Ever thought about going for DNA testing? If you’re someone who is hoping to maximize their health and ensure the best longevity possible, you’ll want to ensure that you are considering DNA testing.

DNA testing gives you a glimpse into what your genes are so that you know what underlying factors may come out in your health journey. While in many cases, DNA testing isn’t going to give definite answers as environmental factors also come into play, it certainly can help prepare you for what might unravel in the future.

Let’s look at a few areas DNA testing can assist with.

Disease Risk Profile

The first thing a DNA test can help you determine and one of the most common reasons for using it is to help establish your disease risk profile. As many diseases are known to be genetically based, a DNA test can help you determine which diseases you may be at a greater risk for.

Note we said at risk for. In almost all cases, a DNA test will not tell you which diseases you will get. It’s not that definite. Instead it simply tells you if you are at a much higher probability than the general population for getting a particular disease.

From there, you can do further testing on a regular basis to catch the particular disease in its earlier stages, so you have a better chance of treating it effectively and/or surviving the condition depending on the disease.

Which diseases are most often tested for?

Some of the most common tested for diseases include Lupus, Grave’s Disease, Celiac Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis, Heart disease, Peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, folate metabolism, vitamin B metabolism, vitamin D metabolism, various types of cancers including bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and basal cell carcinoma.

If anyone in your family has one or more of these conditions, it may be worth your while to consider getting yourself tested.

Muscle Fiber Type

Another interesting thing that a DNA test can tell you is your muscle fiber type. This means it can help give you a glimpse into whether you have more fast twitch muscle fibers or whether you are more predominant in slow twitch muscle fibers.

This can help you determine two things. First, if maximum performance and excelling at your chosen activity is a primary goal for you, it can help you determine which type of activity you should pursue. Some people are naturally good at certain sports and athletic ventures and this is often the case why.

Or, if you are simply looking to develop a more well-rounded level of fitness, the test can help you determine whether you are performing enough variety in your workout program. You may want to schedule more exercise training that works the muscle fiber type you aren’t predominant in since those types of pursuits just won’t come as naturally do you.

Help You Control Your Body Weight

Finally, DNA testing may also help you better learn to control your body weight. It can uncover certain facts about your genes with how your body processes food and which type of diets will work better.

Not everyone responds to the same diet in the same way and sometimes choosing the best diet isn’t just about which one you prefer. If you don’t know how your body best reacts to diets, it can take away from the progress that you’ll see.

So there you have a few of the main things that a good DNA test can help you learn about your health and well-being. It pays to get the test done. The more informed you can be about your health, the better.

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