Kashif Khan | The Power Of Understanding Your DNA

Introduction

The host introduces the podcast and the guest, Kashif Khan, CEO and founder of the DNA company. They discuss what is DNA and why it matters.

What is the DNA Company?

• The DNA Company is an interpretation engine that takes published medical information about genes from all over the world and makes it accessible to the average person.

• It was founded by Kashif Khan after he got sick with five different conditions at age 38. He discovered through his own genome that certain pieces were broken, certain code was spelled wrong, and certain biological functions weren't happening properly.

• The DNA Company's goal is to make it easy for people to read their genetic reports, apply them, and know exactly what to do in terms of diet, exercise, sleep patterns etc.

Kashif Khan's Personal Experience

• Kashif had eczema so bad that he couldn't open his left eye. He also had psoriasis on his knuckles which would bleed when he clasped his hands together. He suffered from migraines so severe that he would vomit out of pain.

• These problems were rooted in one central hub - a process in his body called glutathionization which wasn't functioning properly due to a lack of specific genes.

• After replacing this ability with supplementation and proper foods, all of these problems went away.

Understanding Genetics

This section discusses genetics in more detail.

What are Genes?

• Genes are segments of DNA that contain instructions for building proteins which carry out various functions in our bodies.

How Do Genes Affect Our Health?

• Genes can affect our health in many ways, including determining our susceptibility to certain diseases and influencing how we respond to different treatments.

• However, genes are not the only factor that determines our health. Environmental factors such as diet, exercise, and exposure to toxins also play a role.

How Can We Use Genetic Information?

• Genetic information can be used to make more informed decisions about our health. For example, it can help us identify which foods we should eat or avoid based on how they interact with our genes.

• It's important to note that genetic information is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to making healthy choices. Other factors such as lifestyle and environment also need to be taken into account.

DNA Testing

This section discusses DNA testing and its benefits.

What is DNA Testing?

• DNA testing involves analyzing a sample of your DNA (usually from saliva or blood) in order to gain insights into your genetic makeup.

Benefits of DNA Testing

• DNA testing can provide valuable information about your health risks, ancestry, and even personality traits.

• This information can help you make more informed decisions about your health and lifestyle choices.

Limitations of DNA Testing

• While DNA testing can provide useful insights, it's important to remember that genetics is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to overall health.

• Additionally, some genetic tests may have limited accuracy or may not be able to predict all possible outcomes.

Conclusion

The podcast concludes with a summary of the main points discussed.

Key Takeaways

• The DNA Company is an interpretation engine that makes genetic information accessible to the average person.

• Genetics can affect our health in many ways, but environmental factors also play a role.

• DNA testing can provide valuable insights into our health risks, ancestry, and personality traits, but it's important to remember that genetics is just one piece of the puzzle.

Discovering the Root Cause of Chronic Diseases

In this section, the speaker talks about his journey to discovering the root cause of chronic diseases and how he was able to heal himself.

Journey to Discovery

• The healthcare industry is a four trillion dollar industry in the United States, with 90% of that being chronic disease.

• After seeing five different doctors for five different problems, the speaker started to learn that these doctors were not resolving the root cause of his problems but rather treating symptoms.

• Through searching online and working with a clinician in Toronto who was doing research on genetics, the speaker discovered gaps and holes in his genome that were causing his health issues.

Three Buckets for Healing

• The three buckets for healing are environment, nutrition, and lifestyle.

• Environment includes everything around you that you breathe or are exposed to.

• Nutrition includes supplements and food.

• Lifestyle includes sleep, exercise, and everything done while awake.

Misaligned Choices

• Chronic diseases occur because our choices are misaligned with our genetic capacity.

• We all have symptomatically similar problems but the reason we have those problems is different.

Trial and Error

• Everyone has something that doesn't work when it comes to their health. It's important to go through trial and error to figure out what works best for each individual.

• For example, some people may develop cardiovascular disease if they put themselves through heavy cardiovascular activity.

This transcript provides valuable insights into discovering the root cause of chronic diseases. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding one's genetic makeup and making choices that align with it. The three buckets for healing (environment, nutrition, and lifestyle) are discussed in detail, along with the need for trial and error to find what works best for each individual.

The Impact of Genetics on Health

In this section, the speaker discusses how genetics can impact an individual's health and how it is not the only factor that contributes to chronic diseases.

Genetics and Health

• Quality hardware is important for good health.

• The gene Saw 2 determines how well an individual clears oxidation.

• Some people do not efficiently remove oxidants, leading to inflammation.

• Cardiovascular exercise can cause inflammation in individuals with bad cardiovascular hardware.

• Inflammation causes the body to send cholesterol as a hormone to reduce inflammation, leading to cholesterolemia.

Understanding Genetic Testing

• Ancestry tests are data collection tools designed for entertainment purposes.

• Genetic testing for rare genetic conditions is a tiny fraction of our problems.

• Chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood and behavior issues are where genetics play a role.

• We need to understand why these diseases happen and what we can do about them.

Bridging the Gap between DNA Study and Clinical Practice

• Geneticists study DNA while clinicians study people; nobody brought the two together until recently.

• Studying thousands of people has helped identify red flags in their genes that lead to certain diseases.

• By understanding what healthy individuals did differently despite having genetic risks, we can teach others how to prevent or manage chronic diseases through lifestyle changes.

Implementing Research Findings

• Dale Bredesen's work on environment supplementation lifestyle has shown promising results in preventing dementia.

• Testing and blood work can help identify what supplements an individual needs to prevent or manage chronic diseases.

Understanding Cognitive Decline

In this section, the speaker discusses cognitive decline and how it is caused by various factors such as pollution, genetics, and diet.

Causes of Cognitive Decline

• Cognitive decline is caused by inflammation in the brain due to exposure to pollutants in the air we breathe.

• Genetic factors such as missing genes for detoxification can also lead to cognitive decline.

• Starch metabolization and insulin response genes can also contribute to cognitive decline.

• Women are more prone to cognitive decline due to estrogen toxicity.

Prevention of Cognitive Decline

• To prevent cognitive decline, one can reduce exposure to toxins and pollutants that cause inflammation in the brain.

• One can also modify their diet and lifestyle based on their genetic predisposition.

Golfing and Health

In this section, the speaker talks about how golfing can be harmful to health due to exposure to toxins.

Harmful Effects of Golfing

• Picking up tees and putting them in the mouth can lead to mouth cancer and sores.

• Golf courses use fertilizers that are toxic, which can cause health problems over time.

• Toxicity is higher in jurisdictions with longer winters where more effort is required to maintain the beauty of the course during summer.

• Exposure to toxins from golfing can cause cholesterol issues, especially if combined with poor detox capacity and inflammation.

Functional Medicine

In this section, the speaker discusses functional medicine as an approach that looks at system failure rather than just treating symptoms.

Masking Symptoms vs. Treating System Failure

• Doctors often focus on masking symptoms rather than looking for system failure.

• Functional medicine looks at system failure and aims to address root causes of health issues.

• More doctors are going into functional medicine because it makes sense and people are waking up to the fact that they need a more personalized approach.

• Understanding one's DNA is important for personalizing treatment since everyone's DNA is different.

Adding Years to Your Life

In this section, the speaker talks about how to add years to your life and improve the quality of those years.

Adding Vitality to Your Life

• To avoid health problems, take a detour and add 10-15 years to your life.

• Adding years is not just about quantity but also quality. There's no point in living up to 100 if you're bedridden for 25 years.

• The goal is to have the same vitality as when you were younger even in your old age.

Biological Age Test

• Aortic stiffness test determines biological age by examining internal aging.

• The speaker took an internal biological age test at 38, which showed his biological age was 43 due to various health issues.

• After four years of research, his biological age has decreased from five years older than his actual age to ten years younger.

DNA Testing Process

• DNA testing involves ordering a kit that includes a saliva tube for collecting DNA samples.

• The lab extracts genetic code from the saliva sample through three different processing steps.

• Unlike other genetic testing companies that focus on data selling, this company provides comprehensive testing that looks at both bulk data and minutia within genes.

Personalized Reports

• After completing the DNA testing process, users can log into a portal where they receive personalized reports on their genome.

• The report includes recommendations based on specific areas of concern such as anxiety or cardiovascular health.

• Recommendations are designed with help from Dr. BJ Fogg who specializes in behavioral change and helps users implement changes based on their results.

The Importance of Melatonin and Amber Glasses

In this section, the speaker discusses how our ancestors' exposure to firelight at night triggered the release of melatonin, which is important for sleep. He also explains that wearing amber glasses can help people who have trouble sleeping due to a lack of melatonin production.

Melatonin Release Triggered by Amber Glow

• Our ancestors were exposed to the amber glow of fire at night, which triggered the release of melatonin.

• Exposure to artificial light at night can disrupt melatonin production and lead to sleep problems.

• Wearing amber glasses can help trigger the release of melatonin in people who have trouble sleeping due to a lack of natural triggers.

Vitamin D and Sleep

In this section, the speaker explains how vitamin D affects sleep and why it's important for overall health.

Vitamin D Pathways and Sleep

• Vitamin D is not just important for bone health and immunity; it also plays a role in regulating circadian rhythms.

• People who don't get enough sunlight or take high-dose vitamin D supplements may have trouble sleeping.

• Vitamin D pathways can affect sleep even if other factors like bdnf are functioning properly.

Serotonin and Sleep Disruptions

In this section, the speaker discusses how serotonin affects mood regulation and stimulus prioritization during sleep.

Serotonin's Role in Stimulus Prioritization

• Serotonin regulates mood but also makes it difficult for some people to prioritize stimuli during sleep.

• People with poor serotonin function may struggle with staying asleep due to disruptions from temperature changes or external stimuli.

• Understanding specific disruptions during sleep can help identify underlying issues related to serotonin function.

Importance of Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of sleep and how it affects our health.

Sleep Quality

• The speaker talks about how he used to struggle with waking up frequently during the night and not understanding why.

• Good quality sleep is important for aging healthily. Lack of good quality sleep can lead to cognitive decline and other health issues.

• Most detoxification happens during sleep, including lymphatic drainage where the brain detoxifies and sends out toxins from the brain back into the lymphatic system.

Behavioral Issues

• The speaker explains that most behavioral issues like ADHD, anxiety, and depression are not innate problems but rather a result of being wired for one thing and doing another.

• The speaker gives an example of his dopamine pathway gene determining how much dopamine he binds. He experiences pleasure or reward differently than others due to his gene expression.

Conclusion

• There is so much information on optimizing our health that it would take days to explain all of it.

• Context drives outcomes in life.

The Relationship Between Mood and Behavior and Post-COVID Life

In this section, the speaker discusses how the stressors of post-COVID life have led to an increase in mood and behavior issues.

The Impact of COVID on Mental Health

• Post-COVID life has resulted in more mood and behavior issues due to changes in environmental factors such as nutrition, lifestyle, and stress.

• Our burdens can be our superpowers if we understand how to use them effectively.

• For example, the same dopamine pathway that caused depression in one's 30s can lead to high performance entrepreneurship in one's 40s.

• Similarly, serotonin prioritizes stimulus which can cause one to be easily bothered by small details but also allows for a high level of detail-oriented work.

Understanding Your Genome for Optimal Teamwork

In this section, the speaker discusses how understanding your genome can help you work better with others.

Working with Others Based on Genomes

• Understanding your genome can help you work better with others by identifying areas of friction and compatibility.

• For example, someone with low dopamine clearance may leave a meeting ready to take action while someone with maximum ability to experience dopamine may need time to process before taking action.

• By understanding each other's genomes, teams can work together more effectively and reduce friction.

Keeping Technical Concepts Relatable

In this section, the speaker is thanked for keeping technical concepts relatable and understandable.

Speaker's Ability to Explain Technical Concepts

• The speaker is known for being technical.

• The speaker did an excellent job of explaining technical concepts in a way that was easy to understand.

• Many smart people struggle with making complex ideas accessible to others.

• The speaker was able to make the information relatable and applicable.

Conclusion

This section concludes the podcast episode.

Thank You Message

• The guest is thanked for being part of the podcast.

• Listeners are directed to breitbibe.com for more information.