29 | id == 29
29 | category_id == 4
29 | category_order == 1
29 | category_name == Brain
29 | category_color == #C47AC0
29 | slug == Boost-Your-Cognition-With-TUSC3
29 | title == Is This Magnesium Gene Affecting Your Cognitive Function? (TUSC3)
29 | meta_description == The TUSC3 gene determines your body's levels of magnesium, which affects your cognitive ability! Learn how to optimize it here.
29 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>You probably already know that the nutrients and minerals you get from your diet can have a profound effect on how well your brain functions. Today we&rsquo;re going to be looking at <em>TUSC3</em>, a gene that significantly influences how well your body absorbs and transports the essential mineral magnesium. By affecting the overall levels of magnesium in your cells, this gene can actually have a significant effect on your overall cognitive ability!</strong></p>
29 | overall_score_text == Your cognitive function score (based on TUSC3 gene)
29 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Is-This-Magnesium-Gene-Affecting-Your-Cognitive-Function-TUSC3-Gene_JPG.jpg
29 | author_id == 4
29 | author_name == Matt Carland
29 | author_title == PhD
29 | author_order == 10
29 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
29 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
29 | reviewer_id == 1
29 | reviewer_name == Jasmine Foster
29 | reviewer_title == BSc, BEd
29 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
29 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
29 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
29 | publish_date == 2019
29 | publish_date == 8
29 | publish_date == 29
29 | avg_rating == 4.857142857142857
29 | tags_id == 13
29 | tags_name == Cognition
29 | tags_id == 28
29 | tags_name == Intelligence
29 | tags_id == 92
29 | tags_name == Magnesium
29 | tags_id == 91
29 | tags_name == TUSC3 Gene
29 | permissions_favorite == False
29 | permissions_rate == False
29 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the 45 unique intelligence-related genes that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mind-protocol-nm/"><strong><em>Cognitive Function DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your cognitive ability, and the actionable steps that you can take to boost your cognition even further, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Does The </strong><strong><em>TUSC3</em></strong><strong> Gene Do?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../gene/tusc3/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for a protein called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">tu</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">mor </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">s</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">uppressor </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">c</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">andidate 3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite what its name might sound like, the main function of the TUSC3 protein is actually to regulate the metabolism, uptake, and transport of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/"><strong>magnesium</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> throughout the body&rsquo;s cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23825019"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19717468"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272772"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnesium is an essential dietary nutrient that is important for many different processes in the body and brain, including hormone signaling [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10907231"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12206393"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], DNA replication [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11295157"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], producing energy for cells [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27458051"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7286245"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], and neuronal communication [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12192410"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11696615"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215634"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215634"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], to name just a few!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the many different roles of magnesium, our </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">comprehensive SelfHacked post on magnesium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> would be the best place to start! Here, we&rsquo;ll instead be focusing primarily on this mineral&rsquo;s role in brain function, and what your genotype for the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene can reveal about your overall cognitive ability.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is responsible for transporting magnesium into cells. Magnesium is involved in many important biological processes, including helping neurons communicate with each other effectively.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>TUSC3</em></strong><strong>, Magnesium, and Brain Function</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because one of magnesium&rsquo;s important functions is to help neurons to communicate with each other effectively, the variations that you carry in this gene can have a significant influence on your overall cognitive ability.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, rare mutations that delete this gene often result in significant intellectual impairments [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18452889"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26427135"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27148795"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21513506"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although such dramatic mutations are quite rare, some of the more common variants of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have also been associated with differences in cognitive ability among otherwise normally healthy people [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22449649"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272772"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given what we know about the important role of magnesium in the brain, it is likely that the common denominator across these </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> mutations is that they result in significantly reduced overall magnesium levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25227765"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19717468"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272772"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low magnesium levels can therefore affect your cognitive performance by impairing your neurons&rsquo; ability to &ldquo;talk&rdquo; to each other effectively [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12192410"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215634"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272772"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnesium deficiency can also cause other negative effects, such as accelerated cellular aging, which can further contribute to cognitive difficulties and other chronic health issues [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23950577"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18391207"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18705534"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Certain variations in the <em>TUSC3</em> gene can contribute to reduced levels of magnesium, which can negatively impact how well your brain functions.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>TUSC3</em></strong><strong> Genotype</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Below you can see your genotype for the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNP </span><a href="../../snp/rs240657/"><strong>rs240657</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*5821564786940687*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*6249057349428717*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />The two possible alleles for this SNP are &lsquo;A&rsquo; and &lsquo;G&rsquo;. </span><strong>When it comes to overall cognitive ability, the more common &lsquo;AA&rsquo; genotype is the best one to have</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (which about 73% of people carry)</span><strong>.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a large-scale GWAS study with ~1,500 participants found that there were significant differences in the IQ scores of people with different genotypes for this SNP. People with two copies of the major &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele came out on top with a mean IQ score of 112, which is significantly above-average! By comparison, people with &lsquo;G&rsquo; alleles tended to have IQ scores closer to the general population average of 100 &mdash; and the more copies of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele they had, the lower their relative scores were [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22449649"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This significant difference in IQ scores suggests that carriers of the minor &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may have a copy of this gene that is less efficient at absorbing and transporting magnesium. This can lead to reduced cellular levels of this nutrient that, in turn, makes it harder for their brain to work to its full potential.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele of </span><strong>rs240657</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is associated with above-average cognitive ability, whereas carriers of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele tend to show relatively poorer cognitive performance.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How Can You Improve Your </strong><strong><em>TUSC3</em></strong><strong> Genotype?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you carry bad &lsquo;G&rsquo; alleles for this SNP, don&rsquo;t worry just yet! Since this gene affects magnesium levels directly, its potential negative effects can be easily prevented or reversed by simply boosting your overall levels of magnesium [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19717468"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748766"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20929532"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*2353768544193817*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Therefore, we recommend adding a <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/">magnesium</a> supplement to your daily regimen if you aren&rsquo;t taking one already.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, boosting your magnesium levels may even directly translate to enhanced cognitive abilities, such as improved learning and memory [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20152124"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23764903"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It can also have additional benefits on your mental well-being, such as </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mood/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">enhancing your mood</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and reducing your long-term risk of depression and anxiety [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29897029"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748766"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23950577"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20929532"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19085527"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnesium supplements have also been shown to help fight against aging [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18705534"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], reduce inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22611240"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21609904"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], and boost the body&rsquo;s ability to make energy for its cells (ATP) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27458051"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplementing with magnesium is also very safe, and has been used by doctors for over 100 years to treat a wide variety of health conditions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23950577"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20929532"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Additionally, over-expressing magnesium-related genes (including </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="../../gene/MAGT1/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MAGT1</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and others) in animals has also been shown </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">not</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to cause cells to become overloaded with magnesium. This is important because it suggests that the body has built-in mechanisms to limit the amount of magnesium that cells take in, which naturally helps protect against toxicity &mdash; even if you happen to take a bit too much of it [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19717468"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternatively, if you&rsquo;d rather not take supplements, you could also simply </span><strong>increase your dietary intake of foods that are rich in magnesium</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> such as almonds, cashews, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, red meat, and seafood [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24259558"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748766"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">In addition to adjusting your diet and taking supplements, <strong>it would also be a good idea to get your serum and RBC levels of magnesium checked out with the </strong><a href="https://www.labtestanalyzer.com/"><strong>Lab Test Analyzer</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as this is the most direct way to make sure your overall magnesium levels are optimal.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because &ldquo;bad&rdquo; variants of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TUSC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene reduce magnesium levels, the most straightforward way to counteract the potential negative effects of this gene is to supplement with extra magnesium.</span></span></p>
29 | content_snp_table_5821564786940687_key == 5821564786940687
29 | content_snp_table_5821564786940687_blur == True
29 | content_snp_table_5821564786940687_hidden == False
29 | content_learn_more_6249057349428717_key == 6249057349428717
29 | content_learn_more_6249057349428717_blur == True
29 | content_learn_more_6249057349428717_hidden == False
29 | content_learn_more_6249057349428717_text == Your genes variants suggest that you're somewhat less efficient at making sure your cells get the optimal amounts of magnesium. Getting extra magnesium with your diet or supplements may boost your cognitive function.
29 | content_recommendation_2353768544193817_key == 2353768544193817
29 | content_recommendation_2353768544193817_blur == True
29 | content_recommendation_2353768544193817_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs240657
rsStatus = rs240657,,chr8,15808103,G,A,C,T,5,18,HET
