What Is Precision Health and How Can DNA Testing Improve Your Hormones, Weight, and Energy
As a naturopath, I believe good health care is never static. The science of the body is always evolving, and my clients deserve to benefit from the very best of it. It needs to go beyond the basics especially when you feel like you’re doing everything right and nothing is changing. There is also the confronting reality that rates of cancers and autoimmune conditions have continued to rise over the last decade.
This feels like a call to action for me, and my curious mind is always searching for answers, answers to how we can do better as practitioners. After a serendipitous meeting with a very clever doctor I know, who happens to offer training in precision health, I decided to jump right on in and start formally studying with her. Precision health blends genetics, personalised nutrition, and lifestyle medicine to better understand and support your unique biochemistry. It is similar to what I currently offer, but it brings in the DNA component and really gets to the nitty gritty of what makes you you, allowing us to create a treatment plan that quite literally looks at your DNA to give you the right answers.
This new chapter excites me SO much because it allows us to move beyond surface-level advice and uncover what is really happening inside your body. It is the next step toward creating treatment strategies that are not just effective, but completely tailored to you. That is not to say what I currently do is not already impactful, but for me the drive is always to go beyond, to keep learning and refining, so that I can offer you the most precise and personalised care possible.
So what does this actually mean? Keep reading to understand a little more about why this is so important and how it can make a difference for you.
DNA: Your Body’s Instruction Manual
Every cell in your body contains DNA, your unique instruction manual. DNA is made up of four chemical “letters” A, T, C, and G that form the blueprint for all the proteins in your body. These proteins are the workhorses that keep your cells, organs, and systems functioning.
Most of our DNA is the same, but there are small differences called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). You can think of them as spelling changes in the recipe. Some SNPs make no difference at all, while others can change the shape or function of a protein. That might mean your body needs more of a certain nutrient, or that it handles caffeine or oestrogen differently.
Not all genetic variations are harmful. Many are neutral. Where a variation does have an effect, nutrition and lifestyle often provide the key to balance. This is what makes precision health so empowering (and super exciting for health nerds like me).
The Different Types of Genetic Testing
Genetics is a broad field, and it is important to understand how different types of testing are used.
Clinical genetics is what you might encounter in a hospital setting. This looks for mutations that cause serious inherited conditions such as cystic fibrosis. These are rare disorders where a gene is broken and causes disease.
Pharmacogenomics looks at how your genes affect the way you respond to medications. For example, some people metabolise painkillers or antidepressants differently depending on their genetic profile.
Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are where my current studies focus. These are not about diagnosing disease. They are about using your genetic information to create nutrition and lifestyle strategies that help you function at your best. It allows me to bring everything together and deliver life changing support.
This is the space that bridges traditional naturopathy with cutting edge science (my happy place). It allows me to use your unique blueprint to guide your health in a way that is practical, personalised, and sustainable. This is so far removed from the generic advise you're being bombarded with.
Nutrigenomics, Nutrigenetics, and Epigenetics
These three scientific fields form the foundation of precision health.
Nutrigenomics looks at how nutrients affect the way your genes behave. Think of your genes like switches. The food you eat can turn some of these switches up or down. For example, eating leafy greens may support genes that help your body detoxify or produce antioxidants.
Nutrigenetics looks at how your genes influence your response to nutrients. This is why one person can drink coffee at night and sleep well, while another lies awake for hours. It is also why some people need more folate or vitamin D than others.
Epigenetics looks at how lifestyle factors influence gene expression. Stress, toxins, sleep, movement, and even emotional health can switch genes on or off without changing the DNA itself. This is one of the reasons why two people may carry the same genetic susceptibility, yet only one develops a condition such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The difference often comes down to diet, environmental triggers and lifestyle factors that influence how those genes are expressed.
Together, these areas help us understand not just what your body needs but why.
Nutrigenomics in Practice: How Nutrients Support Your Genes
Many of the proteins your body makes are enzymes, and these often need nutrients as cofactors to work properly. A cofactor is like a key that turns the enzyme on.
For example:
B vitamins are cofactors for enzymes involved in energy production and methylation.
Selenium is required for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which protects your body from oxidative stress.
Magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper are also vital cofactors in many processes that regulate hormones, mood, and metabolism.
When a genetic variation reduces the efficiency of an enzyme, ensuring the right nutrients are present can make up for that difference. This is one of the most powerful ways nutrigenomics allows us to personalise nutrition.
A Practical Example: MTHFR
One of the most widely known genes in this field is MTHFR. This gene is responsible for converting folate into its active form, which is essential for methylation. Methylation is a process that affects energy, mood, detoxification, fertility, and even estrogen metabolism.
Some people have an MTHFR SNP that reduces the enzyme’s activity. This can lead to higher homocysteine, lower folate, and challenges with methylation. The exciting part is that research has shown that riboflavin (vitamin B2) can improve MTHFR enzyme activity in people with this SNP. This is a clear example of how understanding your genes can guide nutrient strategies that make a real difference.
Why This Matters for You
Many of the women I see in clinic come to me feeling frustrated and stuck. They have tried all of the diets, exercise programs…..and they have all of the supplements but nothing seems to stick. Often they blame themselves, when the truth is that the advice they have been given was never designed for their body in the first place. This is particularly true if your advice has been coming from health enthusiasts on social media, and it is especially the case if, like me, you are being bombarded with ‘over 40 perimenopause advice’ promising a cure for everything.
What I currently do already addresses this by creating personalised nutrition plans, using functional testing and layering in targeted supplements and lifestyle changes. These approaches are powerful and they work, which is why so many of my clients finally see progress when we work together.
Precision health adds another layer to this. It does not replace the tools I already use, but it deepens them. It gives us access to DNA insights that help explain why your body might respond differently, and it allows me to refine your plan in ways that are even more targeted and precise.
In practice this means:
We can see if your body struggles to clear oestrogen effectively, which can explain PMS, perimenopausal symptoms, or weight changes.
We can identify whether you need more of certain nutrients like folate, B vitamins, or vitamin D based on your genetics.
We can explain why caffeine affects you differently from your friend, or why you might not tolerate lactose.
We can uncover why your body reacts strongly to stress or toxins, and create strategies that support resilience and balance.
This is where personalised health stops being a buzzword and becomes truly practical. It is about combining the strength of naturopathic care with the cutting edge tools of genetics to create the most effective, personalised path forward. I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting this is.
How I Will Use This in Practice
In my practice now, I already use functional testing, symptom mapping, and careful analysis to understand what is happening in your body and why. This has always been the foundation for the personalised treatment plans I design.
What precision health will allow me to do is add DNA testing and interpretation to this existing toolkit. By layering genetic insights on top of what I already assess, we can connect advanced test results with your symptoms and lived experience, build nutrition and supplement plans with even more accuracy, and teach you how lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, and environment interact with your genes.
This is not a replacement for the holistic work I do now. It is an expansion that makes the process sharper and clearer, helping us to get answers more quickly and with greater confidence.
My mission remains the same. I am here to help women feel balanced, energised, and confident in their bodies. What is changing is the depth of tools I will have to support you in reaching those goals.
Why I Am So Passionate About This
What drives my passion for this work is seeing, time and again, how deeply environment, diet, and lifestyle can shape health outcomes. Research shows that even when someone has a genetic predisposition, it is often the way those genes are expressed that determines whether a condition develops. I have witnessed how the right support can change the trajectory of health, and this understanding continues to guide everything I do in practice today. On the flip side I have also witnessed what happens when we ignore our health. I don’t want this for you. I want better for you. I want you not only to live a long life in years, but to truly live well while you are here. The goal is a long and healthy life, not a long life spent in a sick state.
The work I do now is already grounded in this philosophy. I use naturopathic tools, evidence based nutrition, herbal medicine, and lifestyle strategies to support your body’s ability to heal. This new chapter in my learning is about taking that same approach and expanding it with the latest tools in precision health so I can help you at an even deeper level. To learn from Doctors who specialise in this so I can really up my game and offer an even more transformational experience for my clients.
Looking Ahead
Precision health is already transforming the way we think about medicine and wellness. In hospitals, genetic testing helps guide cancer treatments. In rare diseases, DNA sequencing provides faster and more accurate diagnoses. And now, through nutrigenomics, nutrigenetics, and epigenetics, this knowledge is becoming available for everyday health and wellbeing.
For my clients, this means that the care you receive in my clinic will continue to grow in sophistication and precision. You will not just receive generic advice, but guidance that is backed by your DNA, your biochemistry, and your lived experience.
Most importantly, the work that already helps women achieve balance and energy will remain the foundation. Precision health simply adds another dimension to it, ensuring your treatment plan is as uniquely tailored as possible.
I will be sharing insights as I go so you can see how this exciting field is unfolding in real life. For now, I want you to know that I am deeply committed to investing in my learning so I can continue to offer you the best of both worlds: naturopathic care grounded in tradition and cutting edge science that brings clarity and confidence to your health journey.
Because you deserve more than one-size-fits-all advice. You deserve a plan designed for your body, your health, and your life.
If you would like support I welcome you to book a free discovery call with me. Here we can have a chat about what's going on with you and if seeing a naturopath is right for you or if I can recommend another modality. I am here to support you so feel free to book in, or you can always email me hello@carolynallenhealth.com.
Medical disclaimer
This information is educational only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Please consult your medical practitioner before making changes to your diet or lifestyle