Genefitletics

While we are too much focussed on decoding our genome, using wearables to track our health at plasma level & or leveraging DNA-Protein-drug pipeline to manage our post-symptomatic disease conditions, we have missed the key organelle that controls our biology- Mitochondria. Mitochondria is not just a powerhouse of cells as has been thought over decades. Even mitochondria, found in every cell ex...

Your blood tests are giving you a map of a city that no longer exists. HDL, LDL, HbA1c — these markers tell you nothing about what's actually driving your health or disease. And pairing them with a wearable doesn't fix the problem. It just makes it louder. In this episode, Sushant & Sakshi explore:-Why conventional biomarkers are dangerously outdated- How mitochondria — ancient bacteri...

We Indians have got obsessed with protein based on a confusing but dubious marketing narrative- “India is a protein deficient nation”. This has led to launch of numerous startups launching protein supplement- Whey protein, plant based protein, protein bars, protein wafers & moreWe have seen a number of influencers promoting high consumption of protein but if protein deficiency is a reality, is...

Cellular resilience & homeostasis is the centre piece of longevity. It is the ability of different branches of our biology to work in synchrony to establish & maintain redox equilibrium. The key driving force of our cellular longevity is mitochondria- the furnace that provides energy currency-ATP to our cells, tissues & organs. While mitochondria efficiently produces ATP in the presenc...

Health is not about reductionist biology, not about treating every body organ separately. Unfortunately this has been practice till now! If we experience particular symptoms, we head to our healthcare practitioner & get a series of labs done! Our healthcare practitioner recommend some synthetic compounds, pharmaceutical drug or generic nutrition recommendations to inhibit or suppress particula...

We have spent decades avoiding one of the most essential & vital macromolecule-FATS to our own peril. You may hear these fitness folks propagating fats are bad & causing cardiovascular disease referring to an obsolete & obnoxious paper or theory of Ancel keys who claimed in 1958 that it is fat & cholesterol which causes heart disease. Obviously, these folks do not have even an iota...

Aging is the future not because there is a wave of longevity companies measuring your biological age but assessment of biological age at system biology level gives a comprehensive picture of efficiency of your human & microbial cellular functions. Unfortunately, none of the longevity or so-called fitness companies have model & data in place to measure the cellular functions & specific...

In the year 2022, 1.46 million Indians developed cancer while over 9,00,000 lost their life.65% cancer mortality rate is the biggest cause of concern given that we have so many companies claiming to detect cancer early & number of therapies- radiation, chemo & immunotherapies to kill the tumours. Have you ever wondered why ?We have been stuck in the Dogma that cancer is a genetic disease c...

One of the important factors that directly impacts your longevity & biological age is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is one of the culprits in the onset of various metabolic diseases & even cancer. What exactly is Oxidative Stress? It is a state of imbalance between pro-oxidant & antioxidant activities. Interaction between your biology with the food you eat, environment you live in...

90% of cancer deaths are attributed to metastasis. What exactly is metastasis ? In simple words it is the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour sides to different tissues & distant organs. The process involves local invasion, detach from primary site, enter( intravasate) into circulation/blood stream, evade immune attack, enter other tissues /organs & proliferate/form secondary tu...

We all know cancer is nothing but uncontrolled cell growth & division. Mitochondria in every cell controls cell cycle. It is a kill switch. When there is mitochondria dysfunction, this kill switch is gone. The cells starts to proliferate & grow. The question arises what differentiates normal cells from cancer cells? It is how cells generate energy. Normal cells generate energy using aerobi...

Cancer has been regarded as a genetic disease caused by genetic mutations driven by somatic mutation theory. You would be have influx of number of DNA testing or early cancer detection companies claiming they could detect risk/early cancer onset looking at certain genetic mutations, circulating tumor cells or physical examinations These all are driven by a financial model to make money out of pers...

On the eve of World Heart Day 2024, let us break all myths around onset & progression of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer globally with no preventative solutions as of now. Most of the #healthcare practitioners & #healthtech companies still blame cholesterol for development of cardiovascular disease while it is a known fact, backed by years of researc...

Over the last 4-5 years, we have seen a flurry of gut microbiome DNA testing companies, claiming they have an out of box solution to reverse most chronic diseases! I am afraid this is far away from reality! No doubt, Gut microbiome has a vital role to play in overall physiology but these companies have less than optimal approach on two fronts -These companies do not focus on the system biology app...

Do you know which is the most complex machinery ever made on this planet earth? Yes , it's the human body! Our body is a sack of chemicals & biochemical reactions that need to work in synchrony to keep our body in homeostasis. It needs flow of electrons, voltage & current to keep all biological functions moving. Literally everything is connected- what happens in the mouth, spreads ever...

Chronic Kidney Disease is a global health problem. The biggest issue lies in its late diagnosis during the progression of disease. The clinical manifestation & plasma level indications such as eGFR that can indicate kidney health are reduced only at advanced stages of disease development. However the fact is the changes in biology & chemistry at molecular level takes place years before the...

It has been found that 33% of adult female population suffer from depression, while 1 in 5 men would have this growing mental health issue. Stress is rampant while millions of people deal with dementia & Parkinson's. While there are solution such as drugs & antidepressants to manage these growing mental health conditions, we have not seen any application of science to carve out prevent...

We have become a protein obsessed nation! Have you ever wondered why? We are told we are deficient in protein! But does this apply to everyone? Is the entire adult population protein deficient? What is the basis of the claim ? How do we calculate deficiency? If you are recommended some X grams / kg of body weight to meet your protein requirement, you are misguided. These recommendations are based...

Metabolic disease is taking a giant leap forward with the number of people developing obesity, type 2 diabetes & more is increasing. Although we have all resources & tech in place, still we do not have any preventative solutions to stop these diseases from developing in the first place. There is need to understand -Food processing, farming practices & industrial practices to improve th...

Digitise your body before you put a fork inside your mouth! If someone would have told you this 5 to 7 years ago, you would have told them you must be joking! Technology has taken leap & bounds over last few years still when it comes to nutrition as medicine, we get inclined towards that lucrative quick fix without understanding our unique biology & chemistry “ Oh, have 25 grams of veggies...

Last few years have seen advancement in technology which has opened up flood gates to revisit how we measure our health. This has transformed the methods of collecting healthcare delivery data & point of care diagnostics with usage of Wearables- Smart rings, smart watches & CGM However are the healthcare delivery data & plasma level indications really solving healthcare problems? Some...

Sexual health issues among male population, specifically, Erectile Dysfunction(ED), has become one of the major chronic health conditions with over 50% of male population in the age band of 40-70 years facing ED. Research has found that men having obesity or suffering from type 2 diabetes &/or high blood pressure are at high risk of Erectile dysfunction. Besides, chronic stress can also lead t...

Obesity is a global epidemic with more than a quarter of the population dealing with this metabolic syndromeWhile there are tens of thousands of solutions to suppress your weight/make you lose weight, 99% of them are band-aid solutions & do not focus on what makes you obese. Those companies &/or coaches, it is a financial model! You need to maintain your weight, you need to pay them every...

Exercise has a vital role to play in fine tuning our physiology & overall health. A moderate exercise with 60-75 minutes per day , 3-5 days a week is important for various biological processes including regulating satiety level, cardiovascular disease, stress response & more. However, an important aspect is exercise performance. Right nutrition choices play a key role in improving skeletal...

Oral Illness continues to be a huge burden in India with more than 95% of Indians having dental caries & over 50% have periodontal diseases. Most of the current set of dental interventions are band aid solutions resorting to root canals, tooth fillings & more but misses out the most important aspect- the microbes living inside our mouth- ORAL MICROBIOME. One of the important aspect that ma...