This month, guest consumer trends columnist Lucy Britner explores how DNA testing will change what we drink, offering her own results as a bellwether.
Using genetic testing to determine personal health and nutrition is a relatively new phenomenon. Since 2014, UK-based testing company DNAFit has assisted around 100,000 people on their journey to find out what best suits their bodies. That’s an average of fewer than 20,000 consumers per year. However, as wider trends around both health & wellness and personalization continue apace – and the cost of testing becomes more affordable – that number will grow.
Last month, I became part of that growing number, sending my cheek swab back to DNAFit in its clinical tube. The results arrived digitally, about ten days later. Leaving the food and vitamin information aside – this is just-drinks after all – I was interested to learn that my body responds ‘positively’ to alcohol. What this means is that, for my genetic profile, there has been “some evidence to suggest a positive effect on ‘good’ cholesterol, HDL [high-density lipoprotein], from moderate alcohol consumption”. The report is clear, however, that moderation is key – since alcohol is metabolized slowly – and any potential benefits of alcohol are “likely outweighed by the health risks”.
Interestingly, my alcohol response is the same as more than half of the company’s users, according to the report. Elsewhere, my results also showed I have a high sensitivity to both carbohydrates and caffeine – along with around 40% of other users.
These numbers start to paint a picture of how the results might be used on a mainstream scale. And, as more people take DNA tests, the implications of possessing such knowledge will likely affect not only what we drink but also how much.
There are several reasons for this: First off, the information feels authentic – it is rooted in science. Second, it feels personal – this is, after all, our own DNA that we’re talking about.
In terms of behavior, a consumer with a positive alcohol response as well as carb and caffeine sensitivities might decide to lay off the beer or vodka & Red Bulls, for example. Instead, they might move to moderate alcohol, low carb options such as, say, whisky & soda Highballs.
Armed with more knowledge, consumers will also start to examine ingredients more closely. For example, how many people know that decaf coffee still contains caffeine, albeit far less than a regular coffee?
According to Diabetes.co.uk, when it comes to alcohol, beer – depending on the type – can contain up to 20g of carbohydrates per pint, while dry wine can have as little as 1-2g of carbohydrates in a 20cl serve. Cutting carbs has long been a popular dieting method and brewers have cottoned on, with launches aplenty. Only last month, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito said there is a “big opportunity” for Michelob Ultra in global markets as the low-carb beer expands beyond its US base, including through a test-run in China.
Increased interest from consumers in what goes into our bodies will also encourage those companies that are yet to list ingredients and nutrition information on packs to do so. There may come a time when bars, websites and off-premise outlets divide their menus and shelves into products that best suit different body types. One consumer might opt for the moderate alcohol, low-carb menu, while their fellow drinker asks for the lactose-intolerant, caffeine-free combination of drinks (goodbye, Irish coffee!).
Although the idea might seem lightyears away, using genetics to make food choices in restaurants is already being trialled. In February, DNAFit and Yo! Sushi announced a competition where entrants could win a DNA test along with a Yo! Sushi ‘Plate Plan’ based on their results. The plan offered diners a guide to the optimum sushi dishes for their genetic type.
“There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to diet and nutrition, and it is excellent to see Yo! embrace the potential of a DNA-guided menu,” DNAFit chief executive Avi Lasarow was quoted as saying at the time of the launch. “We know that personalization is becoming increasingly important to so many decisions we make each day as consumers, and ‘Yo! Dinner, Yo! Way’ will get diners one step closer to living their best possible life.”
While making choices based on DNA is fascinating in theory, there is one problem, as my results highlight. I like carbs, I like alcohol and I like (caffeinated) coffee. While the test has made me aware of my body’s response to these things, my desire to do something about it still comes down to willpower. What the test has done, though, is give me a little more willpower and help effect small, everyday changes: A bit less caffeine, a Highball instead of a beer, a bit less booze.
It might not seem like much, but add the changes I’ve made to my shopping basket to the changes (presumably) made by the other 100,000 DNAFit users – other providers are available – and their revised drinking habits will start to become wider consumer trends.
Source: Just drinks
