105 | id == 105
105 | category_id == 15
105 | category_order == 11
105 | category_name == Diet
105 | category_color == #C47AC0
105 | slug == FADS2-Nutrition
105 | title == How A Fat Metabolism Gene Affects Nutrition and Cognition (FADS2)
105 | meta_description == FADS2 helps metabolize fatty acids. Certain genetic variations may impair this function, leading to nutritional issues.
105 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The FADS2 gene plays an important role in the metabolism of fatty acids in the body. However, certain genetic variants may disrupt this process, which can affect the balance of fatty acids and potentially lead to nutritional issues in children and adults.</strong></p>
105 | overall_score_text == Your Nutrition Score (Based On FADS2 Gene)
105 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/FADS2--Nutrition.jpg
105 | author_id == 8
105 | author_name == Mathew Eng
105 | author_title == PharmD
105 | author_order == 40
105 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Mathew.jpg
105 | author_intro == <p><strong>Mathew received his PharmD from the University of Hawaii and an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Washington.</strong></p>    <p>Mathew is a licensed pharmacist with clinical experience in oncology, infectious disease, and diabetes management. He has a passion for personalized patient care and believes that education is essential to living a healthy life. His goal is to motivate individuals to find ways to manage their chronic conditions.</p>
105 | reviewer == None
105 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
105 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
105 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
105 | publish_date == 2020
105 | publish_date == 2
105 | publish_date == 28
105 | avg_rating == 5.0
105 | tags_id == 277
105 | tags_name == Breastfeeding
105 | tags_id == 13
105 | tags_name == Cognition
105 | tags_id == 278
105 | tags_name == DHA
105 | tags_id == 279
105 | tags_name == EPA
105 | tags_id == 275
105 | tags_name == FADS2 Gene
105 | tags_id == 276
105 | tags_name == Fatty Acids
105 | tags_id == 140
105 | tags_name == Metabolism
105 | tags_id == 261
105 | tags_name == nutrition
105 | permissions_favorite == False
105 | permissions_rate == False
105 | content_article == <h2><strong>The <em>FADS2</em> Gene</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../gene/fads2/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> plays an important role in the metabolism of certain types of fats. It does this by encoding for a protein called </span><strong>delta 6 desaturase</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><strong>D6D</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038994"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The D6D protein is responsible for converting between different types of fatty acids. This helps regulate the body&rsquo;s levels of </span><strong>polyunsaturated fatty acids</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><strong>PUFAs</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038994"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PUFAs play many essential roles in the body, such as being a structural component of cells, acting as an energy source, and regulating cell signaling pathways [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26771963"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There&rsquo;s some evidence that certain genetic variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can impair the body&rsquo;s ability to metabolize fatty acids. This may have negative effects on nutrition, especially in infants [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038994"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/what-are-fatty-acids/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learn more about fatty acids here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <h2><strong>How Does <em>FADS2</em> Work?</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is responsible for encoding a protein called </span><strong>delta 6 desaturase</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><strong>D6D</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038994"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">D6D is an enzyme that works by creating double bonds in fatty acids. As discussed earlier, fatty acids become unsaturated when they contain one or more double bonds [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25038994"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By producing double bonds, the D6D enzyme is able to produce several kinds of unsaturated fatty acids.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the important end-products of D6D include EPA and DHA, which are both categorized as omega-3 fatty acids [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fatty acids EPA and DHA (which are commonly found in </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> supplements) play important roles in brain function, heart health, and infant development [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><strong><em>FADS2</em>: Breastfeeding &amp; Infant Cognition</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human breast milk contains several kinds of </span><strong>polyunsaturated fatty acids</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><strong>PUFAs</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">), such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">docosahexaenoic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DHA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/arachidonic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">arachidonic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/arachidonic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), which play essential roles in brain development in newborns [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380307/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s important to note that not all infant formulas contain PUFAs. This may explain why breastfed children may have higher </span><a href="https://selfhack.com/blog/best-way-to-increase-higher-level-thinking/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IQs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> compared to non-breastfed children, according to research [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26211556/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18458209/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A number of studies have examined if genetics are a factor in this relationship between breastfeeding and cognition, including the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene. We&rsquo;ll discuss the research below [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30541029"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><strong>Supporting Evidence</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is evidence that certain variants of </span><strong>rs174575</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene may influence cognitive development in breastfed infants.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study analyzed data from over 3,200 children born in New Zealand, England, and Wales [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the study, breastfed children who carry the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele of rs174575 had IQ scores that were 6.4 points higher on average than children who were not breastfed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, children who had the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype did </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gain an advantage from being breastfed nor did they suffer a disadvantage from not being breastfed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The genotype of the mother did not appear to have an effect on the IQ of the child [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2141867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Breastfed children carrying the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may have better cognition than children who are not breastfed. However, children who have the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype do not appear to experience an advantage or disadvantage from being breastfed or not being breastfed.</span></p> <h3><strong>Conflicting Evidence</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not all studies have found a connection between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, breastfeeding, and cognition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A meta-analysis of 10 separate studies totaling over 12,000 individuals of various ethnicities did </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> find an association between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and breastfeeding [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380307/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Likewise, another study of almost 6,000 children did not find a link between the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele and cognition [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903485/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A third study of 700 Australian families also does not support a connection between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and breastfeeding on cognition [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21156270"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This Australian study suggests that parental education level may actually play a more important role in childhood cognition [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21156270"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A number of studies suggest that there is no link between the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, breastfeeding, and cognitive development in children.</span></span></p> <h3><strong><em>FADS2</em>: Fatty Acid Metabolism</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So far we&rsquo;ve discussed the effect of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> genetic variants on children. However, research suggests that adults too may be impacted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A meta-analysis of 5 studies including a total of 2,286 participants focused on </span><strong>rs3834458</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487670"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The SNP rs3834458 is relatively unique in that the minor allele is a deletion allele. This means that people either carry the major allele &lsquo;T&rsquo; or carry no allele at all [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487670"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers of this meta-analysis found that, compared to those with the major &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele, those carrying the deletion allele had [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487670"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Higher </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/alpha-linolenic-acid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">alpha-linolenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (ALA) levels</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lower </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">eicosapentaenoic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (EPA) levels</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lower docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) levels</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lower </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">docosahexaenoic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (DHA) levels</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These results imply that the deletion allele impairs the body&rsquo;s ability to convert fatty acids into more complex PUFAs [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31487670"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple studies of the SNP </span><strong>rs1535</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have found very similar results [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22194195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23636240"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28515069"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a study including data from over 3,300 newborns and 5,200 children found that the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele was associated with lower ALA levels and higher EPA, DHA, and AA levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22194195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The minor alleles in rs3834458 and rs1535 may be associated with higher levels of ALA and lower levels of EPA, DPA, and DHA.</span></p> <h3><strong><em>FADS2</em>: Cholesterol, Triglycerides, &amp; Blood Sugar</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene may also influence other nutritional factors, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cholesterol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/triglycerides/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">triglycerides</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blood sugar</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study of 14,354 Korean adults looked at the SNP </span><strong>rs2845573</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29779171"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers found that the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele of rs2845573 was associated with lower </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hdl-cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HDL</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (good cholesterol), lower blood glucose, and higher triglyceride levels, compared to the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29779171"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><strong>Your <em>FADS2</em> Results for Nutrition</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can see your genotypes for FADS2 in the table below. However, keep in mind that these associations are based on studies from certain ethnic populations &mdash; so you should interpret your results with caution if you are not descended from one of these specific groups!</span></em></p> <p>*2702556421966593*</p> <p><strong>Primary SNPs:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>FADS2 rs174575</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with nutrition</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with improved cognition in breastfed children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some studies do not support this link</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 95% of all people worldwide carry at least one &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>FADS2 rs3834458</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with nutrition</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;Deletion&rsquo; (no allele) = Associated with lower levels of certain PUFAs</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 56% of people from European populations have at least one deletion allele</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 77% of people from East Asian populations have at least one deletion allele</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>FADS rs1535</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with nutrition</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with lower levels of certain PUFAs</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 57% of people from European populations have at least one &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 77% of people from East Asian populations have at least one &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>FADS2 rs2845573</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with nutrition</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with lower HDL, lower blood glucose, and higher triglyceride levels</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 25% of all people worldwide carry at least one &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele</span></li> </ul> <p>*8665201899647508*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations to Improve Nutrition</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you believe you may have imbalances in your fatty acid levels, always speak with your doctor first. Imbalances may be a sign of a serious medical condition.</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also, talk to your doctor before implementing any of the following strategies. There may be unexpected interactions with your current medications or health conditions.&nbsp;</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">None of these recommendations should ever be used to replace any of the treatments or medications that your doctor gives you.</span></em></p> <p>*6656378567031602*</p> <h3><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <p><strong>Polyunsaturated fatty acids</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><strong>PUFAs</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">) can be found in many of the foods that we eat. For those concerned about their levels, eating foods rich in Omega-3 PUFAs may help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research in animals suggests that consumption of foods high in PUFAs (especially </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EPA and DHA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) may also stimulate the activity of the D6D enzyme, further benefiting PUFA levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28697636"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29413362"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26094213"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, eating moderate amounts of omega-3 PUFAs in place of saturated and trans fats can have beneficial effects on the heart [</span><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000747.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/polyunsaturated-fats"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some foods rich in PUFAs include [</span><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000747.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/polyunsaturated-fats"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fish, including salmon, trout, and mackerel</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walnuts</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Flax seeds or flax oil</span></li> </ul> <h3><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain variants in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">FADS2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can ultimately lead to lower levels of omega-3 acids, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EPA and DHA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those that do not get enough of these fatty acids from their diet, EPA and DHA can be taken as a supplement (commonly referred to as fish oil supplements).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research suggests that taking EPA and DHA (fish oil) supplements may help prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, although the evidence is not conclusive [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-be-taking-an-omega-3-supplement"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-new-qualified-health-claims-epa-and-dha-omega-3-consumption-and-risk-hypertension-and"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How should you take fish oil supplements?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, you can start with a 1 gram dose, unless your doctor recommends taking more [</span><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-be-taking-an-omega-3-supplement"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s also important to choose a supplement that includes both DHA and EPA, as these two fish oils can have different health benefits [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3262608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
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105 | content_learn_more_8665201899647508_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your FADS2 gene may somewhat reduce your ability to metabolize certain fatty acids. However, keep in mind that this score represents only one of many different factors that can influence nutrition and may only apply to certain ethnic groups. Specific diets and supplements may help — read on to learn more!
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rsIDs = rs174575,rs1535,rs3834458,rs2845573
rsStatus = rs174575,FADS2,chr11,61834531,C,G,,,38,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1535,FADS2,chr11,61830500,A,G,T,,28,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2845573,FADS2,chr11,61834436,A,G,,,49,0,Normal
