“When Sparks Fly, Shield the Cell — Fighting Oxidative Stress from Within.”
Oxidative Stress and Stress
Oxidative stress is what happens when there’s an imbalance in your body between “free radicals” and antioxidants.
- Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage your cells. Your body naturally makes them during things like digestion or exercise, but pollution, smoking, and stress can increase them.
- Antioxidants are like your body’s defence system. They help neutralise free radicals and prevent damage.
When you have too many free radicals and not enough antioxidants, your body experiences oxidative stress. Over time, this can lead to problems like inflammation, ageing faster, and an increased risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
Think of it like this:
Imagine your body is a house.
- Free radicals are like little sparks from a fire.
- Antioxidants are like your fire extinguishers.
A few sparks? No problem — you can put them out.
But if there are too many sparks and not enough extinguishers? The house might catch fire — that’s oxidative stress.
Let’s look at the results:
| Oxidative Stress | eNOS | 894 G>T | GT | oo (moderate) |
| MnSOD/SOD2 | 47 T>C (Val16Ala) | CC | ooo (severe) | |
| CAT | -262 C>T | CC | o (beneficial) | |
| GPX1 | C>T | CT | oo (moderate) |
eNOS
Inside your blood vessels, there’s a special layer of cells called the endothelium. These cells make a helpful chemical called nitric oxide (NO).
What does nitric oxide do?
Think of nitric oxide like a relaxing message your blood vessels send to themselves. It helps your blood vessels:
- Stay open and relaxed, so blood flows more easily (this controls blood pressure).
- Prevent clots by stopping platelets (cells that cause clotting) from sticking together too much.
- Reduce inflammation by stopping white blood cells from clinging to blood vessel walls.
- Control growth by keeping the muscle layer of the blood vessels from getting too thick.
Why is this important?
If your body doesn’t make enough nitric oxide, your blood vessels can get too tight or inflamed, which raises your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and poor circulation.
Alex’s Result: eNOS 894 G>T – There’s a tiny genetic variation called the T allele that can affect how your body works with an important enzyme related to nitric oxide, the chemical that helps relax your blood vessels and keep them healthy.
When someone has the T allele, the body doesn’t process the enzyme properly, so less nitric oxide is available in the walls of their blood vessels. This makes the blood vessels stiffer and more prone to damage, which can lead to:
- Atherosclerosis (clogged or hardened arteries)
- High blood pressure (essential hypertension)
- Kidney problems (end-stage kidney disease)
- Pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia
What can help?
If you have this genetic variation, it’s especially important to:
- Eat more antioxidants (found in fruits, vegetables, nuts)
- Get enough omega-3 fatty acids (from fatty fish, flaxseeds, or supplements)
These nutrients help reduce inflammation and protect your blood vessels, making up for the reduced nitric oxide.
MnSod/SOD2
Inside your cells, tiny power plants called mitochondria produce the energy your body needs. But while doing that, they also create some harmful byproducts called free radicals, kind of like smoke from a fire.
Too many free radicals can damage your cells, causing ageing, inflammation, and disease.
That’s where the SOD2 enzyme comes in. Think of it like a clean-up crew that gets rid of these harmful free radicals before they cause too much trouble. This makes SOD2 a powerful natural antioxidant that helps protect your cells and keep them healthy, especially in those energy-producing mitochondria.
Alex’s result: 47 T>C (Val16Ala)/ CC – Some people have a version of a gene called the C allele. This version doesn’t seem harmful by itself, but if these people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, they may be at higher risk for health problems, including some types of cancer.
That’s because fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage. Without enough of these protective nutrients, people with the C allele may be more vulnerable to disease.
What should you do if you have the C allele?
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day (aim for a colourful variety).
If your diet falls short, you might consider antioxidant supplements — but only if needed and ideally under guidance from a health professional.
The takeaway: Even if you don’t have a “risky” gene variant, your diet still plays a big role in protecting your long-term health.
CAT
Your body naturally produces a chemical called hydrogen peroxide during everyday processes, like turning food into energy. But too much of it can be harmful to your cells, like a mild version of bleach inside your body.
To protect you, your body uses a special antioxidant enzyme called catalase (made by the CAT gene). Catalase acts like a super-fast clean-up crew — it quickly breaks down hydrogen peroxide into harmless water and oxygen.
- It’s mostly found in places that deal with a lot of waste and toxins, like the liver, kidneys, and red blood cells.
Just one molecule of catalase can clean up over a million hydrogen peroxide molecules every second — that’s how powerful it is!
Why does this matter?
If your body doesn’t make enough catalase (or it doesn’t work well), hydrogen peroxide builds up, leading to oxidative stress, which can damage cells and increase the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or ageing-related issues.
Alex’s results: -262 C>T/ CC – Some people have a version of a gene called the C allele, and when they inherit two copies (called the CC genotype), it seems to give them a natural advantage.
What kind of advantage?
These individuals tend to have:
- A lower risk of developing certain cancers
A better internal defence system against damage caused by free radicals (thanks to a stronger antioxidant balance)
Even better news:
If someone with the C allele also eats a diet rich in:
- Antioxidants (from fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.)
- Polyphenols (found in foods like berries, green tea, dark chocolate, and olive oil)
…then that protective effect becomes even stronger. It’s like combining good genetics with good nutrition for extra protection.
Bottom line: If you have the C allele, especially CC, you’re already a step ahead — and eating a healthy, plant-rich diet helps you make the most of it.
GPX1
Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) is a powerful protective enzyme found in almost every part of your body. It plays a key role in keeping your cells safe from damage caused by harmful substances.
What does GPx1 do?
Think of it like a cellular firefighter:
- It helps turn hydrogen peroxide (a toxic byproduct) into harmless water.
- It also cleans up other dangerous molecules, like fatty acid hydroperoxides and peroxynitrite, which can damage cell walls and DNA.
To do all this, GPx1 uses a helper molecule called glutathione, kind of like a sponge that soaks up toxins.
Why is it important?
GPx1 helps keep the redox balance — a fancy term for the body’s internal system that controls how much oxidation (cell damage) is happening. When this balance is off, it can lead to oxidative stress, which is linked to ageing and diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart issues.
In short: GPx1 is a major part of your body’s natural detox system, protecting your cells and helping them function smoothly.
Your Result: Pro198Leu/ CT – Some people have a specific gene combination called the CT genotype. This version can make it harder for their body to fight off harmful molecules (like free radicals), especially if their diet is poor.
What does this mean?
If someone with the CT genotype doesn’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, they may have a weaker antioxidant defence, which increases their risk for:
- Chronic diseases like heart problems (coronary artery disease)
- Certain cancers
What can help?
To lower the risk, it’s important to:
- Eat lots of vegetables, especially those rich in polyphenols (found in foods like berries, green tea, and colourful veggies)
- Include selenium-rich foods like Brazil nuts — selenium supports important protective enzymes in the body
- Avoid toxins as much as possible:
- Stay away from pesticide-heavy produce
- Minimise exposure to heavy metals
- Stay away from pesticide-heavy produce
- Quit smoking, which greatly increases oxidative stress
Bottom line: If you have the CT genotype, your diet and lifestyle choices matter even more. The right foods and clean habits can help protect you from long-term health problems.
Articles: Oxidative Stress and Autism, click here. and here.
DNA Mind – Stress
Stress Response
| Stress | FKBP5 | C>T | CC | (N) | M | (A) |
| OXTR | G>A | GG | (N) | O (M) | (A) |
We all deal with stress — it’s a normal part of life. But not everyone reacts to stress the same way. While some people stay mentally healthy under pressure, others are more likely to develop issues like anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems.
Why the difference?
A key factor is how a person’s stress system works, specifically the HPA axis.
This is a part of your body that controls how you respond to stress, mainly by releasing a hormone called cortisol.
Some people’s bodies release more or less cortisol than others when under stress, and this difference can affect how alert or reactive their brain is during stressful moments — this is called neural vigilance (basically, how your brain scans for danger or reacts to pressure).
What this means:
Your biological sensitivity to stress can shape how you think, feel, and cope, and it can even help predict who might be more vulnerable to mental health challenges.
Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone” because it helps us bond with others, feel connected, and feel calm during social interactions. But it also has a key role in managing stress — it helps reduce anxiety and promotes a sense of safety and relaxation.
What about genetics?
Some people have differences (called genetic variations) in the oxytocin receptor gene — this is the gene that helps the body respond to oxytocin.
If this gene doesn’t work as well, the body may not respond to oxytocin properly, which has been linked to:
- Higher levels of anxiety
- Greater risk of depression
- More difficulty coping with stress
Bottom line:
Oxytocin helps calm the brain and reduce stress, but genetic differences in how we respond to it can affect our mental health and emotional resilience.
FKBP5 rs1360780 C>T
FKBP5 is a gene that makes a protein which helps control how our bodies respond to stress. This protein works like an assistant, helping another important protein (called the glucocorticoid receptor) react properly when we’re under stress.
But FKBP5 doesn’t just affect stress—it also helps with many other important jobs in the body and brain.
What’s especially interesting is how much FKBP5 gets turned on or off depends on a mix of three things:
- Your life experiences, especially stressful ones.
- The version of the FKBP5 gene you inherited (some people have versions that react more strongly).
- Changes to your DNA caused by life experiences (these are called epigenetic changes, and they don’t change the gene itself but can affect how active it is).
Imagine your body is like a big company, and dealing with stress is one of the company’s main jobs.
- Inside this company, there’s a manager called the glucocorticoid receptor—this manager handles stress signals (like when you’re scared, angry, or overwhelmed).
- But this manager needs help doing their job right, so the company hires an assistant called FKBP5 (the protein made by the FKBP5 gene).
Here’s where it gets interesting:
How well this assistant FKBP5 helps depends on three things:
- Your personal history (environmental stressors):
If you’ve been through a lot of stress or trauma, the assistant may act differently—maybe too helpful or not helpful enough.
- Your genetics (FKBP5 variants):
Some people are born with versions of the FKBP5 gene that make the assistant more sensitive or overactive when stress shows up.
Your “notes” or instructions to the assistant (epigenetic changes):
These are like sticky notes left on the assistant’s desk, telling them how to behave—these notes can be added or removed depending on life experiences, especially early in life.
Why it matters:
If this assistant (FKBP5) gives too much or too little help, the stress manager (glucocorticoid receptor) can’t do their job properly. That can lead to stress responses being too strong or lasting too long, which may contribute to mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.
Alex’s Result: CC – Individuals with the CC genotype may have a better stress management ability compared to those with the CT or TT genotype and are not at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.
OXTR rs53576 G>A
Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone” or “bonding hormone” because it helps people connect emotionally. It plays a key role in things like:
- How we feel emotionally (like helping reduce anxiety and improve mood)
- Forming relationships (such as trust, empathy, and bonding with others)
- Sexual and reproductive functions in both men and women
- Childbirth and breastfeeding, which help with labour and create a strong bond between mother and baby
Now, how does oxytocin do all this?
Your body has a special “receiver” for oxytocin called the oxytocin receptor, made by the OXTR gene. You can think of this like a lock that the oxytocin hormone (the key) fits into.
This receptor is part of a big family called G-protein coupled receptors—these are like communication antennas on your cells. When oxytocin attaches to its receptor, it sends messages inside the cell using a signal system (called the phosphatidylinositol-calcium pathway) to trigger different actions, like calming you down or helping you feel connected to someone.
In simple terms:
Oxytocin is a hormone that helps us feel close to others and stay emotionally balanced. It works by attaching to special receptors in our body that then send out signals to make things happen, like bonding, relaxing, or responding during childbirth.
Alex’s Result: GG – Individuals with the GG genotype may be better able to discern the emotional state of others compared to those with the A-allele, specifically when in a stressful environment.
Articles: How stress affects Autistic People – Autistic Burnout and Autism, Anxiety, and Stress: How to manage stress and anxiety with Autism
Doctor’s recommendation:
- Follow-up Organic Acid test
- Important to manage weight and follow an exercise routine of low to moderate intensity.
- Increase intake of vegetables and fruits, as well a phytonutrients (red, yellow and orange veggies and fruit – tomatoes, carrots, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, mangos, melons, citrus fruit and berries).
- Also dark leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts and seeds, Legumes, tea and coffee and dark chocolate.
PLEASE NOTE: ANY VIEWS REGARDING THE RESULTS ARE MY UNDERSTANDING AND DO NOT SERVE AS PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. THE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATION IS STRICTLY RELATED TO ALEX’S RESULTS AND NOT MEANT FOR SELF-TREATMENT. ALWAYS SPEAK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE STARTING ANY TREATMENTS.
