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Medical wellness: blood testing and nutrigenomics
Blood testing and nutrigenomics
Chanyapak Suwankantha, wellness director, Chiva-Som Hua Hin, Thailand explains
Chanyapak Suwankantha guides the wellness philosophy at Chiva-Som, as well as developing new programmes and treatments at the globally renowned health resort.
She believes that personalised health supplements support nutrition in a targeted way. “The key benefit is to ensure nutritional balance and fulfil any nutrient gaps that may be affecting vitamin, mineral, antioxidant or hormone levels and to support overall wellbeing,” says Suwankantha.
“Every person’s health status and nutritional needs are different,” she adds. “By testing blood samples to determine an individual’s levels of essential vitamins, minerals and hormones, personalised supplements can be prescribed to meet the individual’s specific nutrient gaps and support optimal health for the long term.”
Personalised supplements
Suwankantha believes the next phase of evolution for personalised supplementation will be the incorporation of genomic testing. “Genomics and nutrigenomics – which investigates how the food we consume affects our genes – provide unprecedented intelligence on our genetic code, and explain how lifestyle, environmental factors and nutritional habits can have dramatically different effects depending on individuals’ specific makeup,” she says. “By utilising these insights, it may be possible to further precision-tailor personalised supplements to truly support individual long-term health, as well as mitigate risk factors associated with a predisposition to particular health conditions or diseases.” www.chivasom.com
