The Genetic Genealogist

Sciona, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado company that sells personalized genetic tests for lifestyle counseling based on an individual’s diet, exercise, lifestyle, and genetic screening, has recently launched the website MyCellf to explore the growing field of nutritional genomics. Nutrigenomics is the study of the interaction between genes and diet.

According to a recent press release, MyCellf is designed to:

“provide a balance between information, customer interaction and commerce for interested consumers and healthcare professionals. The company offers a unique non-medical, lifestyle counseling based on an individual’s diet, exercise and lifestyle history and a confidential genetic screening. By supplying this information direct to consumers through a detailed Action Plan, Sciona is able to guarantee complete privacy and confidentiality to the customer and total individual control of genetic information. The Sciona programs focus on lifestyle and nutritional adjustments to enhance health and longevity.”

Participants order a MyCellf kit by mail and return a DNA swab along with a diet and lifestyle questionnaire. MyCellf uses the swab to test 19 genes that affect diet and lifestyle and then couples that information with the questionnaire to create a confidential and personalized MyCellf Action Plan. According to the website, you can use the MyCellf Action Plan to “make your most important health decisions based not on fad or fashion, but on a personalized scientific roadmap that avoids the one-size-fits-all guide to health”. It is unknown which 19 genes MyCellf tests, but Sciona’s partner Genelex also tests 19 genes, which can be found here.