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Dear Doctor,
I recently read in the Gazette that scientists
have discovered new genetic connections with diseases. Do natural remedies have any effect on
genetic diseases?
ML, Billings
The most exciting development in medicine today
is the ability to test for these genetic variations that are part of what
make each of us unique. Naturopathic
education is built on the acknowledgement of each person’s “biochemical
individuality,” and genetic sequencing, with the identification of single
nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence disease risk factors, take
this concept to a whole new level.
It is important to realize that SNPs are not
deterministic. If you have a SNP, it
does not mean you are going to get a particular disease. SNPs are associated with RISKS for
diseases, but these risks are “modifiable,” usually through basic nutrition
and life style planning. It is
because basic treatments can minimize many of these risks that they are
used in the clinical setting.
There are three labs in the country currently
offering genetic testing. The Labs are limiting their testing to the SNPs
that have sufficient research in the areas of heart disease, neurological
diseases, osteoporosis, liver detoxification capacity, immune dysfunction
and cancer. The lab that we are currently working with has constructed
panels that test combinations of SNPs that are known to have direct
correlation with diseases processes AND have nutritional interventions that
can change the chance of a disease actually occurring. This concept is called gene expression. It means that you have the genetic
sequencing or SNP that predisposes you to high cholesterol and increased
inflammation, but you take nutritional supplements, modify your lifestyle
or take medications, and you are able to reduce or prevent expression of
the disease process.
The ability to identify an individual’s capacity
for detoxification through the liver is particularly exciting and of great
interest to naturopathic physicians, specifically, because we have long
acknowledged that the ability to efficiently and adequately eliminate
metabolic waste products, such as hormones, inflammatory substances and
toxins, is crucial for health. It is
now evident that a combination of SNPs in liver
detoxification pathways may be linked to increased reactions to
medications, hypersensitivity to environmental toxins, and even breast and
other cancers.
Even more exciting is that there are very simple
interventions that can reduce an individual’s chance of actually expressing
the SNPs, which help to more effectively treat current conditions, and
maybe more importantly, prevent a disease from occurring in the first
place. This may be as simple as
providing a specific form of B12 in 20 times the usual dose, or increasing
certain antioxidants to increase protective liver antioxidant enzyme
production.
You can expect to hear more about new and
individualized treatment interventions in the future, as the field of
genetic medicine continues to develop.
In the meantime check our website @ www.yncnaturally.com
for more information on genetic testing.
Yellowstone Naturopathic
Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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