2024: V … A to Z of DNA and Me: Vitamins Influenced by your Parent

This is my 9th year of writing in the annual April A to Z… and I changed my topic a few times until settling on DNA. I’m also writing again in my 3rd year of 52 Weeks 52 Ancestors this year… so April is going to be quite tricky for me… two designated posts a week the month. In as I was going to write a few DNA posts on the 52 weeks challenge, but then decided I could spread out my writing to keep all the DNA information in one grouping on the April A to Z. I hope you find it interesting how the DNA is tested for unusual topics like bitter sensitivity or hangryness… it’s been interesting to see if I feel Ancestry has hit the mark… or missed it. If you’ve never heard of the annual A to Z, then head over HERE for more info. It’s quite interesting to write on a specific topic for the month… meeting and making new friends as they visit… and visiting their blogs. It’s always a fun learning curve.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is so-called the “sunshine” vitamin because it’s produced when sunlight hits your skin, but it’s also found in a few foods… such as in fatty fish, egg yolks, and (these days) vitamin-fortified milk… so that’s why we encourage our young children to drink milk daily. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium… which is a must for strong bones through your childhood into your adult years. It also has other jobs in the body… including roles in cell growth and the immune system in helping you absorb phosphorus. This so-needed vitamin also helps the body absorb calcium.

• Hubby’s Vitamin D levels are of average levels
• Both children are of average levels
• My mother is also of average levels
• Not sure how my average level is more influenced by my paternal side. It was my mother who was always outside… weeding the garden and mowing the grass. Daddy didn’t seem to be an outside person.

Your body can actually produce and store enough vitamin D through the sunny months to help keep you supplied during less sunny times of the year… good thing as winter has so many gray sun-less days. Vitamin D levels are at least 10% genetic with 90% environmental… making us rely more on Mr. Sunshine. When hubby was told he was low on Vit. D after bloodwork… makes me wonder why as he’s always in and out and in the summer… and we’re at the beach daily… so I’m not thinking the body holds onto it like they say.

FYI…
They say… It’s possible to get a full day’s worth of Vitamin D from mushrooms who have been exposed to only 15 minutes of sunlight… before eating them; Crimini mushrooms gives the highest percentage.

To determine your D levels… two markers in the GC gene are looked at… which encodes a protein that binds to vitamin D and delivers where it’s needed in the body… how smart are our bodies! It’s more our environment which factors most of our vitamin D levels… especially sunshine and diet… so be sure and enjoy your fifteen minutes daily in sunshine weather.

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Vitamin E

My DNA shows that I tend to have average levels of Vitamin E… influenced more by my paternal side. Vitamin E levels are at least 14% genetic… with most being 86% environmental.

Understanding Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a mixed family of eight substances… having similar antioxidant properties. It is fat-soluble, meaning it dissolves and stores in fat throughout the body. Most vitamins are either fat-soluble or water soluble. The percentages are determined by looking at four markers… which may be associated with slight differences in our vitamin E levels. Your levels of vitamin E are mostly influenced by the foods you eat. Foods like nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables are some of the richest sources of vitamin E. I do enjoy eating nuts, fruits and many vegggies.

On an interesting note…

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 when scientists studied pregnancy in rats… and found that it was needed for a healthy pregnancy. They first called it “factor X” but eventually renamed it tocopherol, from the Greek words meaning… “birth”.

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Omega-3

Omega-3 is a type of essential fatty acid…. “essential” because your body needs it to function, and it can only come from your diet. My DNA suggests that I have average Omega-3 levels and influenced more by my paternal side… so I can only assume average is good, as I very seldom eat fatty fish.

• My mother’s Omega-3 levels are a slightly lower level.
• Hubbys levels are average.
• Both our children are average levels.

Science says…

While diet is the biggest factor in our Omega-3 levels… DNA does play a small role, as Scientist have found links between several genes and Omega-3 levels in the blood. Our human brain is almost 60% fat… including a significant amount of DHA, an Omega-3 vitamin. Unfortunately, our body can’t make this essential vitamin… so needed in inflammation, immune cardiovascular, nerve functions and blood clotting.

To determine your Omega-3 level… a test is looked at the two markers that seem to play a small role in Omega-3 levels: one is the ELOVL2 gene on chromosome 6, and one in the FADS1 gene on chromosome 11.

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Vitamin A

Vitamin A levels are at least 7% genetic and 93% environmental… and mostly influenced by the foods we eat. This vitamin is best known for helping vision and also for skin and immune systems. Too little Vitamin A can cause infection and vision problems… so eat your orange veggies and dark green leafy vegetables.

Both of my parents have influenced this vitamin in showing that I have average levels of this beta-carotene vitamin. In as I do cook with carrots, sweet potatoes, eat cantaloupes (the orange group)… and take a multivitamin daily… I feel confident I’m not lacking in vitamin A.

Both hubby and our children all fall into the average grouping of average levels for vitamin A… as well as my mother.

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Vitamin B12

My DNA tends to have average levels of Vitamin B-12… more influenced by my paternal side. Your levels of this vitamin are mostly influenced by the foods you eat, but genetics also influences how your body processes this vitamin. I am really curious why all my vitamin levels are influenced more by my paternal side?

Both hubby and our children have average levels of B-12… as well as my mother.

Vitamin B12 is needed to make DNA for every cell in your body… and also to help the nerve cells in working correctly in making red blood cells. Our body doesn’t make this vitamin or store it for very long… and too little can lead you to feel weak and tired. I remember my mother telling me that she took B-12 shots later in life. I guess she was feeling sluggish, as I always thought she had lots of energy for her age… often more than I did. She could work in her flower gardens from early morning till late afternoon. Living in the South… often by late afternoon, everyone droops… and there’s no way you can work in that hot sun. She always out beat me in working outside.

Science says…

Diets that include animal products like meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs usually provide ample B12… as our levels are mostly influenced by the foods we eat. Vitamin B12 levels are at least 5% genetic… with 95% environmental.

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Vitamin C

I have average levels of Vitamin C more influenced from my maternal side… finally my mother influenced a vitamin. Besides taking a multi-vitamin daily, I also take extra Vitamin C as your body doesn’t store this vitamin. During Covid I read that Vitamin C played a big part in keeping you healthy… and as my husband and I both take multi vitamins and extra… we stayed healthy… with neither contacting Covid. Both hubby and both our children also have average levels of Vitamin C… as well as my mother.

Hubby is big on taking vitamins… besides a multi, he adds in others plus extra Vitamin C as your body doesn’t hold the extra; it’s said that it helps to prevent colds… which we very seldom have. He gives me my cupful every morning… which often takes me all day to take as I hate swallowing large pills. He… just pops them all in his hand and down they go… Me, I’d gag for sure in trying to swallow that amount; some I take in gummies… less to swallow. He’s diligent every day, but often I’ll find the next morning, that I sat my cup on the couch, and they became hidden under my knitting. He just shakes his head at me saying… “I try to keep you safe… and…

Do You Take Vitamins?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant with plenty of jobs… from forming blood vessels, muscle, and cartilage to boosting your immune system and helping wounds heal. My level is 4% genetic and 96% environmental… so it’s important to eat your fresh vegetables like citrus fruits, bell peppers and tomatoes as your body doesn’t make this vitamin… relying only on your diet. I cook many fresh vegetables… often roasting them… which I feel is the best. I never ate tomatoes as a child, but I do enjoy them as an adult. My mother would laugh if she knew I ate them raw today… as she tried so hard to make me eat them… ironically, I loved ketchup as a child.

Orange and grapefruit juice, along with red peppers are highest on the list for boosting your Vitamin C.

This vitamin helps to form flood vessels, muscle and cartilage… and boosts our immune system to heal… in helping our body to absorb iron. It’s a powerful antioxidant.

Thanks for reading… so How’s your vitamin levels?

To read more 2024: A to Z of DNA and more, click HERE.

© 2024, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved

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Previous Years A to Z April Challenges…

2016: A to Z Southern Foods and Memories… they said write what you know… and being a girl born in the South… well this was what I knew.
2017: A to Z Conversations with Mama… it was a somewhat easy one for me to write as I’d journaled our conversations for years… I researched favorite topics to write.
2018: A to Z All About Nancy Drew… this one has been my favorite topic so far, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come up with another one to equal it
2019: A to Z Italian Famiglia Foods and Memories… I felt it was time to finally write the favorites of my husbands family foods.
2020: A to Z Family Stories… writing the stories of my husband’s family.
2021: A to Z of Mama in Photos... blogging on my mother through photos and memories      2022: A to Z Time Travels… Time Traveling through my blog… and more.          2023: A to Z The Best of our Journals… blogging on journals of hubby and I.