It’s Thursday and that means another action-packed episode of the realest talk on the internet–Real Talk with Jimmy Moore and Dr. Will Cole. Today we bring you a special presentation we call the Methylationcast!

“Methylation happens about a billion times every second in the body, but we still don’t understand the totality of it, not even close.”

- Dr. Will Cole

“DNA testing is so accessible to the general public now. This information is accessible to just about everyone now.”

- Jimmy Moore

In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group on a substrate, or the substitution of an atom by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation, with a methyl group replacing a hydrogen atom.

Your genetics influence almost every aspect of your health. Everything from your weight, mood, hormones, and immune system can be traced back to your DNA. As humans we want to know as much about ourselves as possible and because of this the demand for direct-to-consumer genetic testing has grown. For only $100 you can get a kit delivered right to your house for you to send in and get a complete summary of your genetics and ancestry. You can identify distant cousins around the world and conclude what percentage Neanderthal you are because really, who doesn’t want to know that?!

As a functional medicine practitioner Dr. Cole is less concerned with your particular ethnic heritage and more with what role genetics play in your health and how knowing your DNA can make you aware of your risk factors for certain illnesses. But are these tests really worth it or just an easy way for the health industry to make a few dollars? Let’s find out by first looking at the two most popular tests:

1. AHCY
2. BHMT
3. CBS
4. COMT
5. MAO
6. MTHFR
7. MTR/MTRR
8. VDR
9. Detox genes