The human body is a natural marvel that we still don’t completely understand. Interestingly, there is a unique connection between genetics, nutrition and health.
Not only will these factors help determine your body composition, but they can also have an impact on life expectancy, your immune system, etc.
Let’s explore these attributes and how they are related to each other.
Some People Have Different Dietary Requirements Than Others
Unfortunately, not all metabolisms are created equal. It’s fairly common for people to have an intolerance to certain types of foods or ingredients.
For instance, there are thousands of people who can’t eat dairy products. Others may not be able to properly metabolize gluten.
This means that you may face dietary limitations that someone you know doesn’t have to deal with.
Additionally, certain people have a genetic predisposition to developing certain chronic diseases. This will also have an impact on what they can and cannot eat.
In these cases, you may even find that you are limited to including only certain foods in your diet.
More often than not, though, you will simply have to avoid foods that make you feel ill and prioritize foods that help you protect yourself against potential health concerns.
Body Composition Is Largely Genetic
Most of us had a friend or two at some point in our lives who could eat a seemingly endless amount of food and never gain weight. There were others who would gain a large amount of weight in a short period of time.
Scenarios like this are largely due to genetics. In general, there are three primary body types:
- Ectomorph – Naturally very lean and have difficulty gaining weight
- Mesomorph – Tend to lose fat and gain muscle at a reasonable pace
- Endomorph – Has little trouble gaining weight but has difficulty losing weight
To an extent, your body type will influence your dietary habits. Someone who has trouble losing weight will need to be much more vigilant in tracking their overall calorie consumption.
On the other hand, someone who has trouble gaining weight will need to eat more food overall than the average person.
This also creates scenarios where someone can eat fairly unhealthily without gaining a significant amount of fat. In contrast, someone who is prone to gaining weight might eat plenty of healthy food the majority of the time but still gain fat.
Genetics and Nutrition Can Influence Your Immune System
Interestingly, some people require a different amount of nutrients on a daily basis compared to others. This is due entirely to genetics.
To clarify, it’s well known that the average person should eat multiple servings of vegetables each day. However, some people may have a natural deficiency of vitamin A.
If they don’t consume an extra amount of this nutrient, they may have more concerning health consequences than somebody else would.
For this reason, it’s highly recommended that you look into a nutrigenomic analysis. This will provide comprehensive insight into the foods that are best for your body.
Additionally, it can help pinpoint problem areas that need nutritional attention. You can visit this resource to learn more about the DietCypher science and how it can benefit you.
Eating Healthily Is Always Beneficial
It’s fairly common for people to have a relatively relaxed diet simply because they don’t experience any consequences at first. The truth is that eating poorly for an extended period of time can result in various health complications.
This includes unexpected weight gain, heart disease, joint pain, etc. When left unchecked, these issues could even develop into severe health concerns.
A general rule of thumb to consider is that eating healthily is always beneficial. Even if you can get away with eating fast food, sweets, etc., you won’t be doing much for your overall health regardless of your genetics.
You will likely find that your quality of life drastically improves once you get your diet in check.
Your Responses to Certain Foods May Change Over Time
This is a relatively strange occurrence that we do not fully understand at the moment. It’s entirely possible for you to suddenly develop an aversion to foods that you have enjoyed throughout your entire life.
For instance, you may suddenly experience indigestion every time that you eat red meat. The same can be said about dairy, peanuts, etc.
Due to the manner in which this occurs, this change in dietary requirements is due to genetic factors. As your body develops, certain attributes influence the way your body handles certain foods.
For this reason, people commonly experience a scenario like this as they enter their 30s and 40s.
If you notice that you can no longer handle certain foods, you should not force yourself to eat them. This could eventually develop into a health condition that would have otherwise been entirely preventable.
Instead, it’s best to accept your newfound limitations and adapt to them as best you can. More often than not, this shouldn’t prove to be an issue.
Understanding Genetics, Nutrition and Health Might Seem Complicated
However, the links between them aren’t as difficult to comprehend as you might think at first. From here, the above guide will help ensure that you understand how genetics, nutrition, and health are connected.
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