Putting 'spit-and-send' DNA kits to the test: MailOnline tries out product that claims to track genetic changes and help you lose weight, stay healthy and gain muscle

  • British firm Muhdo claims to be able to monitor and track changes to your genes
  • Epigenetics is the study of how lifestyle factors alter the expression of your DNA 
  • They are temporary and lifestyle choices can lead to improved health, it claims 
  • It can allow people to make better decisions in order to achieve certain goals   
  • Journalist Joe Pinkstone is trialling the test kits to find out how effective they are

DNA testing kits available for less than £100 ($130) can reveal ancestry, neanderthal heritage, undiscovered health and other genetic conditions. 

Emerging tests also claim to be able to match your DNA to your favourite sushi, your future life partner and even how 'pure' your dog is.

Now, a new breed of at-home 'spit-and-send' genetic analysis kits promises to track changes in the way your genes are expressed in response to your environment.

MailOnline wanted to find out if this new wave of tests, based on the emerging field of epigenetics, lives up to the hype.

So I sent a sample of my saliva to UK-based firm Muhdo, a biotech company that claims it can analyse my DNA and provide me with a comprehensive manual to understand and even manipulate my own genome.

They promised to be able to curate a custom nutrition and workout plan catered to my specific goals based only on what it detects deep in my DNA coding. 

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UK-based firm Muhdo has launched one of the first at-home epigenetics kits, which it says can provide flexible and accurate information based on a persons genetic expression. These bold claims rely on a growing field of research called epigenetics which studies how factors such as diet, exercise, environment and pollution affect your overall health and wellbeing

UK-based firm Muhdo has launched one of the first at-home epigenetics kits, which it says can provide flexible and accurate information based on a persons genetic expression. These bold claims rely on a growing field of research called epigenetics which studies how factors such as diet, exercise, environment and pollution affect your overall health and wellbeing

What does Muhdo's product promise

Muhdo launched one of the first at-home epigenetics kits, which it says can provide flexible and accurate information based on an individual's genetic expression.

It also says it can provide both nutritional and exercise advice tailored to the individual.

The promise of increased self-awareness and the opportunity to learn more about my body sounds eerily familiar to the umpteen adverts promoting firms all vying for a sample of my spit.

Where epigenetics has the edge, is that results change based on diet, health and the environment. 

Being able to monitor these changes provides the opportunity to nip bad habits in the bud and spot minor issues before they become major problems. 

Nathan Berkley, Muhdo CEO, told MailOnline: 'When people hear about epigenetics, they think of a straightforward DNA test. 

'But DNA tests are snapshots of your past – your genetic blueprint. Epigenetics is about the future and how you can change your gene expression through diet and lifestyle changes.

'So we are trying to get people to understand that not everything is predetermined – you can make changes and measure the impact on your genetic profile.'

I sent a sample of my saliva to UK-based firm Muhdo, a biotech company that claims it can take my spit and provide me with a comprehensive manual to understand and manipulate my own genome. It professes to be able to curate a custom nutrition and workout plan catered to my specific goals based only on what it detects deep in my DNA coding

I sent a sample of my saliva to UK-based firm Muhdo, a biotech company that claims it can take my spit and provide me with a comprehensive manual to understand and manipulate my own genome. It professes to be able to curate a custom nutrition and workout plan catered to my specific goals based only on what it detects deep in my DNA coding

Muhdo has supplied MailOnline with a kit, which required a small sample of spit and a medical questionnaire to be filled out before sending it back in a freepost envelope. When the results come back from the Ipswich-based laboratory it will start cultivating a plan for improved diet and workouts 

Muhdo has supplied MailOnline with a kit, which required a small sample of spit and a medical questionnaire to be filled out before sending it back in a freepost envelope. When the results come back from the Ipswich-based laboratory it will start cultivating a plan for improved diet and workouts 

EPIGENETICS: THE SCIENCE OF ALTERING EXPRESSIONS OF CERTAIN GENES

Epigenetics is a field of molecular science which involves altering the expression of certain genes. 

It is defined as: 'The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.'

Instead of changing the genes present in a living thing, it changes which of its genes are 'turned on'. 

Although it is the genetic code which forms the foundations for every living organism, it is the combination of activated genes which defines it.

This gene expression can be complex or simple and can control a wide range of features. 

As some features and behaviours are controlled by single genes, these can be easily altered by turning this gene off, for example. 

Some genes inhibit growth and limit cell proliferation, by deactivating these genes things can be grown which do not have the same natural limitations as before.  

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Muhdo supplied me with a kit, which required a small sample of my saliva and a medical questionnaire that I had to fill out before sending to the firm's headquarters in Ipswich via a freepost envelope.

The process is designed to be repeated regularly to constantly monitor any changes to 'the full spectrum of the user's genetic profile'. 

Updated analysis is taken twice a year, but I will be given monthly feedback in order to gauge how often, and how reliably, the tests detect alterations in the genome. 

A minimum commitment of 12 months is needed and comes at a cost of £19.99 ($25) a month with a one-off payment of £59.99 (£77).

A premium option involves more regular feedback and costs £39.99 ($50) a month.

Muhdo promises to provide up to the minute information on levels of stress, inflammation and hypertension, plus the impact of pollution on my body. 

What have I found so far about my genetics

The bar for the technology has been set high, with genetic analysis kits refining their techniques to the point where they are now capable of providing astonishing detail.

Atlas Biomed, a London-based research group, sequenced my genome last year and found me to be 100 per cent European.

While this is not a surprise for someone born in Derby, it broke my genome down in a level of detail I had not been expecting.

It determined me to be 30.77 per cent British with a considerable amount of DNA also originating from Central Europe.

The test went further. It boldly told me, who has never heard of a single relative beyond the shores of the UK, that I am 11.54 per cent Hungarian, 7.69 per cent Spanish and 3.85 per cent Lithuanian. 

It also concluded I have 4.44 per cent less neanderthal DNA than the average Joe.

This snapshot provided me with the evolutionary and geographical history of my genes, but also turned up some previously unknown genetic weaknesses.

For example, I learned of a genetic predisposition to sneezing while looking at bright lights as well as carrying, but not suffering from, the genetic condition Haemochromatosis. 

This is condition that affects one in every 200 people and is responsible for an increase in the amount of iron entering the body.

Haemochromatosis is treatable and rarely fatal, but Atlas also looks for genetic pointers to more serious conditions such as Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anaemia.

Atlas Biomed, a London-based research group, sequenced my genome last year and found me to be 100 per cent European and with less neanderthal DNA than the average Joe

Atlas Biomed, a London-based research group, sequenced my genome last year and found me to be 100 per cent European and with less neanderthal DNA than the average Joe

The bar for the emerging technology has been set high, with other genetic analysis kits capable of astonishing detail. it found my two haplogroups are the same as famed engineer Nikola tesla and the English Monarch Richard III, who was found under a Leicester car park

The bar for the emerging technology has been set high, with other genetic analysis kits capable of astonishing detail. it found my two haplogroups are the same as famed engineer Nikola tesla and the English Monarch Richard III, who was found under a Leicester car park

Previous genetic tests have already determined I have a genetic predisposition to sneezing when looking at bright lights as well as carrying, but not suffering from, the genetic condition Type One Haemochromatosis 

Previous genetic tests have already determined I have a genetic predisposition to sneezing when looking at bright lights as well as carrying, but not suffering from, the genetic condition Type One Haemochromatosis 

MY GENETIC ORIGIN  
NATIONALITY  PERCENTAGE OF GENOME  
British  30.77
French  7.69 
Hungarian 11.54 
German 7.69 
Czech7.69 
Russian7.69 
Belarusian 3.85 
Polish 3.85 
Norwegian 7.69 
Lithuanians 3.85 
Spanish 7.69 

As a man, I have both mitochondrial DNA from my mother and Y-chromosone paternal lineage. 

Atlas used these to determine my 'haplogroups' - genotypes shared by a group of people with similar genetics. These can be traced back to a singular common ancestor thousands of years ago. 

Women only have one haplogroup due to the absence of a Y-chromosome. 

It found me to be part of haplogroups I2a1b1 (from my father) and J1c2c1 (from my mother).

This, it claims, means I am descended from the same common ancestors as esteemed engineer Nikola Tesla and the last monarch of the House of York - King Richard III. 

Debate continues to rage over the severity of his twisted back after Shakespeare portrayed him to be a grotesque hunchback.

It has since been confirmed that his remains were unearthed underneath a car park in Leicester, and the deformity to his spine was found to be minimal.

What is epigenetics

Epigenetics is an emerging and rapidly expanding field of research which delves into this murky realm to understand how diet, exercise regime and environment alters our genetic expression. 

In a world of expanding information about out genetic blueprint, very little of it is transferable to our day to day life and can be used to lend a helping hand in leading a healthier lifestyle.

That stems from DNA testing's inherent flaw. It only takes a snapshot of a person's genes. This static image reveals what you were born with, and it will remain the same until you die.

This is why they have rarely found use beyond paternity tests and as a novelty to satisfy the in-built curiosity every person possesses to find out what makes us, us.  

What can change, however, is how this sequence of trillions of DNA molecules is expressed and this is where epigenetics comes in.

Epigenetics involves a process calls methylation, which adds a methyl group - CH3, a carbon atom with three bonded hydrogen atoms - to a specific region of DNA. 

The presence of this molecular group then alters a gene's expression. By regularly monitoring these regions, any changes can be observed, in theory.

The rhetoric around epigenetic testing kits states that changes to diet and lifestyle manifest themselves regularly and can be seen with the correct techniques. 

These can occur overnight or over a longer period of time, such as several months. 

Some changes can be permanent, but most are not - they require sustained positive engagement to be maintained. The longer they are maintained, the better the outcome.

Who else is interested in epigenetics

Muhdo is working alongside several sportspeople to refine their training techniques.  

These include British hockey legend Sam Quek, Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover and Eddie Hall, the world's strongest man in 2017.

Sam Quek, MBE and British Olympic hockey gold medallist, said of the technology: 'I have recently learnt so much more about my body. 

'Muhdo has showed me the links between my genes and my overall wellbeing and what I can do about it.

'If you can get your diet and lifestyle right, that plays a massive part in terms of everything else – energy levels, illness and happiness. Being able to measure my progress helps me stay in top condition.'

The long-term impact of epigenetics remains unclear, with Muhdo itself confessing there are as of yet no plans to move into the realm of medical treatment.  

Muhdo is working alongside several high profile sportspeople to help and refine their training techniques. One star is the British Olympic hockey gold medallist Sam Quek (pictured)

Muhdo is working alongside several high profile sportspeople to help and refine their training techniques. One star is the British Olympic hockey gold medallist Sam Quek (pictured)

However, better informed advice can help people lead a healthier lifestyle, Mr Berkley claims, and could even improve the efficiency of medicines. 

He said: 'The ability to track epigenetic change on an ongoing basis will allow clinicians to measure factors such as the patient's metabolisation rate, the likelihood of toxicity and side effects. 

'This will lead to more cost-effective healthcare with better clinical outcomes.'    

Potential applications of epigenetics in the future involve creating 'personalised healthcare' by making a DNA map of each patient. 

Once this is obtained a custom treatment plan can be created to ensure the most defective medicine is selected. 

Mr Berkley said: 'The epigenetic regulation of expression of genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs contributes to inter-individual variability in drug response. 

'The ability to track epigenetic change on an ongoing basis will allow clinicians to measure factors such as the patient’s metabolisation rate, the likelihood of toxicity and side effects. 

'This will lead to more cost-effective healthcare with better clinical outcomes.'

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