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Functional Genomics
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, yet many of its most significant risk factors are modifiable — through the right testing, the right treatments, and a genuinely whole-person approach to care. At Natura, we partner with you to understand and address your cardiovascular health from the inside out.
Unlocking the Blueprint of Your Health
Sometimes, good medicine means looking deeper. When symptoms persist, when standard labs come back "normal" but you still don't feel well, or when a condition seems to run in your family — the answers may lie within your own DNA. Your genome is the most personalized health document in existence, written entirely about you, and at Natura, understanding it is one of the most powerful tools in modern naturopathic care.
Genetics holds the foundational secrets to how your body functions — how you process nutrients, detoxify environmental chemicals, regulate mood, manage inflammation, and respond to stress. While your DNA itself is fixed at birth, your genes are not your destiny. This is where epigenetics becomes transformative: the science of how your environment, lifestyle, nutrition, stress, sleep, and exposures interact with your genetic code to either express or suppress certain traits and disease risks. Naturopathic medicine is uniquely suited to this intersection — we are trained to look at the whole person, your biology and your environment, and to use targeted, natural interventions to shift the balance in your favor.
At Natura, functional genomics is not about labeling you with a risk or a diagnosis — it's about gaining clarity. By examining key genes such as MTHFR (methylation and folate metabolism), COMT (dopamine and estrogen breakdown), CYP450 liver enzymes (detoxification and drug metabolism), and many others, we can understand why your body behaves the way it does and craft a care plan that works with your biology rather than against it. Whether we're looking at your whole genome or zeroing in on specific pathways, this becomes a roadmap for smarter, more personalized decisions about nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle, and therapeutic priorities.
Nutrigenomics — Eating for Your Genes
At the heart of what we do at Natura is nutrigenomics: the study of how your unique genetic makeup influences the way your body responds to the foods you eat and the nutrients you absorb. This is the science behind why a diet that transforms one person's health may do very little for another. Your genes shape how efficiently you convert folate, absorb vitamin D, metabolize omega-3 fatty acids, process caffeine, regulate blood sugar, and much more.
Rather than following a one-size-fits-all nutritional approach, nutrigenomics allows us to build a dietary and supplement strategy tailored specifically to your biology — addressing deficiencies before they become symptoms, and optimizing the raw materials your body needs to thrive.
One of the most clinically valuable — and often overlooked — applications of genetic testing is pharmacogenomics: the study of how your genes affect the way your body processes medications. Your liver's CYP450 enzyme system metabolizes a wide range of drugs, and genetic variations in these enzymes can make you a slow, normal, or rapid metabolizer of specific medications. This explains why a drug that works beautifully for one patient may cause side effects or seem completely ineffective in another.
At Natura, pharmacogenomic insights help us better understand your history with medications — past and present — and to collaborate more intelligently with your other providers when medications are part of your care.
Pharmacogenomics — Why Medications Work Differently for Each of Us
Functional genomics can illuminate the path forward for many health concerns. It is especially relevant if you are experiencing or concerned about:
Mental Health Conditions — Depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and mood instability often have a significant genetic component. Genes influencing neurotransmitter production and breakdown — such as COMT, MAOA, and SLC6A4 — can shed light on why certain challenges persist and how to support brain chemistry more effectively.
Family History of Illness — If heart disease, cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, or Alzheimer's runs in your family, understanding your genetic predispositions can help you take meaningful preventive action long before symptoms appear.
Neurological Conditions — Migraines, cognitive fog, memory concerns, and neuropathy may have roots in how your body methylates, detoxifies, or manages oxidative stress — all areas where genetics plays a meaningful role.
Chronic Fatigue & Low Energy — Persistent fatigue that doesn't resolve with rest often points to genetic variants affecting mitochondrial function, B-vitamin metabolism, thyroid signaling, or cellular energy production.
Hormone Imbalances — From irregular cycles and PMS to perimenopause, low testosterone, and thyroid dysfunction, hormones are profoundly influenced by the genes that direct their production, metabolism, and clearance.
Digestive Issues — IBS, bloating, food sensitivities, and malabsorption can connect to genetic differences in enzyme production, gut immune response, and the metabolism of histamine, oxalates, or gluten.
Medication Sensitivities — If you've had unexpected reactions to medications or found that standard doses don't work for you, pharmacogenomic testing may reveal exactly why.
Nutrient Deficiencies That Don't Resolve — When supplementation and dietary changes don't correct a persistent deficiency, your genes may be affecting how well you absorb or convert folate, B12, vitamin D, or iron.
Autoimmune & Inflammatory Conditions — Genetic patterns related to immune regulation, inflammation, and detoxification are frequently relevant in conditions like Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
Anyone Seeking to Optimize Their Health — You don't have to be sick to benefit. Many patients come to genomic testing simply wanting to understand their body more deeply and make smarter, more personalized choices about nutrition and prevention.
Conditions That May Benefit from Functional Genomic Testing
We meet you where you are.
If you've already done a consumer DNA test through 23andMe, Ancestry, or a similar service, you may already be sitting on a wealth of health-relevant genetic data — you just need someone to interpret it clinically. At Natura, we can take your existing raw data and run it through specialized interpretation tools to extract meaningful, actionable health insights without you needing to retest.
We partner with leading clinical genomics labs.
For patients who haven't yet been tested, or who need more clinically validated panels, we work with professional-grade testing companies that offer targeted genetic panels relevant to your health concerns — including methylation, hormone metabolism, neurological function, cardiovascular risk, detoxification capacity, nutrient processing, and more.
We can go wide or go deep.
Depending on your health goals, we may recommend a broad whole-genome approach to cast a wide net, or focus on specific gene panels most relevant to your presenting concerns — such as a methylation panel for mood and fatigue, CYP enzyme testing for medication sensitivity, or a nutrigenomic panel to guide your dietary strategy.
Genetic data is only as useful as its interpretation.
Raw results without clinical context can be confusing or even alarming. At Natura, we translate your genetic findings into plain language and integrate them with your full health history, symptoms, labs, and lifestyle. When your case calls for it, we also enlist consultation from specialists in functional genomics to ensure the depth of expertise your case deserves.
How We Do Genetic Testing at Natura
What to Expect — Your Journey at Natura
Step 1 — Your First Visit. We start by getting to know you: your health history, symptoms, family history, goals, and your story. This conversation helps us determine whether and how genetic testing fits into your care, and which areas of your genome are most worth exploring.
Step 2 — Testing. Based on your first visit, we will recommend the appropriate genetic testing — whether that means ordering a new clinical panel, working with raw data from a consumer DNA test you already have, or both. We will walk you through exactly what is being tested and why.
Step 3 — Results & Planning. We meet again to review your results together — taking the time to explain what your findings mean in the context of your whole health picture, and to build a personalized plan that may include targeted nutrition, specific supplements, and lifestyle modifications. When warranted, we bring in the support of specialists in functional genomics to ensure the most thorough interpretation possible.
Your Privacy Matters — Always
At Natura, we are deeply committed to your privacy and to maintaining your trust at every step. Your genetic information is among the most personal data in existence, and we treat it that way. We will never share, submit, or act upon your genetic data without your explicit knowledge and consent. All testing decisions are made collaboratively with you, and you are always in control.
Frequently asked questions
Is genetic testing covered by insurance?
It depends on the type of testing and your specific plan. Some clinically ordered panels — particularly those tied to a specific diagnosis or family history — may be partially covered. Consumer DNA testing is typically not. At Natura, we will help you understand costs before moving forward and discuss which approach makes the most sense for your situation and budget.
How is clinical genetic testing different from 23andMe or Ancestry?
Consumer tests are excellent entry points — they survey a broad range of genetic variants and can provide a surprising amount of health-relevant information. Clinical panels are more targeted, more rigorously validated for medical use, and formatted for clinical interpretation. At Natura, we can work with either — or both — depending on what you already have and what your health goals require.
Will I find out things I don't want to know?
This is one of the most understandable concerns patients bring to us. Before any testing is ordered, we talk with you about what kinds of information you are — and are not — ready to receive. Our focus is on functional variants: the genes that influence how your body operates day to day, not typically the high-stakes diagnostic findings that require formal genetic counseling. You are always in the driver's seat.
What do I do with my raw data from 23andMe or Ancestry?
You can download your raw data file directly from the testing company's website and bring it — or send it — to us. We use specialized software tools to interpret that raw data through a clinical and functional lens, identifying variants most relevant to your health. It's one of the most cost-effective ways to get started, because the sequencing is already done.
How long does the process take?
If we are working with raw data you already have, interpretation can begin relatively quickly. If we are ordering new clinical panels, turnaround time varies by lab but typically ranges from two to four weeks. We will give you a realistic timeline at your first visit.
Do I need a diagnosis to pursue genetic testing?
Absolutely not. Many patients come to genomic testing not because they have a diagnosis, but because they have questions — about why they feel the way they do, why certain approaches haven't worked, or simply because they want to understand their body more deeply. Functional genomics is as much a tool for optimization and prevention as it is for investigating illness.
An Important Note About Our Scope of Practice
At Natura, our providers are naturopathic physicians, not medical geneticists or licensed genetic counselors. The genomic work we do is rooted in a naturopathic and functional medicine framework: we interpret your genetic data to understand how it may be influencing your day-to-day health, and we use those insights to recommend personalized nutritional strategies, targeted supplementation, lifestyle modifications, and other natural therapies uniquely suited to your biology.
We do our very best to translate complex genetic information into meaningful, actionable guidance. However, there are situations — particularly those involving hereditary disease risk, reproductive decisions, or findings that carry significant diagnostic implications — where formal genetic counseling from a credentialed genetic counselor or medical geneticist is not just helpful, but necessary. If your findings suggest that a higher level of specialist involvement is warranted, we will tell you and help connect you with the right resources. At Natura, genetic testing is one powerful tool in a whole-person approach to your care — never a replacement for comprehensive, collaborative medicine.
Ready to Understand Your Genetic Blueprint?
Your DNA has been with you since the beginning — and it has a lot to tell us. Whether you're working to solve a long-standing health mystery, optimize your wellbeing, or simply understand yourself more deeply, functional genomics at Natura offers a powerful new lens through which to view your health.
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