How Your Genetics Can Guide Your Nutrition with Dr. Steven Zeisel

Written By Lora Shahine, MD

Could your DNA explain why one-size-fits-all nutrition advice doesn’t always work? Why do some people thrive on certain diets while others struggle, even when they’re “doing everything right”? What if your genetics could help guide smarter nutrition choices before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and across your entire lifespan? 

In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine explores how genetics, nutrition, and reproductive health are deeply intertwined. She is joined by Dr. Steven Zeisel, a physician-scientist whose groundbreaking research helped redefine choline as an essential nutrient. 

Their discussion traces how decades of work in biochemistry, genetics, and medicine led to the concept of precision nutrition. Dr. Zeisel explains how nutrients like choline, folate, methylfolate, betaine, and vitamin B12 interact with our genes. And he explains why common genetic variants can change how much of these nutrients our bodies actually need. 

They also touch on why pregnancy, estrogen, fertility, and even sperm health are profoundly influenced by these metabolic pathways, and why traditional nutrition guidelines may miss the mark for many people.

Listeners will learn how emerging genetic tests can help identify individual “roadblocks” in metabolism. This episode is a powerful reminder that when it comes to nutrition, personalized science matters.

In this episode you’ll hear:

[0:48]Why one-size-fits-all nutrition advice doesn’t work

[2:19] Choline goes from non-essential to critical

[8:16] The surprising role of estrogen

[10:11] What can genetics influence?

[15:33] Precision nutrition testing and what it can reveal

[28:06] Challenges and acceptance in nutritional science

[33:29] Genetic testing for personalized nutrition

[45:56] What does all this research mean?

Resources mentioned: 

genate.com

@TheGenateTest on Facebook

Dr. Shahine’s Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations

Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books

Disclaimer: This episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics. All opinions and thoughts expressed are our own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Lora Shahine, MD

Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific NW Fertility and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, completed her residency in OBGYN at the University of California in San Francisco and fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Stanford University. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for increased awareness of infertility, miscarriage, and the impact on environmental toxins on health through an active social media presence, teaching, clinical research, and authoring multiple blogs and books including best selling, ‘Not Broken: An Approachable Guide to Miscarriage and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.’

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