Have you ever noticed that sensitivities usually run in families? Your grandfather, mother and you might all have a particular sensitivity to gluten. Even if the precise food or environmental trigger isn’t the same, you tend to find a high prevalence of sensitivities in some families and not others.
What’s going on?
It’s well-known that certain diseases have a genetic component. Everything from heart disease to cancer is influenced by a person’s genetics inherited from their parents. While a genetic propensity to a disease isn’t guaranteed to lead to a condition, it does increase the likelihood.
Scientists are beginning to ask similar questions about sensitivity genetics. Much of the research focuses exclusively on allergies – particularly food allergies. However, there’s growing evidence that sensitivities also share a familial link.
Allergy and Sensitivity Genetics
Understanding Allergies and Sensitivities
Allergies and sensitivities aren’t the same. An allergy refers to an immune system response to a benign substance. The immune system wrongly flags the substance as a threat (due to IgE antibodies), launching an immediate response. Symptoms range from a mild rash and itchiness to severe anaphylactic shock.
Sensitivities, on the other hand, are mediated by IgG antibodies and usually evolve over hours or days. The response is milder, involving more diffuse, systemic symptoms, e.g., brain fog, bloating, headaches, fatigue, and rashes.
Genetics Factors
Investigations into allergies identified particular genes involved with their development. Notable genes include MALT1 (crucial for T and B white blood cell activation) and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, which regulates immune system activation. Similar genes were also associated with specific sensitivities, such as gluten sensitivity, where the presence of genetic markers (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8) are predictive for the condition.
Nonetheless, people with these genes don’t have a 100% probability of developing the condition. Rather, there’s a complicated interplay between genetics and environmental factors determining the response.
Heritability of Sensitivity and Allergies
Allergies are highly heritable. One study involving a small group of twins found that nearly 65% of identical twins both had peanut allergies, compared to less than 10% of non-identical twins. Similar results exist for other allergic diseases, including hay fever, eczema, and asthma.
Another investigation analysed the genes of children with some kind of food allergy. The team identified specific genes linked to a peanut allergy, which posed the biggest risk. However, not everyone with these genes developed an allergy.
Even food preferences are linked to genetics. A 2006 study revealed that people were more likely to prefer certain foods in a similar manner to people who shared their genetic makeup, especially fruits and protein foods. This may be linked to an underlying food sensitivity, avoiding certain foods that tasted bad or made the participants feel bad. However, further research into food sensitivity genetics is needed to determine the answer.
Getting Tested as a Family
Sensitivities often run in families. That raises the question of whether you should get tested together. The answer is yes!
Taking the same test helps identify any family themes around sensitivities, determining which foods you should all avoid. Usually, families receive different results – unless you have identical twins – as environmental factors play a significant role.
In addition, getting tested fosters a sense of support and understanding within a family. You can plan meals together, creating a diet that suits everyone. After all, you don’t want to leave one person feeling like they’re inconveniencing everyone else.
Benefits of Family Testing
Considering ordering a family test? You should! These are just some of the benefits:
- Better Health for Everyone: Testing together helps identify food and environmental triggers, ensuring the whole family can avoid potential health issues and feel their best.
- Customised Living: Knowing your sensitivities means you can create a home environment and meal plans that cater to everyone’s needs, making life more comfortable and enjoyable.
- Save Time and Money: Group testing can be more affordable and prevent wasted time and money on misdiagnoses and unnecessary treatments.
- Stronger Family Bonds: Going through the process together fosters a supportive environment where everyone can help each other manage and adapt to their sensitivities.
Uncover the Reactions Behind Sensitivity Genetics
Sensitivity genetics is a serious subject. As the research indicates, there’s probably a genetic component to all food sensitivities – although the exact mechanism is not well understood. What we do know is that genes related to the immune system influence how we react to different foods and environmental factors.
That’s why we offer the Ultimate Family Sensitivity Test. It’s cheaper than buying individual test kits, with enough materials for up to four people. Take the test together and receive results on 975 items, including foods, drinks, environmental factors, metals, and much more. It’s the gold standard of home-to-lab testing.
Send us a hair sample using the kit and receive your results within 7 days. Don’t let sensitivity symptoms wear you down – take action. Learn the truth about your family’s sensitivity genetics. Get tested today!
