Activating Your Genes: Could This Be the Key to Wellness? with Dr. Christina Beer

Ever wondered how your diet influences your DNA? Discover the power of nutrigenomics in optimizing health at the cellular level in our latest episode.

Are you struggling to understand how nutrition impacts your genes and overall health?

Many people don't realize that what they eat can actually influence their DNA and cellular function. This lack of awareness may be preventing you from optimizing your health and wellness.

Discover how the emerging field of nutrigenomics can empower you to take control of your health at the cellular level.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

• What nutrigenomics is and how it differs from traditional approaches to nutrition and medicine
• The key cellular pathways and mitochondrial function that impact oxidative stress, energy production, and metabolism
• How natural GLP-1 activation compares to popular weight loss medications
• Practical ways healthcare providers can start integrating nutrigenomics into patient care

This episode will open your eyes to the fascinating world of nutrigenomics and how it can transform your approach to health and wellness.

CONNECT WITH DR. CHRISTINA BEER

Chapters

• 0:00 Understanding Oxidative Stress
• 6:58 Dr. Baer's Journey Into Nutrigenomics
• 10:51 From Symptoms to Cellular Activation
• 14:24 The NRF2 Pathway Explained
• 19:39 Mitochondria: More Than Cellular Batteries
• 24:56 GLP-1: Beyond Weight Loss
• 29:09 Natural GLP-1 System vs. Medications
• 32:46 Integrating Nutrigenomics Into Pharmacy
• 40:17 Ethics and Future of Nutrigenomics
• 46:12 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

Transcript

Dr. Beer: 0:00

We don't want the production of ROS to get out of hand, because they're highly reactive molecules and they can damage your DNA. So if you understand the whole oxidative stress, then Nrf2 becomes much, much more important.

Dr. Tamar: 0:16

If you want to break the mold of traditional pharmacy and healthcare, you are in the right place. Welcome to the Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics podcast, part of the Pharmacy Podcast Network. Here's a little truth bomb. We're all unique, down to our DNA, so it's no wonder we react differently to the same medications, foods and environment. Here's a million dollar question how can you discover exactly what your body needs, which medication, what foods or supplements and which exercises are right for you? How can you manage chronic conditions like diabetes without more medications? How can you lose weight and keep it off? How do you tap into your genetic blueprints so you can stop surviving and start thriving in health and life? That is the question, and this podcast will give you the answer. I'm your host, dr Tamar, lawful doctor of pharmacy. Let's pivot into genomics and bring healthcare to higher levels. Hello, welcome back to Pivoting Pharmacy for Nutrigenomics. I'm your host, Dr. Tamar Lawful Doctor of Pharmacy and Certified Nutritional Genomics Specialist.

Dr. Tamar: 1:30

Today we are incredibly fortunate to have Dr Christina Beer, a Senior Research Scientist at LifeVantage, join us on the show. With a rich background in nutrition, genetics and nutrigenomics, dr Behr stands at the forefront of scientific innovation, developing supplements aimed at optimizing cellular function and overall health. Her work doesn't just stay in a lab. It plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between traditional healthcare and preventative, personalized wellness solutions. Dr Behr's focus on educating healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, on nutrigenomics allows for a more tailored approach to patient care. Her global experience and practical insights offer a unique perspective on how integrating personalized nutritional genomics can revolutionize mainstream healthcare. In this episode we'll dive into Dr Beer's journey into the world of nutrigenomics, her approach to simplifying complex scientific concepts for her patients and the potential challenges healthcare practitioners might face when integrating nutrigenomics into their practice. So stay tuned as we unravel the complexities of nutrigenomics with Dr Christina Beer.

Dr. Tamar: 2:42

Listen in with Dr. Christina Beer. Listen in, Dr. Beer, welcome. Welcome to Pivoting Pharmacy with Nutrigenomics. I'm so excited to have you here today. I know that you're going to share a wealth of information with the audience listeners, and very rarely do I get to speak to somebody else that actually knows about Nutrigenomics, so definitely looking forward to our conversation. Yes, that's so nice. So, to kick it off, could you share a little bit about yourself, how you found your way into the world of nutrigenomics?

Dr. Beer: 3:16

Yeah, that's actually a really good question, because I don't know it myself, because I wasn't really looking for a journey into nutrigenomics, I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't have looking for a journey into nutrigenomics, I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't have no clue what my passion was in life.

Dr. Beer: 3:29

You know, you're kind of this you're out of high school, you're out of college or you're in your process of going to college and you don't really know what you want to do. Some people find it early in life. I found it a little later. I knew I wanted to stay in science. I've always liked science, so that was always exciting to me. So nutrigenomics kind of just landed in my lap. So even when I was a little girl I always wanted to know why certain things happen and my parents bought me a microscope that I can play with, and.

Dr. Beer: 4:01

But I never really focused on any science in particular. I knew I didn't want to be a business person or I wanted to do science, something with the body, and my first dream job was going to be a dentist. Then I was going to be a pediatrician and I actually started med school in Europe. I'm from Sweden, so I started med school in Europe, but then I kind of I was kind of lost in a way, until a friend of mine. He was majoring in microbiology in college and I thought, well, maybe my friends are all there, maybe I should give it a try, and that's when I instantly fell in love with it. It was all about the topic, the lab work, everything. And then the pivotal moment was when we had a food micro class.

Dr. Beer: 4:46

We had a lab with it and it really opened the eyes for me on what these little critters actually do for us and in our food and for our bodies. And then I went on to grad school learning everything about what food does to our biology and the saying you are what you eat somewhat became true, right. So I wanted to dig into that a little bit more, and maybe I'm dating myself right now, but the field of genetics was really new at the time. I was in college and looking at the genetic makeup of bacteria. So I was in the food science department and we were making cheese and we were altering the genetics of these little cheese starters that they call them, these little microorganisms that influence flavor, texture, aroma and all these things that make cheese.

Dr. Beer: 5:39

That's when I realized there's so much more we don't understand when it comes to food and bugs and how it influences our bodies. And then I learned about and we're close to a medical school, so we had a lot of presentations about genetic nutrition diseases such as phenylketonuria you know where you're lacking an enzyme that utilizes phenylalanine or the maple syrup disease, which is very similar, but just for branched chain amino acids. But I also learned that it's not a death sentence and that you can actually live with these diseases by making dietary changes. It was all so fascinating. So finding the field of nutrigenomics allowed me to actually follow that passion, develop foods or supplements that could influence your genes and allow the body to reach a state of balance, if they're not diseases but actually nutritional issues. So that's how I started in this field.

Dr. Tamar: 6:36

Yeah, so curiosity went a long way. Very parallel to you, I had the microscope too growing up.

Dr. Beer: 6:43

I think that's our first initiation to science, right because I knew I liked science just like you and you're like science, so hey, why not get a microscope?

Dr. Tamar: 6:52

so my mom got a microscope. I was always looking at slides underneath that microscope, yeah, and things on it and you look for the first.

Dr. Beer: 7:00

The first thing you look for is the onion peel. You know the onion layer and you see a little yes cell. So I think we all start with the same thing.

Dr. Tamar: 7:08

It's amazing and science has come such a long way, and I love that. You said like looking at how the food impacts us on that cellular level. We are what we eat. It's a terminology that people hear a lot, but it's so true. So, when it comes to nutrigenomics, Dr. Beer, for our listeners who are actually new to the concept maybe this is their first time listening to the podcast but could you explain nutrigenomics in layman's terms?

Dr. Beer: 7:37

Yes, it's actually pretty simple. Nutrigenomics is a combination of two words. It uses nutrition, the nutri, and the word genome, which is our DNA collectively, our DNA in our cells. So it uses nutrition or food to influence our genes, our genome. It's pretty simple, yeah.

Dr. Tamar: 7:58

Our food affects our genome, affects our DNA, affects us and many people when I have clients that I introduced to nutrigenomic testing too, they're surprised. This is a new concept to them, that what they eat actually affects them on a genetic level, but it is so true it does. Now, with your unique background in microbiology, nutrition and food science, Dr. Beer, how do you think this has affected your approach to nutrigenomics?

Dr. Beer: 8:24

I think there are two things that come to mind. First, I was raised in Sweden. At the time, we're almost all families I knew sat around the kitchen table. They ate breakfast and dinner as a family, and there was hardly ever any fast food or microwave food served. My mom cooked every night, so we cooked everything from scratch. We were outside, we played, we moved around. Then, when I came to the US, people were bigger. They ate more fast food, and I did too. Don't take me wrong, I did too. It was convenient, it was fast, it was delicious, it was actually really yummy. But then I realized and I was playing tennis at the time I realized that I didn't always feel good or happy after eating fast food. And I drank so much soda because all of a sudden it was free for all and my craving started to shift from a good savory dinner to a sugary, sweet dinner instead. So I started to realize something is going on.

Dr. Beer: 9:26

The second thing that comes to mind is that it's just fascinating with genetics. It's like wow, these little molecules can influence who you are and what you do. And I've read so much and learned so much about genetics from early on and I have a tendency to get lost in the details when learning new topics, and it was just amazing that when we eat plants, proteins or even candy, it influences our genes. In their response, they can produce chemicals that can make you feel happy or not so happy. And now we're actually capable of investigating what pathways and what genes are activated or not, whether activating this pathway is something we want and desirable, and what genes are activated or not, whether activating this pathway is something we want and desirable, and what genes are affected and not, and so on. It's just a fascinating topic. All in all, I think it is.

Dr. Tamar: 10:16

It can be as complex as we want it to or simplified as we want it to, but it is indeed very complex when we think about it and also when it comes to the symptoms that people have, like you were mentioning. If you eat sugar, you might feel happy and then there are other foods that you can eat that might make you affect conditions. Nutrigenomics seems to shift our focus from just treating those symptoms to improving cellular health, to address underlying issues that people may have. What steps do you think are necessary to make this shift happen, where we're going from just treating symptoms to actually improving our cellular health?

Dr. Beer: 11:03

That's actually a very interesting question, and when you mentioned symptoms, I would assume that there's something wrong somewhere in the body. Right, Because if we're healthy, we don't have symptoms or issues. So when we treat symptoms, it does exactly what it says. It treats symptoms, but it doesn't go to the root cause of why we have these symptoms. You can have a headache or a bellyache or some other kind of aches and pains here and there, so you give them a painkiller right to treat that pain, but you're not looking at what caused the pain in the first place. So what we really want to do is look for the root cause and address this root cause. We want to empower your cells to take care of this root cause.

Dr. Beer: 11:49

We don't just want to cover it up. Sometimes, these cells we know that these cells need a little nudging, like a little here get started. Here is a kickstart to perform at their best, and this is what we call cellular activation. Best, and this is what we call cellular activation we will activate genes through the correct nutrient cocktail to perform at its best when it comes to addressing this root cause. Maybe you have clogged up the inside of your cells and need to clean it up. We can activate detox pathways now by providing the correct combination of botanicals, vitamins, minerals. Cellular activation allows your body to do just these things on its own. So there's a reason that it's so important to address this issue, because we just don't want to put a band-aid on it. We want to fix it long-term.

Dr. Tamar: 12:40

Yes, indeed, we want to address those issues. No band-aids here at all. Now I want to get into maybe a couple pathways or systems that you focus on. I understand that activating the NRF2. When I say, I like to say NRF2, is that what you say? Pathway, yes, okay, this is a big part of your work, Dr. Beer. Why is this particular pathway so important for reducing oxidative stress?

Dr. Beer: 13:06

I will throw a question back before we talk about Nrf2, and that is do you really know what oxidative stress really means? I'm sure people have heard about oxidative stress and that it's bad for you, but do you really know what it means?

Dr. Beer: 13:20

So I'd like to go into the definition of oxidative stress first, before we can address Nrf2. Yes, let's do it, Okay. Oxidative stress means that there's somewhat of an imbalance between the production of free radicals in the body and we can call them ROS and the body's ability to neutralize them using antioxidants. So we don't want the production of ROS to get out of hand, because they're highly reactive molecules and they can bombard your cells and damage your cells. They can damage your proteins, your hormones, your lipids and they can damage your DNA. The thing is that we create them naturally, just by breathing and eating foods, and they can also be created from your environment, though the one we live in or your lifestyle. When you exercise, you create free radicals. When you smoke, free radicals enter your body. Aging can cause free radicals. So if you understand the whole oxidative stress, what that all means, then Nrf2 becomes much, much more important.

Dr. Beer: 14:27

So let's talk about Nrf2 then Nrf2 is just another name, and this is now very scientific. We have to put that in somehow. It's called nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2. Nrf2 for short makes it simple and sweet. It's a transcription factor that plays a role in the body's defense against oxidative stress and inflammation. So a transcription factor is just a protein that helps regulate specific gene expressions and in this case nrf2 and antioxidants. So it helps genes that are involved in cell defenses, such as antioxidant responses, detoxification responses and maintenance of cellular balance.

Dr. Beer: 15:11

And under normal non-stress condition.

Dr. Beer: 15:14

Just you know, we're sitting here talking, we're not stressed.

Dr. Beer: 15:24

In a way, this Nrf2 factor or Nrf2 protein is tied up in the cell to another protein, so it can't do its thing.

Dr. Beer: 15:27

But when the cells are under stress, nrf2 is then released from this holding protein and travels to the nucleus, to your DNA, and on the DNA and this is the fascinating thing there's a region called antioxidant response element it's called ARE for short and when the Nrf2 protein binds to this region, it tells your DNA to activate the genes that are responsible for producing antioxidants, and I'm sure you've heard about antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase or SOD. There's other ones like hemoxygenase and a whole host of other ones that just have short abbreviations that are very complicated to remember. So, then, these antioxidants are released into the interior of the cells and counteract this oxidative stress moment. So that's why Nrf2 is so important Now, and as we age, we know that our antioxidant response to oxidative stress is not as efficient as it could be and needs a little help along the way. And that's where Nrf2 activation comes to play. So that's why we're so so invested in the Nrf2 pathway.

Dr. Tamar: 16:40

And nutrigenomics would identify that perhaps genetically your response to oxidative stress is not that great.

Dr. Beer: 16:47

based on that transcription factor, yes, you may need some help because somewhere in your cell this nerve 2 may not be released as efficiently from the holding protein or it may not have the capability of getting through the nucleus membrane to bind to the DNA. So it may need a little help on the way.

Dr. Tamar: 17:10

Okay, thank you for explaining that, Dr. Beer. I hope you guys are taking notes because this is so interesting, or not, or not, you can just replay or rewind. But that was an excellent explanation of oxidative stress and how the Nrf2 pathway is a big part of that. What about mitochondrial health? You know that's another area you emphasize a lot. Why is this so critical? How does improving mitochondrial function benefit our overall wellness, Dr. Beer?

Dr. Beer: 18:37

A mitochondria are fascinating little organelles in our cells. Indeed, they are, but do we really know what mitochondria do and what their functions are? So in order to answer that, maybe I should go back a little bit and talk about what mitochondria do. Yes, so mitochondria are basically the cell's powerhouse, because they're responsible for generating ATP. Without mitochondria, we actually will not be alive, and we may have heard about mitochondrial disease. I actually have a friend whose daughter has mitochondrial disease, and I'm seeing all these detrimental effects that are happening over time with her. So we want to make them as efficient as possible, and every cell in our body has mitochondria, except mature red blood cells, and that's only so that these blood cells can carry more oxygen. That's the only reason they've developed, not having mitochondria. But our cells don't only have one copy of mitochondria, they have many copies, and the cells that have the copies, and the cells that have the most, are the cells that work the hardest. And you can probably guess what they are. They're like our muscle cells, our liver, our heart, our brain cells, and they have the most copies of mitochondria because they're constantly turning over and they're constantly renewing themselves and and you use your heart's beating constantly and brain's going constantly and your muscles are always working so that you can stand upright or sitting down. So they have a lot of mitochondria and you can imagine if, if they don't have the efficiency of these mitochondria, there will be issues. But activating mitochondria or activating the ability to make more mitochondria, there will be issues.

Dr. Beer: 20:21

But activating mitochondria or activating the ability to make more mitochondria and thus allowing for more energy production is crucial and essential in the well-being of patients. So we know that they're really important for energy. But they also they're not just a battery for the cell. Their influence reaches so much further into the body for the cell. Their influence reaches so much further into the body. Yes, their primary function is to make energy. So if your mitochondria don't work correctly, you may experience chronic fatigue or muscle weakness. What about your brain cells?

Dr. Beer: 20:56

You may feel that you have a little bit of brain fog or your cognition is not where you think it should be. Heart health do we have enough energy to provide the heart cells with enough energy to beat properly and to repair the cells? Muscle cells we talked about them, Interestingly. Mitochondria help you regulate your metabolism, and that also includes conversion of food into energy. So it has a lot to do with your metabolism and weight management apps, actually, and disruption of this can lead to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and other sugar-related issues. It also has to do with immune cells and healing immunity and healing, because if these cells don't work correctly, you may have issues on your immune side.

Dr. Beer: 21:50

So, yes, there are batteries in every cell, but there are other co-hosts of issues that can be visible if they don't work appropriately. So that's the importance of mitochondria. But we also know that mitochondrial activation depends on another transcription factor that we call Nrf1, nuclear respiratory factor 1. So it works in a similar way as Nrf2, where it plays a role in gene expression of mitochondrial functions energy, metabolism and respiration. So Nrf1 is essential for the process of making new mitochondria within the cell and for making the associated proteins and lipids and carbohydrates needed for the mitochondrial function. So, as with Nr.

Dr. Beer: 22:41

Nerve, 2, mitochondria efficiency decreases with age and in order to get it back in as good of a balance as we can, we want to activate the mitochondrial pathway to support it.

Dr. Tamar: 22:55

Lovely. The mitochondrial pathway. Mitochondrial function is so important. Pathway Mitochondria function is so important. There's so many different components on a cellular level that are critical for our health and the mitochondria is something we absolutely need. We need that to ourselves, we need it in essence.

Dr. Beer: 23:19

As one example mitochondria are the worst in creating oxidative stress. As we produce atp, we create oxidative free radicals, so then nerve two has to come in and help that out. So there's there's always a balance on how everything works together in the cell definitely.

Dr. Tamar: 23:36

That's exactly what I'm trying to say. There is a balance in how everything works together. Thank you for explaining those that we've reviewed. The Nrf2, nrf1, mitochondrial health Now kind of a three-letter buzzword. I'll say that's out here lately, or GLP-1. So I want to talk about GLP-1 activation because it's gotten a lot of attention with its use now in medications for weight loss. Can you talk about why it's so beneficial, glp-1 activation, especially when it comes to the terms of weight?

Dr. Beer: 24:07

management and metabolic health. Yes, glp-1 is such a buzzword, it's everywhere. It seems like right, everywhere we turn around we see it on ads or billboards or somewhere. But the GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide 1 hormone, the primary function of it is actually to regulate your body's how your body deals with glucose, right, so it's not specifically oh, it's going to cause me weight loss. So what it does? It balances your blood sugar response and your insulin response. But the cool thing is with GLP-1 is that it only enhances your insulin secretion when we experience a spike in glucose levels, like when we eat, right, but it doesn't spike just by sitting there. If we release, it stabilizes your blood sugar, but at the same time it also inhibits glucagon release from the pancreas. So glucagon is a hormone that usually signals the liver to release glucose if we need it, if we have too much insulin. So it helps reduce excessive glucose production in the liver. So it does a lot of things.

Dr. Beer: 25:15

It also talks to your stomach in a way, talks to the brain and to the stomach, and there's a combination, a back and forth talk all the time. So when it talks to the stomach and to the stomach, and there's a combination, a back and forth talk all the time. So when it talks to the stomach, it tells your stomach to slow down the speed at which your food leaves the stomach into the small intestine. So it slows gastric emptying. And this allows and helps slow down the absorption of sugar, of glucose, and contributes to a more stable sugar level after eating.

Dr. Beer: 25:44

And this stabilizing your blood sugar and slowing gastric emptying has a direct effect on weight because it helps with portion control and the urge to snack because you feel fuller for a longer time. But then it also, at the same time, talks to your brain and your appetite center, your hypothalamus, and it tells it, via the gut-brain axis, that you're full and you don't need to eat anymore. So all in all, it'll tell you not to eat as much. So balancing GLP-1 activation is one of the tools for weight management and metabolic health, but it's not a magic bullet right. It's also necessary to change to a more healthy lifestyle to maintain these benefits and to reach your goals. So it's not the magic pill. It's just a very, very good start in managing your weight loss and your metabolic health.

Dr. Tamar: 26:40

Right weight loss and your metabolic health Right, and it's so important that we that's in conjunction as you mentioned, with the lifestyle, with the exercise, movements and nutrition to get the best results of that. But then also we know when people come off those medications they tend to gain the weight back, a percentage of the weight back, if they're not implementing those lifestyle changes. Exactly Right. So how does the approach to naturally activating GLP-1, like what's done in LifeVantage's MindBody GLP-1 system maybe you can tell us a little bit about that first, how does that differ from how traditional GLP-1 medications work?

Dr. Beer: 27:21

Yeah, this is actually really exciting for us that we were able to develop this, because traditional GLP-1 medications they're GLP-1 receptor agonists, right, and they have one job to do.

Dr. Beer: 27:33

They are medications that mimic or imitate the natural GLP-1 hormone in the body and, once injected, they find these GLP-1 receptors and occupy or bind to them and elicit a response and benefits we just talked about. But we make GLP-1 hormone naturally, but some people, for whatever reason, the response to make GLP-1 might be sluggish or slow down due to the effects of metabolic changes in the body. So then we see the benefits with injecting GLP-1 are agonists, but we also see a whole bunch of GI issue side effects, right. What we do with the mind-body GLP-1 system? However, we are actually looking for the pathways that are responsible for producing GLP-1 naturally in the body. So we're going down to the root cause and activate these pathways so that we encourage the body to produce the GLP-1 hormone naturally. And we know we could do this through nutrigenomics. We just needed to find the right botanicals and we did this by studying the literature to find out how and what components in our foods stimulate GLP-1 production. And then we went to a bunch of meetings. We talked to a bunch of suppliers that carried botanicals we were interested in and finally we tested our combinations of botanicals, minerals and vitamins.

Dr. Beer: 29:01

And this research doesn't just happen in a few months. It can sometimes take years to find the answer you're looking for, but we found the answer pretty quick. If you think a year is quick, then what we always do first is test this proof of concept in an in vitro cell study to find out if genes in the pathways we found are positively influenced by the formulation that we put together. And then we usually follow up with a clinical trial in human volunteers. So we tested our formula in these L cells and their specialized cells in the gut that produce GLP-1. And we saw that the formula activated the main genes to produce, activate and secrete the active hormone from the cells.

Dr. Beer: 29:47

So this was really really exciting that we actually found the pathways. So we followed up with a clinical trial and we saw an increase in GLP-1 levels in the blood of volunteers using the MindBody GLP-1 system after three months of use. So what we saw was, in summary, that the volunteers made more GLP-1 over time when using the MindBody GLP-1 system without having to take GLP-1 or agonist medicines, and at the same time, they lost weight and improved their body composition. In other words, they activated their own pathways to make more GLP-1 and, at the same time, they lost weight and improved their body composition. In other words, they activated their own pathways to make more GLP-1 and, at the same time, lost weight because of all the good things this hormone regulates in the body. So that was really, really exciting for us to see the medicines. You're actually adding GLP-1 to the body and with our system, we have the body make its own glp1 okay, yeah, thank you for explaining that.

Dr. Tamar: 30:47

So giving our body a boost to produce what it naturally produces. Anyway, I love it. I love it. Now let's switch gears a little bit to um pharmacy, as traditionally, a pharmacy typically focuses on medications. How can pharmacists start integrating nutrigenomics into their patient consultations? As a pharmacist, that is something that I do. I've created a whole company based on it. A whole health coaching program based on centered around using nutrigenomics. So it's not something that most pharmacists think about. They think of pharmacogenomics, but not nutrigenomics. What would you recommend? If a pharmacist is interested in using nutrigenomics, how could they integrate it?

Dr. Beer: 31:32

Well, you can probably recommend it better than I can, since you're a pharmacist and you've been doing it. But what I would first think of is education, education, education. I think this is really important. They have to educate themselves on the biology of the body, the biochemical things that are going on in our body and what metabolic pathways are ultimately involved, so that they kind of know how it all works together. Right, and I'm sure you've done all this and you know it inside out.

Dr. Beer: 32:03

I always have to do cheat sheets on all the biochemical pathways on a piece of paper or so, because there's so many. But I think, secondly, you have to have an open mind on what nutrigenomics can actually do and its benefits. There are many cases where there is a small genetic mutation and the person can't process certain foods right. But think about it the other way around what can we activate or influence on a genetic level with our foods or supplements that has a beneficial role in the body? And then the last thing is keep it simple. When you're talking to your patients or clients, don't make it too complicated. Keep it very simple, in a way that they can understand what you're trying to tell them.

Dr. Tamar: 32:48

Yeah, I agree with your advice. All of it. Indeed, we have to be knowledgeable. If this is something that we want to start sharing with others and start using, we have to be knowledgeable about it. I think for me, what was overwhelming when it came to nutrigenomics was that it could be used for so many different disease states and it can be used in so many different ways. So, trying to focus, narrow it down, what is it that I really want to use it for? What type of patient populations do I really want to share this type of knowledge with? To share this type of knowledge with? So that can be a challenge, and that's something that you would have to think about individually as a pharmacist. If you want to, I guess niche down right? Yes, absolutely yeah, because there's so many different pathways that are out there.

Dr. Beer: 33:35

Yeah, so many issues that they deal with, and so you've got to focus on something.

Dr. Tamar: 33:39

Now, Dr. Beer, would you be able to maybe talk about a couple key biomarkers or genetic pathways that may be more common for certain patients?

Dr. Beer: 33:50

That's a good question, but I think it all depends on the person you're consulting and the issues they want to address. You mentioned it a little bit just now, but it's not a one size fits all, right. So you really have to investigate with your client what they're dealing with. You have to be curious, you have to ask the question and then basically understand the root cause of these issues right, we talked about that a little earlier and then really investigate what pathways are involved and what genes you could influence in that pathway. It's almost like a puzzle you have to build to understand what builds on what and what the root causes of all this thing. So just focus on the one biomarkers. I don't think it's fair to do that, because that biomarker may not be what your patient is looking for or what may be the issue with your patient, right? So I think you really have to do a detective work first to find out what's really going on.

Dr. Tamar: 34:51

And that is so true. And we cannot look at one gene, we cannot look at one variant.

Dr. Beer: 34:56

You have to look at the full picture to really understand what's going on, from a root level to really understand what's going on from a root level, because it may be as simple as just clean up the way you eat or move around a little bit more or less stress. So there's a lot of variances in everybody's lives that you may or may not be able to change.

Dr. Tamar: 35:18

Right, and I love that you said it's not cookie cutter. It's like it's not one size fits all. No-transcript. Address it and then you can start losing weight so true, so true. That's the beauty, the beauty of avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach yeah now, I know there's skepticism around nutrigenomics. Research is out there. We could definitely use a lot of more randomized controlled trials, since that seems to be the gold standard when it comes to research. But what scientific evidence or research strongly supports the role of genetic activation in personalized patient care that you're aware?

Dr. Beer: 36:23

of. I think that everyone can benefit from this right. But you have to look at not just on a genetic level. You also have to see if they're actually feeling better, right, you have to talk to them and see are they feeling the difference? Because a lot of times you may not see the difference, but you may feel the difference, right. So I think that's really important. Have that dialogue going on with your client all the time.

Dr. Tamar: 36:52

I think that's really important it is important and I you know there's, there's research been there. Then there's on hands, actual real life practice and examples, right, so you have clients or patients who are using. Put in their recommendations from this test into practice, incorporate it into their daily lives, and they are feeling different, right, they're sharper, they have more energy. Yes, they are losing weight, they're not having certain symptoms anymore. So the proof is in the pudding, as they say, yes, and it may not happen all of a sudden.

Dr. Beer: 37:26

You may not say all of a sudden oh wow, I feel better. It may be when you stop taking the supplement or the changes you've made. If you stop using those changes, all of a sudden you're saying, oh, now I understand why I was feeling better the last month or two or three. So it may not, it may be a gradual change and not an immediate change, like with drugs. With medicines, prescription medicines you can feel it within a day or two probably that you're getting better or symptoms are disappearing. But with foods and with supplements it may take a little longer and you may not realize that you're actually getting better until you stop taking them. And then you realize, oh, it may take a little longer and you may not realize that you're actually getting better, you know, until you stop taking them and then you realize, oh, it did do something for me Right Exactly Now.

Dr. Tamar: 38:10

I know there is ethical concerns regarding genetic data use. That's often raised and actually in my program there are some people who don't want to do the nutrigenolamine testing of my health coaching program because they're not comfortable with their genetics being tested. So, when it comes to ethical concerns, how do you recommend that those practitioners who want to use this type of testing, how do you recommend that they address these ethical concerns transparently with their patients?

Dr. Beer: 38:45

concerns transparently with their patients. Well, I think that if pharmacists suggest the use of genomic testing, I think they both have to be aligned to work with someone that has a really strong data privacy policy. Right, right, it becomes the same issue as your credit cards online, right? You have to feel safe that nobody's going to steal your information. So I think it has to be discussed very candid and you have to align with someone that has really good privacy policies. Ethically, it's all up to everybody how they feel about it. If somebody doesn't feel comfortable with it, I would not pursue them or pressure them into it. If they feel, yeah, go ahead do it.

Dr. Beer: 39:25

You know there's a lot of these 23andMe tests or the test your genetic background, on where you're coming from, things like that, and they've addressed these issues as well. But when it comes maybe a little bit more personalized genetic data, it becomes a little bit more tricky. Genetic data it becomes a little bit more tricky.

Dr. Tamar: 39:43

But I do think you have to have really really strong privacy policies when it comes to working with that. Exactly, the genetic testing company that you use should have those very good privacy policies as well. And then, for someone like me, I have an independent practice. I have privacy forms HIPAA forms that they sign. I educate them on the GINA Act, how their genetics cannot be used in any negative way against them from insurance companies or employers. So an educational portion is definitely necessary for our clients as well, not just for us, but they need to be educated and fully understand what their DNA is going to be used for.

Dr. Beer: 40:31

It's such a new area. Well, it's been around for a little while, but it really is still a very new, emerging area for patients to be comfortable with, and it's fair to say that you know I believe so, yeah, indeed.

Dr. Tamar: 40:47

Absolutely so, Dr. Beer. Where do you see nutrigenomics heading over the next five to 10 years?

Dr. Beer: 40:53

Interesting questions. To be honest, this topic has actually been around for at least a decade. Nutrigenomics has been thrown around. The word Neutrogenomics biohacking, however you want to call it has been around for at least a decade or two. I think smarter and more efficacious supplements are being developed and will continue to be developed, with activation and Neutrogenomics as our main focus. So the activation story will probably follow the drug development story that big pharma is doing. You've seen GLP-1 for weight loss. First it was a diabetes drug and then it got approved for weight loss and now all the supplement companies and food companies are following that story. Right, they're following on that research.

Dr. Beer: 41:36

But a question that comes to mind when thinking about this is personalized health care. Can it truly be personalized? Because there are so many logistics and more than maybe a regular person would understand it has to do with. It's very complicated to find the right genes that you want to work on. So logistics can become enormous and complicated. And are people willing to stick to the regimen you're telling them? So it can be tricky and people have a tendency to fall back to what is easier to do. So nutrigenomics will always be there, but I think it's going to take a little while, until people are comfortable with it.

Dr. Tamar: 42:21

I agree with you 100%. It's been around 10 years, another 10 years, only 20, still going to be considered fairly new, very young, especially because it's not the standard. Yeah, it will take some time.

Dr. Beer: 42:33

I think if insurance companies start picking up on it, it can become more mainstream. Yeah, that's a good point.

Dr. Tamar: 42:41

So what advice do you have for pharmacists or nurse practitioners, doctors who are eager to activate nutrigenomics in their practice but unsure where to start?

Dr. Beer: 42:51

I think they just have to have a very open mind and education, education, education I can't stress that enough but maybe also find a mentor, someone that's've heard about, and reach out to them and ask questions. Ask questions until they're really satisfied and comfortable with the whole idea of doing the nutrigenomics. It's a new field. It can be uncomfortable at times because you're talking about genetics, which can be very complicated, but I think once they start understanding it, they're much more willing to start thinking about it and their minds will open up yeah, and there are different companies out there that are there for education.

Dr. Tamar: 43:32

I'm not going to plug them today, but if anyone's interested in knowing who I used for my training and my testing, what I use for my clients, reach out to me. But yeah, they keep you informed. You want to choose a company that's going to continually educate you, that's going to update you, not just give you access to order a test, and that's it. Because you want to stay informed, you want to understand what's going on. You want to be able to reach out if you have questions, if you have a patient that a certain genetic variant pops up on a test and you're not really sure what to do exactly what it means.

Dr. Beer: 44:05

You know, and there's a few of those variances out there, like the methylated folate, snip, or, and, and there's many more of those out there. I think methylated folate is just one of the big ones that everybody knows about, right?

Dr. Tamar: 44:17

yeah, there's so many more out there yes exactly so, dr bear, if there is just one key message from our conversation today that you would like our listeners to walk away with, what would that be?

Dr. Beer: 44:30

Wow. There's so many things pharmacists do to help people and I've listened to some of your podcasts and it opened up my eyes on what you guys do that I didn't know. So I mean, your knowledge of medicine and their interactions and what they can do to help people is invaluable, but I think that this could be another tool in your arsenal to help people become better. It's actually a pretty good tool, and I love the fact that I get to do this here at LifeVantage and have the opportunity to empower people to take charge of their own health. You know, just keep an open mind and check it out.

Dr. Tamar: 45:09

Thank you, Dr. Beer from LifeVantage. It was a pleasure having you join us today on Pivoting Pharmacy of Nutrigenomics. Thank you so much for having me and for inviting me. Thank you for joining us on today's enlightening journey into the world of Nutrigenomics with Dr. Christina Beer. It's clear that the field offers immense potential in shaping the future of personalized healthcare. Providing tools and knowledge to tailor wellness solutions to individual genetic profiles us of the importance of education, the need for simple communication with our patients and the benefits of focusing our efforts to make a significant impact. Her expert advice serves as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals looking to incorporate more personalized approaches into their practice.

Dr. Tamar: 45:55

If today's conversation inspired you or sparked curiosity about nutrigenomics and how it can be applied in healthcare, I invite you to explore it further. Visit us at raisethescriptcom, engage with us on social media at Dr Tara Lawful, share your thoughts with a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts and spread the word to colleagues who could benefit from this episode. Remember, knowledge is power, especially when it's shared. Let's continue the conversation and push the boundaries of what's possible in personalized healthcare. Next week, we're exploring the future of wellness and how practitioners can leverage cannabinoid therapy to demystify cannabis use in healthcare without the myths. Talk to you next Friday. Until then, always remember to raise the script on health, because together we can bring healthcare to higher levels.