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Are some people prone to stretch marks while others avoid them altogether? The answer lies in your genes!
Stretch marks, also called striae distensae, are a type of line-like scar that develops on the skin. When the skin expands or shrinks, it puts extra pressure on two proteins that support the skin, namely collagen and elastin. This ultimately results in their breakage, leading to scars.
Due to certain genes, some people are more prone to developing stretch marks than others. Some of these genes may be involved in repairing damage to the skin when it expands (like in the case of weight gain).
In people with certain changes in these genes, the repair may not occur well; hence, collagen/elastin damage can cause stretch marks.
For example, the ELN gene produces elastin, a protein responsible for skin elasticity. Elastin helps the tissues in the skin to resume their original shape after stretching or contraction. Certain changes in the ELN gene are associated with a lowered elastin expression, which is shown to increase the risk of stretch marks.
People who have been under stress for a long time may develop stretch marks even without weight gain or pregnancy. This is due to the simple fact that chronic stress leads to increased levels of cortisol (also called the stress hormone). When the level of cortisol rises, less collagen and elastin are produced. This lowers skin elasticity. This is why stretch marks are a hallmark sign of Cushing syndrome, a condition characterized by elevated cortisol levels.
Curious about your stretch mark genes? Here’s how you can learn about it in 3 simple steps:
Do you find yourself craving sugar and sweet foods all the time? If you cannot manage to end your meal without dessert at the end, it’s time to take it up with your genes!
Whenever food touches our tongues, the taste buds send signals to the taste center of the brain that helps detect the taste. Whether or not your like or prefer the taste is controlled by another area in the brain.
Each taste bud has a protein on the tip called the taste receptor. Five different kinds of taste receptors get activated upon encountering any one of the 5 basic tastes: sweet, sour, salt, bitter, and savory.
Upon activation, the taste receptors get activated, and the nerves in the tongue pick up this signal which travels through the back of your mouth and up a tiny hole in your skull into your brain.
Image: Distribution of taste receptors
The number and expression of sweet taste receptors on your tongue are regulated by certain genes, including TAS1R2 and TAS1R3.
People with certain changes in these genes may have lower expression of the sweet taste receptors and may consume more sweets to enjoy the full benefits of sweet taste.
On the other hand, 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.
What makes us crave sugar? As soon as the brain receives signals from the sweet receptors, the reward system is activated, which is communicated through the release of dopamine, popularly known as the “happy hormone.” This feeling of pleasure we experience is what makes us go after sugary foods.
Curious about your sweet tooth genes? Here’s how you can learn about it in 3 simple steps:
Is coffee the first thing you can think of when you open your eyes in the morning? If you cannot get through your day without that cup of joe, you can thank your genes for it, as they may drive your high caffeine consumption.
Our bodies signal the brain when we are tired or when it’s time for sleeping through a molecule called adenosine. When adenosine sits in its docking station (called the receptor), it signals the brain to shut off activities that promote wakefulness.
The molecular structure of caffeine is remarkably similar to adenosine. When we drink coffee, the caffeine molecule binds to the docking station that actually belongs to adenosine. So, the brain doesn’t get the signal to shut off the activities, and we continue feeling energetic.
For many people, the extra shot of caffeine can help power through a drowsy day. But for some struggling with sleep deprivation, even a small amount of caffeine can keep them tossing and turning at night.
Why does caffeine affect people in such different ways?
It is partly due to the genes that deal with how caffeine is processed inside the body.
Two of them which handle most of the work are CYP1A2 and AHR. The former produces an enzyme that metabolizes ~95% of the caffeine consumed, and the latter controls how much of this enzyme is produced.
Depending on the types of these genes you carry (also called genetic variations), you can broadly be classified as a fast, normal, or slow metabolizer of caffeine. Fast metabolizers will likely consume more caffeine without experiencing negative side effects like jitters and sleeplessness. Slow metabolizers are likely to consume less coffee.
Your caffeine metabolizer status affects not only how much caffeine you consume but also your risk for other health conditions.
Curious about your caffeine metabolizer status? Here’s how you can learn about it in 3 simple steps:
DNA testing or genetic testing is a way of understanding how a person’s genes shape their life.
Personal genetic testing helps understand your ancestral history, the risk for certain health conditions, and physical and mental traits.
Such tests require you to send home collected DNA samples to the lab for analysis.
A DNA swab test collects DNA samples from the inner cheeks. Your results may only be accurate if the DNA sample is collected and sent correctly.
There are two basic kinds of DNA tests - home DNA testing and legal DNA testing.
Legal DNA testing is for lawful purposes, and the samples are collected in front of a person in charge.
For home DNA testing, the samples can be collected at home and sent to the lab.
The following steps are a part of the home DNA testing process.
Step 1: Order the test of your choice online from one of the personal genomics companies.
Step 2: The company will send you the DNA collection kit through the mail, and you will also get a prepaid mail package included.
Step 3: The lab will include all details on how to collect the swab with the kit.
Step 4: Follow the instructions and collect the swab. You may be asked to register the kit online before mailing it.
Step 5: Put the collected kit into the prepaid mail package and send it back.
Step 6: It may take 4-8 weeks to receive your reports based on the sample sent.
Step 7: If the sample is insufficient or contaminated in any way, the team will get back to you, and you may have to redo the whole process again.
A DNA test can help solve legal paternity issues.
In recent times, home genetic DNA tests have become common. These can determine how a person’s DNA affects their health, wellness, and physical traits.
Many people use these tests to find their ancestral history too.
Home DNA tests usually require the individual to sign a consent form that they must mail back to the testing company. These tests cannot be used as proof for legal purposes.
Most paternity DNA tests need to be done in the presence of a person in charge, and these come with detailed paperwork trails. Such test results are acceptable in court proceedings for legal purposes.
Here are ways you can prepare for a DNA swab test.
While eating does not change the DNA, it may contaminate the sample and make it difficult for the analysts to use it. Hence, you should not eat for at least 30 minutes before taking a swab sample.
You can also brush and rinse the mouth to maintain better sample integrity.
While coffee cannot change the DNA, it can mask it and make it difficult to use the same. So it is recommended that you don’t drink coffee for at least 30 minutes before taking a swab sample.
You don’t have to fast before taking a swab test. Not drinking or eating anything 30 minutes before taking the test will be sufficient.
As long as the swab is handled right and stored in the envelopes/tubes, it can be valid for up to six months.
However, it is better to collect the sample and mail it as soon as possible. This will ensure you get results faster too.
Sample recollection may be necessary in the following cases.
A DNA test, or a genetic test, is a medical test that evaluates your genetic code and identifies any abnormal changes (mutations) in your genes, chromosomes, and proteins.
These mutations indicate you have a condition or are at risk of developing one during your lifetime.
A DNA test also helps determine how likely you are to pass a genetic disorder to your offspring.
Since DNA in an individual is inherited from both parents, a DNA test can help determine the paternity or maternity of an individual.
The time taken for DNA test results to arrive varies, depending upon why they are done and the laboratory.
DNA paternity tests can take between two to ten days from the receipt of the sample in the laboratory.
Most court-ordered DNA test results take two to ten days or a week or two to arrive.
The court conducts detailed checks about other documentation and maintains privacy throughout the procedure.
DNA tests for genetic disorder diagnosis are performed using blood or saliva samples.
The results of these tests usually arrive in a few weeks.
DNA testing is usually recommended and done through physicians, nurse practitioners, or genetic counselors.
However, with direct-to-consumer DNA Tests, you can now opt to undergo a DNA test by purchasing a kit.
Once you purchase the DNA testing kit, you take a DNA sample from a cheek swab and send it to the laboratory.
Direct-to-consumer genetic testing may take slightly longer than a prescribed laboratory test.
It may take a few weeks from sending the sample until you get your results.
You will be notified when your results are available online.
While most DNA or genetic tests assess the data and give you various reports and analyses, you can also download the raw data online.
Raw DNA data is the genotype that includes the various genetic codes in your DNA.
Interpreting raw data is challenging.
Several online tools and applications can help analyze your DNA raw data.
However, you must consult a genetic counselor before reaching any conclusion about your condition, your risk for disease, maternity, paternity, or ancestry.
Once you upload your DNA raw data on one of these tools, you may get your results as early as 24 hours.
It takes around two to three weeks to extract DNA from the sample sent and up to eight and nine weeks for the DNA sequencing results to arrive.
Ancestry DNA testing is a type of DNA test that allows people to learn more about their family history and give an idea about their ancestors.
The test evaluates certain patterns of genetic variations shared by people from common backgrounds.
The results of the ancestry test can take around six to eight weeks from the time the lab receives the DNA sample.
Most people who opt for a DNA test to know more about their health and family history presume it is a tell-all.
Here are three things to know before you take a DNA test:
The results vary between home DNA test kits and those performed at laboratories.
Granular information about the ethnicity percentage may be different based on the brand of the test.
If you took or are taking a DNA test presuming you’ll decode all genetic secrets in your chromosomes, it may not happen.
Owing to the cost of DNA genome sequencing and technology, there is still some time before you know all the secrets of your genetic code.
DNA tests can spill out surprises, many of which you may not be ready for.
From finding an unknown biological parent to half-siblings, DNA tests can reveal plenty of information.
Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes and play a role in cellular aging.
Genetic information is stored inside the nucleus of each cell in the body.
The genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes.
The ends of each chromosome are present stretches of DNA called telomeres.
Telomeres are also responsible for how we age or get cancer.
When cell division takes place, telomeres become shorter.
The cell can no longer divide when the telomeres get too short and eventually dies.
This process has piqued the interest of researchers and scientists.
Telomeres perform several functions.
DNA makes up all the cells in our body, so telomeres at the end of each chromosome are vital for health.
The cells in our body replenish by copying themselves, which occurs throughout our lives.
Every time the cell copies itself, the telomeres get shorter, but the DNA of the cells stays intact.
Eventually, when the telomeres get too short to protect our DNA, the cell ages and stop functioning.
So, telomeres act as an aging clock for each cell in our body.
Telomeres also regulate the cell cycle, prevent unnecessary recombination of DNA, repair any defects in the genes and preserve the information in the genome.
Since telomeres shorten with age, the rate of telomere shortening may indicate the pace of aging in an individual.
A telomere comprises several hundreds of nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA).
At least a few hundred nucleotides must cap each chromosome end to prevent DNA repair pathway activation.
DNA repair pathways are activated in response to any damage to the DNA.
As part of the body’s natural aging process, telomere length decreases. When the telomere length reaches below a critical limit, the cells undergo senescence or death (apoptosis).
Though telomere shortening has been associated with the aging process, it is still unknown whether it is the cause or result of it.
Telomeres at the tip of chromosomes are like the plastic tips at the end of your shoelaces.
Without the plastic tips, the shoelaces become frayed. Similarly, without telomeres, the DNA strands become damaged, and the cells are unable to function normally.
For this reason, telomeres are important.
Progressive telomeric shortening affects an individual’s health and life span.
Shortening of telomeres is also triggered and accelerated by stress, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet.
In fact, the rate of telomere shortening can be increased or decreased by certain lifestyle factors.
Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased incidence of diseases and poor survival.
Several studies have stated that shorter telomeres are a risk factor for cancer.
People with shorter telomeres are found to have a greater risk of developing lung, bladder, renal cell, and gastrointestinal cancers
What and how much we eat has a direct correlation to telomere length, health, and longevity.
Here are a few ways to slow down telomere shortening:
Some antioxidant-rich foods like salmon, tuna, halibut, flax seeds, sprouts, chia seeds, blueberries, and vitamin C and E-rich foods are great for preserving telomere length.
