Alternative practitioners are now forging highly profitable businesses based on patients coming to them with raw genetic data provided by testing companies, typically 23andMe, and walking away with hundreds if not thousands of dollars in nutritional supplements.
But scientific and medical experts recommend against blindly screening for genetic variants…They warn that these tests carry problems of false results, over-diagnosis and meaningless information.
Ben Lynch, a naturopathic doctor in Washington state, has built an online empire centered on selling genetic analysis and naturalistic treatments for particular genetic variants, which are highly common and have almost no impact on health or disease. Lynch [stated] that he recommends screening for genetic polymorphisms to everyone who “wants to optimize their life and reduce risk.”
…
Ricki Lewis,…[a] licensed genetic counselor, cautions that any health practitioner who sells such services “is a modern-day version of a snake oil salesperson.”
Share this article
…
[P]atients are being permanently branded with a bogus genetic problem and having to buy supplements from naturopaths and other integrative practitioners who are knowingly practicing against the recommendations of experts in medical genetics.The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: How Your Genetic Sequence Can Be Exploited By The Supplement Industry
