discovered in the 1920s by Albert von Szent Györgyi as the molecule that can cure scurvy. Scurvy, which is caused by severe Vitamin C deficiency, can turn fatal if left untreated.
Vitamin C is now an established drug and is commonly used as a supplement. Vitamin C must be consumed through food or diet. It can be excreted out of the body easily because of its water solubility.
Some animals like cats and dogs can synthesize this vitamin on their own, whereas some birds, fish, and humans cannot.
Though humans have the gene needed for vitamin C production, it has been inactivated through evolution.
The gene crucial for converting L-Gulonolactone into ascorbic acid, the active form of vitamin C, is heavily mutated. This gene contains instructions for producing an enzyme called gluconolactone oxidase or Gulon. These mutations were accumulated over time as humans evolved. These genes that accumulate mutations and are not functional are termed pseudogenes.
You must be wondering why a process so crucial is prevented from happening in our bodies. The answer to this lies in understanding the function of this gene.
There are a few theories to answer this question.
The first one is that hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of this process.
Hydrogen peroxide is a reactive oxygen species, ROS for short. A buildup of ROS in the body can lead to disease conditions. By not synthesizing vitamin C, our body prevents the buildup of ROS.
Another theory talks about the function of vitamin C as a regulator.
Vitamin C regulates the transcription factor Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α, HIF1α for short. This is responsible for regulating the production of several stress-related genes.
This shows that there are actually some advantages to the absence of vitamin C synthesis in the body. Additionally, human ancestors have had plenty of vitamin C in the fruits and berries they consumed in the rain forests.
Your genes can also influence how effectively vitamin C is absorbed and used by the body. SLC23A1 and SLC23A2 genes are involved in the absorption and distribution of vitamin C. Mutations or changes in these genes also influence the absorption of vitamin C by the body.
You can find out if you have any genetic variations that affect your vitamin C levels. This can be done through a genetic test.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file called the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report.
Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your vitamin C levels.
Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is one of the crucial nutrients for DNA synthesis and red blood cell formation. It is a water-soluble vitamin and is easily absorbed into and metabolized by the body. Vitamin B12 is crucial for preventing megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak.
The vitamin B12 requirements vary according to age and health conditions. An average healthy adult's Recommended Dietary Allowances or RDA of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms. This requirement increases to 2.4 and 2.8 micrograms for pregnant and lactating women, respectively.
As you age, the absorption of several nutrients, including vitamin B12, is reduced. The RDA for elderly individuals varies from 25 to 100 micrograms.
It is quite easy to obtain this vitamin from dietary sources like fish, meat, egg, and dairy products. If you do not consume meat or dairy, you can still get your vitamin B12 from fortified food sources, like plant-based milk, cereals, and grains.
But natural food sources provide more vitamin B12 than fortified ones. People on vegetarian and vegan diets are at an increased risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Some notable symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include pale skin, fatigue, mouth ulcers, mood changes, and confusion. It can also lead to megaloblastic anemia, characterized by the circulation of abnormally large red blood cells.
A common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is pernicious anemia, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks cells that are required to absorb vitamin B12.
Other causes of vitamin B12 deficiency may include certain medications like proton pump inhibitors and gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn's disease.
Genetics is another factor that can influence vitamin B12 levels. Based on your genes, you may be inclined to either have increased or decreased levels of vitamin B12.
The TCN2 gene contains information to produce the transcobalamin 2 protein, which is involved in the transportation of vitamin B12 from blood to the cells in the body. Certain changes in this gene can affect your vitamin B12 levels in the body.
FUT2 is yet another important gene that influences the absorption of vitamin B12 in the body. FUT2 contains information to produce an enzyme that is necessary for the attachment of a harmful bacteria called Helicobacter pylori to the digestive tract. This bacteria impairs the absorption of vitamin B12 from food.
You can find out if you have any genetic variations that affect your vitamin B12 levels. This can be done through a genetic test.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file called the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
We, at Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your vitamin B12 levels.
Vitamin D plays a major role in maintaining bone health. It helps the body effectively utilize calcium from the diet.
Some food sources of vitamin D include egg yolk, dairy, fatty fish, and grains. Exposure to sunlight is a major source of vitamin D. The UV rays in sunlight induce vitamin D production in the skin. About 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight is recommended to maintain optimal vitamin D levels.
In today's world, people may not have enough exposure to sunlight.
Sunscreens are commonly used to prevent sunburns and tans, thereby blocking UV rays and the production of vitamin D. A sunscreen of SPF 30 can reduce the amount of vitamin D produced on sunlight exposure by more than 90%.
The worldwide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is very high, as high as 50%. Vitamin D deficiency leads to bone loss, pain, risk of fractures, and several disease conditions, like rickets and lupus.
Certain groups of people are at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. These include:
Very few foods have enough vitamin D to reach recommended daily intakes, and sunshine can be unreliable in certain climates.
In these cases, vitamin D supplements can be taken in addition to food sources.
Make sure to talk to your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements.
Overdose can lead to vitamin D toxicity, which is dangerous.
Vitamin D production depends on several factors, including the color of your skin, duration of exposure, amount of skin exposed, and genetics.
People with darker skin have more melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. This protects skin cells from harmful radiation damage.
Melanin also blocks the amount of UVB radiation that enters the skin, thereby reducing the amount of vitamin D produced. So people with darker skin tones are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.
Studies have found some genetic changes associated with vitamin D deficiency.
Two such genes are GC and VDR.
Let's see how they regulate vitamin D levels.
This is especially seen in organs like the kidneys, bones, intestines, parathyroid glands, and the cardiovascular system.
Mutations or changes in the VDR gene affect vitamin D levels and can increase or decrease the sensitivity of the body to the effects of vitamin D.
You can easily find out if you have any genetic variations that affect your vitamin D levels through a genetic test.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file, called the raw DNA data.
This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you. Xcode Life, can help you interpret it.
All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on your vitamin D levels.
What is it about sugary foods that just make our mouths water? There's actually a scientific explanation for this salivation! The term 'sugar' refers to a class of carbohydrate molecules that include glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch.
So, how does your brain react to these sugar molecules? As soon as the sugar hits the tongue, it activates the sweet receptors. They, in turn, send a signal to the specific region of the cerebral cortex in the brain. The signal activates the reward system in the brain, which is a series of chemical reactions. This “reward” is communicated through the release of dopamine, which is popularly known as the “happy hormone.”
Incidentally, food-reward is a common form of animal training routines. An animal is rewarded with a treat when it performs certain actions, and animal trainers routinely use this programming of food-reward in zoos and entertainment venues and other animal training facilities. Basically, when you feel this sense of reward, your brain motivates you to "do it again"!
Interestingly, food is not the only thing that activates this reward system. Drugs, sexual behavior, and socializing have all been studied to stimulate this sense of reward.
While the reward system induces pleasurable feelings, overactivation of this system is really not good for the body! Overconsumption of drugs can send our body into dopamine overdrive, which leads to the sense of 'feeling high.'
Non-sugary foods, like your veggies, have no effect on dopamine. Thus, when you eat a balanced meal every day, your dopamine levels begin to level out. This will make you want to include more varieties of foods in your diet. How does this happen?
Our brains are tuned to be attentive to different kinds of tastes for two reasons - to be able to detect spoilt food and to seek out different nutrients our body needs for healthy functioning.
With sugar-rich foods, the dopamine levels never level out, and as a result, we do not tend to seek new foods. This can put you at risk for health conditions like diabetes and obesity, and various nutritional deficiencies.
Your preference for sweet foods is influenced by the sweet taste receptors in your tongue. Their expression, in turn, is influenced by the TAS1R2 and TAS1R3 genes. If you have a higher expression of the sweet taste receptors, you are likely to be more sensitive to the sweet taste and hence consume less sweet foods.
You can identify your tendency to prefer a specific taste by studying your genetic makeup. All you need is your genetic ancestry test raw data to get started! You can upload this file and order a nutrition report.
Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including your genetic preference for various tastes.
Does your face turn red after a couple of sips of wine? Do you sense facial flushing whenever you go out for drinks? This facial flushing is technically known as the alcohol flush reaction. It is caused by a genetic fault known as ALDH2 deficiency or Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 deficiency.
Nearly 36% of the East Asian population has ALDH2 deficiency. Due to its high prevalence among Asians, it is also called the Asian Glow.
What is this deficiency, and what does drinking have to do with it?
It's all linked to how your body processes alcohol. When you drink, most of the alcohol is taken to the liver and converted into acetaldehyde by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is a dangerous chemical compound, classified as a group 1 carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance, by the WHO. A build-up of acetaldehyde takes a bad toll on the body.
But, don't worry, our body has a way to fight this. The savior is the ALDH2 enzyme, which converts the harmful acetaldehyde to acetic acid. Acetic acid is not harmful to the cells. But this defense mechanism doesn't guarantee a free pass to drink all you want. If you're ALDH2 deficient, the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid happens at an extremely slow pace. This may result in a rapid build-up of acetaldehyde in the body. Other than a dreadful hangover, this can also cause flushing, headaches, vomiting, and heart palpitations.
The major concern is the increase in the risk of esophageal and head and neck cancer due to acetaldehyde accumulation. According to a study, if an ALDH2 deficient person drinks less than two cans of beer every day, the risk of esophageal cancer is 40 times higher than a normal person. If the same person drinks more than two cans a day, the risk increases by 400 times. When combined with smoking, the risk further increases. The acetaldehyde produced by burning tobacco is seven times more than the amount from drinking.
You can find out all by yourself. All you need is a band-aid and some strong alcohol or liquor.
This is obviously not a 100% accurate diagnosis.
If you are looking for a diagnosis, a genetic test would be the way to go!
Genetic tests can help find out if you carry faulty genes that may increase your risk for alcohol flush. Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file called the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you.
We can help you out at Xcode Life and interpret all this information for you. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including details on Alcohol Flush Reaction!
How does your body know that you are full after a meal? Hunger creates an uncomfortable feeling, making you desire food. After hogging a pancake or two, you start to experience the feeling of fullness. What happens inside the body that gives rise to this feeling? This feeling of fullness, also termed satiety, is due to various inputs that your brain receives when you consume food. When food enters your stomach, the muscular walls of the stomach expand to accommodate the incoming food.
This stretching of the stomach is picked up by the nerves wrapped intricately around the stomach wall. These nerves communicate with the brainstem and the hypothalamus. They are the two main regions of the brain that control food intake.
Over 20 gastrointestinal hormones are involved in signaling your brain that you are full. Cholecystokinin is a hormone produced in the upper small bowel which induces the feeling of fullness. Eventually, you feel full and stop eating. This hormone also slows down the movement of food from the stomach into the intestines. This is done to give the body time to understand that you’re eating and filling up your stomach. You must have noticed that when you eat really fast, you don’t feel as full as when you take time to eat your food. This is why - your body needs time to realize that you’re eating food.
Insulin is also involved in the satiety response. Insulin release is triggered upon the entry of glucose. When insulin is released, it instructs the body’s fat cells to make another hormone called leptin. There are two groups of neurons in the hypothalamus: ones that promote the sensation of hunger and the others that inhibit it. Leptin blocks the neurons that drive the food intake, thus inducing satiety.
The genes that influence the production of the satiety hormones also play a role in how full you feel. If these genes contain any errors, it can lead to a defect in the hormones produced. This may result in a lower satiety response, which is one of the biggest contributors to overeating. The DRD2 gene is one such example. This gene carries instructions for the production of a subtype of the dopamine receptor. When dopamine binds to the receptor, it reduces the feeling of hunger, thereby making you feel full. Certain changes in this gene affect the way dopamine reacts with the receptor, leading to low satiety response and overeating. Other genes also influence several contributors to overeating, like food cravings and emotional eating. A simple genetic test can analyze your genes that control the various aspects related to overeating.
The micronutrient content, flavor, and texture of foods also influence your satiety. Further, some foods satisfy your hunger for longer, whereas others have a short-term effect. A soft drink gives you immediate satisfaction, but you feel hungry soon after. A protein-packed sandwich can keep you full for at least a few hours. This is because of the difference in nutrients in various foods. Food items that contain more protein, water, or fiber are more hunger-satisfying.
Most genetic tests provide your DNA information in the form of a text file known as the raw DNA data. This data may seem like Greek and Latin to you. We, at Xcode Life, can help you interpret this data. All you have to do is upload your raw data and order a nutrition report. Xcode Life then analyzes your raw data in detail to provide you with comprehensive nutrition analysis, including information on satiety and overeating.
