Should you get genetic testing? Evolutionary geneticist Dr. Melissa Ilardo says: probably not.

What you believe about your genes affects your health outcomes more than what your genes actually say.

That's not philosophy—that's what the research shows.

On this episode of Medical Disruptors, I sit down with Dr. Ilardo to discuss why genetic determinism is a trap and why your genes aren't writing your health story the way you've been told.

We discuss why knowing your genetic risks might actually harm you through the nocebo effect, and how to distinguish between genetic mutations you must know like BRCA versus ones you shouldn't check. We explore what epigenetics actually means for your daily health decisions and why family history of diabetes, heart disease, or Alzheimer's is not your fate. The conversation reveals how lifestyle changes gene expression faster than you think, and why meditation and environment reshape your biology in measurable ways.

Your genes load the gun, but your environment decides whether it fires. And you have far more control over that trigger than genetic testing suggests.

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Chapters

[00:00:00] Why resilience, not disease

[00:06:45] Thailand spark: sea nomads

[00:12:40] Betting the PhD

[00:20:45] Bigger spleens, oxygen edge

[00:28:50] Epigenetics in plain English

Guest Links:

IG: @superhumanscilab

Website: https://www.superhumanlab.org