How Our Genes Affect Our Micronutrient Needs
Advances in human genome sequencing has opened the door to personalized medicine and nutrigenetics, which use information about genetics to guide medical therapy or nutritional advice.
I write this article from a medical caregiver to fellow medical caregiver. Although I run ideas like this by my colleagues in the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, I know we are parochial in our thought processes and need the wider vetting you afford.
I want to share an omega-3 test I recently had the chance to experience. This comes on the heels of a new study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
A recent meta-analysis published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that an increased amount of EPA and DHA from diet and/or from supplements decreased cardiovascular events by about 18 percent (5, 6). Even more impressive is when you look at the data based on the level of omega-3s in red blood cell membrane (RBC membrane), called an omega-3 index. An index above 8 percent was associated with greater than a 75 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared to an index of less than 4 percent (a higher index means more omega-3s in your red cells—see figure1).
Even better, like your patients’ blood pressures or blood sugars, you can now easily measure your patients’ omega-3 index reliably (11).
It comes as no surprise, that a decade worth of research has shown that omega-3s and specifically, DHA, support brain health. In fact, one study showed that DHA at 900mg a day supports memory (2).
So, to help support the health of your brain and heart, I suggest taking the Omega-3 Index text and educating your patients about the Index.
I was given an Omega-3 Index test kit (produced by OmegaQuant) because I am a member of the NUTRI-FACTS editorial board, which I’m a paid member. We know EPA and DHA omega-3s have been shown to support healthy triglyceride (TG) levels, so those patients who have high TG levels with a high risk of CV events might get the therapeutic level of 2 to 4 grams per day, at least until their TG levels fall to an acceptable level, and their omega-3 index rise to an acceptable level. The full algorithm is at the website http://knowyouro.com, under the “Get Resources” tab.
I decided it was important to measure my omega-3 index even though I eat two to three servings of salmon a week and take 600 mg of DHA omega-3 supplements a day. You and your patients will be able to receive their results in a few days by mail. The test is easy and involves a simple pinprick of your finger with a drop of blood placed on a special piece of blotter paper that is then submitted by mail.
Despite my habit of eating salmon twice a week and the supplementing responsibly, my level was just short of optimal at 7.98 percent. But I always strive to achieve the optimal level – a level a percent or two above 8 percent. I plan to increase my omega-3 supplement intake a little to 800 mg a day, and do another measurement in three to four months.
Please write to me (youdocs@gmail.com) to share your feedback – I’m curious to learn where your body lands on the omega-3 index.
1. Omega-3s are a healthy choice to reduce CV disease in analyses of all studies of omega-3’s just published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and in my opinion;
2. To make sure you get an appropriate amount in your diet and/or from supplement, get the simple the Omega-3 Index test kit.
3. Learn more by accessing the resource guide “Doctor Decision Tree” at www.KnowYourO.com as a starting point for omega-3 intake recommendations for your patients, at least until you measure their Omega-3 Index and TGs. I aim for more than 8 percent and less than 100 – just as I suggest to my patients.
Thanks for reading.