From tailoring nutrition to your DNA, to switching off genes linked to illness by modifying your diet, or even putting chronic disease into remission by changing your lifestyle – new scientific developments mean you can have more control over your health than ever before. Check out these five health and wellbeing trends that are set to be huge in 2022…
Lifestyle Medicine: the 2022 health trend replacing prescription drugs
This 2022 health trend is a new branch of medicine, which focuses on nutrition and lifestyle changes to prevent, treat and even reverse chronic illness. It’s championed by mainstream medical professionals fed up with the overprescribing of drugs. A recent government report found 10 per cent of drugs are prescribed inappropriately.
The NHS is rolling out lifestyle medicine trials. This includes the successful DiRECT study, in which one-third of participants were free of type 2 diabetes within two years.
Prescription drugs verses lifestyle medicine
‘Doctors often over-estimate benefits and under-estimate harms of too many prescription drugs,’ says Dr Ellen Fallows, an NHS GP of 10 years and member of The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. ‘Research shows lifestyle changes can be equally or even more effective than medication because you’re reversing root causes, rather than just treating symptoms.’
But it’s not a simplistic message of ‘don’t eat junk food’ – although that certainly helps! It’s delivered through targeted, individual counselling. There are also group sessions that allow doctors more time discussing condition than the usual 10 minutes in a GP surgery.
Healthy relationships, mental health, sleep and breaking bad habits are all part of the package. Plus, a diet rich in vegetables, avoiding ultra-processed food, and taking regular exercise.
‘I’ve seen patients with diabetes and high blood pressure go into remission with lifestyle changes. We’ve all trained ourselves to ask the doctor for a pill. Instead, ask your GP: what can I do before I take that pill?’ says Dr Fallows.
Try lifestyle medicine…
Note: If you’re taking prescription medication, always consult a medical professional before making big lifestyle changes.
ONLINE:
Attend webinars at bslm.org.uk. Also find free courses at futurelearn.com.
BOOKS:
- Undo it by Dr Dea Ornish
- The Telomere Effect by Elizabeth Blackburn
- The Diet Myth and Spoon-Fed by Tim Spector
- Brain Changer by Felice Jacka
PODCAST:
DNA Testing: personalise your healthcare with this 2022 health trend
Taking personalised healthcare to the max, DNA nutrigenetic testing reveals which vitamins you’re lacking and what allergies or conditions you might be prone to. Then you can adjust your lifestyle to remedy any issues.
From the comfort of your home, you take a saliva swap test or blood sample and post it off to be analysed in a lab. Nutrigenetic testing is about how your body responds to nutrients based on your genetics. So, you can streamline your diet to your DNA. It’s a positive development for providing tailored information about your health, according to a government report.
Although, the report cautions regulation is needed to ensure quality and accuracy in the industry. Finding out about a serious genetic disease with an at-home DNA kit is a much more controversial area, and usually is not part of specifically nutrigenetic tests.
About Vitl:
Vitl is a nutrigenetics company, offering at-home testing, partnered with geneticists, biomedical scientists and nutritionists from organisations, such as King’s College London. ‘Nutrigenetics investigates the effect of your genetic variations on your dietary and nutritional responses, says Christina Mamada, nutrition associate for Vitl.
‘We check your DNA sequence in genes associated with specific health areas, for example, caffeine metabolism, iron metabolism, blood glucose levels, obesity risk or gluten intolerance. So, we can tailor nutritional and lifestyle advice based on your results.
‘If you’re genetically predisposed to react more negatively to saturated fats, the keto diet might not work for you. A low-fat diet may be better. You’ll get insights on your body’s response to speed, strength and endurance exercise, as well as stress, sleep and more.
‘The Vitamin DNA test reads 13 vitamins and minerals. For example, mutations in the MTHFR gene can cause folate deficiency. If you have this mutation, we’ll provide active form folate, which is more easily absorbed, and advise eating folate rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables.
‘Vegans and vegetarians are at greater risk of inadequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids. The DNA test
will indicate whether you need to supplement,’ adds Christina.
How do home-kit DNA tests work?
But how does it work? ‘Your DNA is extracted from your saliva sample and is genotyped using Illumina SNP-chip technology, creating a personal genotype file that stores more than 700,000 genotypes,’ explains Christina.
‘Scientists analyse this information using leading peer-reviewed scientific journals to determine your predicted genetic traits. Some traits are very well researched, so predictions have higher accuracy, while others are still in progress. Our scientists constantly review medical literature to update genetic traits [for accuracy] and create new ones.
Try the 2022 DNA testing health trend yourself…
Vitl DNA Nutrition Test (£119)
Find out if you’re gluten sensitive, whether you are low on certain vitamins or if you’re more likely to store fat or put on muscle with this cheek-swab saliva sample breakdown of your genetic traits. Specific dietary, fitness and lifestyle advice is included.
Vitl Vitamin DNA Test (£49.95)
Understand which vitamins and minerals you may have trouble absorbing or converting to an active form, so that you can make informed nutritional choices. You get a detailed genetic report from a saliva test for 13 essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, you’ll also receive personalised dietary and lifestyle advice.
Nutrigenomics: switch off genes through nutritional choices
It might sound extraordinary that the food you eat can determine whether certain genes are switched on or off. But, that’s exactly what this emerging science is uncovering. New 2022 health trend, Nutrigenomics, could provide a huge breakthrough in disease prevention.
What is nutrigenomics?
‘Nutrigenomics points to why botanicals and herbs used for millennia can be so good for you, by exploring how nutrients impact particular genes. We used to think our genes determined whether or not we developed a particular condition, but now we know what’s key is whether or not certain genes are activated,’ says Professor Vittorio Sebastiano, epigeneticist at Stanford School of Medicine, California.
‘One of the biggest factors in gene expression is your diet. The right choice of nutrients can help regulate gene expression.’ The idea works in parallel with nutrigenetics DNA testing, but it’s not the same thing.
‘Nutrigenomics is a sister field of nutrigenetics, but they’re very different siblings. Nutrigenomics
explores how nutrients affect expression of the genes virtually all of us have – so it’s not based on individual DNA. Nutrigenetics, however, is concerned with how individual genetic variance, such as having a variant that makes you lactose intolerant, impacts response to nutrients,’ says Prof Sebastiano.
About Karmacist:
This new field is already being harnessed by supplement companies. One such company is Karmacist
(karmacist.com) which matches nutrigenomics with nutraceuticals.
The blends are formulated by Harvard and Stanford scientists, including Professor Sebastiano, and include Energy, Mood, Immunity and Relax. ‘These are the first nutrigenomic-based supplements, with ingredients evaluated for nutritional merit but also, uniquely, for how they might impact gene expression.
‘For example, saffron seems to be as effective as Prozac in reducing depressive symptoms. It can also help regulate the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT), which is key to mood. So, we’re working on a much deeper level – to help people maximise wellbeing,’ says Prof Sebastiano.
Try nutrigenomics supplements in 2022…
Energy Formulation (£30 for a month’s supply)
Reduce fatigue with sustained energy release from the highly bioavailable nutrigenomic ingredients. It includes Ayurvedic herb gotu kola to boost brainpower, maca to improve mood, cayenne pepper for a metabolic kick, polyphenol-rich juniper berries, magnesium and vitamin C from acerola cherries.
Immunity Formulation (£30 for a month’s supply)
Support healthy immune function with this combination of reishi mushrooms, amla berries, antioxidant power house black garlic, plus ginger and rosemary. There’s also immune-supportive olive leaf which is rich in the anti-inflammatory polyphenol oleuropein.
Wearable mental health tech trend: monitor your wellbeing in 2022
Devices to monitor your physical health, such as counting steps, checking heart rate and sleep patterns have been around for years. But now companies are branching out into wearable mental health technology in a new 2022 health trend.
The Fitbit Sense smartwatch (£279.99) tracks stress levels using tiny electrical charges to measure sweat. While Apple is reportedly developing a device to identify anxiety, depression and cognitive decline.
British company Moodbeam has a wrist wearable device and companion app so you can log your mood to monitor emotional wellbeing. It gives insights into how your moods change over time. This reveals patterns of low or good mood, helping you recognise where changes need to be made to improve your
wellbeing.
How does the Moodbeam work?
Co-founder Christina Colmer McHugh created the product as a way of monitoring her daughter’s anxiety at school. There are two types of Moodbeam – one for workplace and another for personal use. ‘The Moodbeam One wristband encourages users to press a yellow button when feeling good and a blue button when feeling not so good or negative.
‘These baseline emotions are tracked on the app to create emotional patterns that then can be viewed, highlighting situations or behaviours causing unhappiness or stress. So, users can see where change is needed for a happier and healthier life,’ says Christina.
Try the wearable mental health tech trend in 2022…
Try the Moodbeam wristband (£49.95) for personal use and track your emotional patterns.
Neuromodulation: improve depression, long Covid and more with this 2022 health trend
Rewiring your brain using electrical stimulation might sound like it’s straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but a new, non-invasive medical device could do just that and help millions of people with depression, fatigue, anxiety and even long-term Covid symptoms. All this, without the need for medical intervention.
How does neuromodulation work?
Using neuromodulation, Nurosym works by targeting micropulses of electrical current to the vagus nerve, without penetrating the skin. Supported by more than 20 years of clinical research into the effectiveness of stimulating the vagus nerve, Nurosym has been clinically shown to positively improve numerous mental and physical conditions. This includes long Covid, depression, fatigue and cognitive issues.
In a study conducted at the Human Waves Clinic and Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Nurosym showed a ‘very significant improvement’ for long Covid including chronic fatigue, brain fog, body aches and shortness of breath, in only 10 days due to a targeted autonomic reset.
Using an earpiece connected to a rechargeable control unit, you wewar this portable device that sends small, targeted micropulses of electrical current at specific parameter combinations to the vagus nerve,
which then projects to the brain and major organs.
‘Often in the field of neuroscience and particularly in neuromodulation, the gap between research and clinical application is significant. With Nurosym, we have been able to translate years of research and development into a user-centric product to significantly improve lives,’ says Dr Elisabetta Burchi, clinical psychiatrist and head of translational research at Parasym.
Try Neuromodulation…
You can try Nurosym for yourself (£599). Nurosym utilises advances in electroceutical technology to provide treatment for numerous health and wellness conditions, ranging from mental to physical, without the need for medication.
