Campfire Medicine

Functional Genomics may be the cutting edge of personalized medicine, but it's also such a daunting rabbit hole that leaves practitioners asking "Where do I start?".

In our Functional Genomics Series, we'll be taking specific genes and gene variants (SNPs) into focus in examining the data available for leveraging DNA in our clinical practises towards improving health and wellness outcomes.

The Caffeine Gene

"Is caffeine good or bad?" - It's one of the most common questions you'll get during public presentations as an integrative healthcare practitioner. And like most questions related to our health, the most truthful answer is: It depends. Beginning our foray into the landscape of known SNPs and genes that play a role in our health, we'll examine the function of the CYP1A2 enzyme and its alteration by a SNP at rs#762551.

Interview & Genomics Series: Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed, BSc, ND Integrative Genetics 

You can’t ignore genetics in your practice any longer.

Penny Kendall-Reed is a Naturopathic Doctor presently is the director of natural therapies at the Urban Wellness Clinic in Toronto. After graduating from McGill University in Neurobiology, she earned a degree in Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine; here she received the Dr. Allen Tyler Award for Most Outstanding Clinician. In 2013 she was voted Naturopath of the Year by her peers and colleagues, and in 2018 was the recipient of the top Naturopathic Doctor Award in Canada. Dr. Kendall-Reed travels worldwide lecturing on the interpretation of genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), their integration and incorporation into naturopathic treatment protocols. She is the author of 5 national bestselling books and is an international medical consultant for Douglas Laboratories and Pure Encapsulations creating product formulations and overseeing their neuro-metabolic platform. Dr. Kendall-Reed is the creator of GeneRx.ca, an on-line platform that analyzes raw SNP data and provides an integrated report with health guidelines and treatment protocols.

GeneRx.ca is an on-line platform that analyzes raw SNP data and provides an integrated report with health guidelines and treatment protocols. Unlike other platforms, which only provide interpretation of single gene SNPs, GeneRx.ca uses clinically developed algorithms analyzing combinations of genes to provide detailed analysis and a highly individualized treatment protocol. The report details areas of health such as metabolics, detoxification, exercise, neurotransmitters, immunity, inflammation, reproductive hormones, vitamins, minerals and dietary analysis. Each report includes an in-depth description of individual genes, their interaction and a recommendations section that includes the integrated treatment protocols. The report is customizable, allowing the user to modify dietary management and supplementation to further personalize the final program.

Sponsored by GeneRx

DRD2 - The Dopamine Receptor Density Gene

Dopamine plays an integral role in mental health & addictions, behaviour, learning and mental performance.  In our look at COMT we examined how functional genetics can impact the degradation of dopamine.  But that's only part of the story.  

The DRD2 gene defines the density and efficacy of post-synaptic dopamine receptors and must be taken into account in assessing dopamine activity in combination with the COMT gene.

This webinar gives you what you need to know about dopamine receptor density to add to your arsenal of functional genetics knowledge to assess and interpret genetic SNP data towards the development of clinical relevant treatment recommendations.

Genetics of Histamine Intolerance

The awareness of histamine intolerance is growing and becoming more commonplace across the medical paradigm, but it is still under-diagnosed in patients suffering often from chronic symptoms related to histamine. While standardization for diagnosis is challenge due to the multi-system, multi-organ symptomatology that is possible, histamine intolerance may be viewed as a syndrome, or collection of signs and symptoms that produces a larger clinical picture that leads to diagnosis.

Functional genetics, and specifically the examination of genetic SNPs on the AOC1 and HMNT genes (coding for the enzymes DAO and HMNT, respectively, may aid in diagnosis as potential confirmatory predispositions. Further, knowing that patients are predisposed to histamine intolerance based on these SNPs may aid practitioners in advising the likelihood of benefit for health-promoting, individualized diets and precision medical approaches to health and wellness.

In this webinar, Dr.Marr will provide thoughts and answers to the following questions:

What does histamine intolerance look like?
How do I treat chronic idiopathic urticaria?
What is histamine intolerance and how is it diagnosed?
What does the syndrome of histamine intolerance look like?
How is histamine intolerance related to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?
What foods are high in histamine?
What drugs and supplements increase histamine?
What genes are involved in histamine metabolism and intolerance?
What drugs and supplements slow DAO and HMNT activity?
What drugs and supplements can be used to manage the symptoms of histamine intolerance?
How do we address the underlying causes of histamine intolerance?

Functional Genetics: Essential Fatty Acids 

While fish oils and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation of EPA and DHA has become common place, how do we actually know who will benefit the most from these supplements?  In this webinar, Dr.Marr highlights the FADS1 and FADS2 genes that code, respectively, for delta-5-desaturase, and delta-6-desaturase, the most important enyzmes in eiconsanonid (ie.omega-3 fatty acids) metabolism.  Bonus - Dr.Marr ponders evolutionary advantages that genetic SNPs have have conferred to the benefit of human beings.

In this webinar:

• Which genes are associated with the metabolism of essential fatty acids?
• The stats that a lot of functional genetic databases are reporting INCORRECTLY.
• Which genetic SNPs are clinically relevant for essential fatty acids
• Why some people should probably take fish oil, and others might not benefit as much.
• Who is at highest risk for choline insufficiency, and how to address it.
• How does omega-3 fatty acid synthesis relate to brain health, productivity and function?
• How do you boost the function of delta-6-desaturase?
  
  
  

FBDNF - The Neuroplasticity Gene

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is arguably the most important factor in brain development, resilience and adaptation over time. Beyond being involved in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, memory and learning, BDNF has been implicated in the regulation of sleep, body weight, stress response, anxiety and depression.

In this webinar:

• Why the Val66Met polymorphism may be the most important SNP in functional genetics for cognition
• Variance in BDNF across ethnic groups
• The argument of production, secretion and packaging and distribution of BDNF
• How BDNF impacts weight management
• BDNF (rs6265) as a primary predictor of resilience
• BDNF & mood disorders
• Do BDNF levels correlate with intelligence?
• How BDNF plays a role in sleep quality
• Can BDNF factors predict neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's, Huntingdon's, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis
• How to max BDNF