Unlocking the benefits of supplements based on your body’s unique genetic code (podcast episode)

Sam Brake Guia
Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:12:42 +0000
Brains Byte Back, dna, podcast, science, tech

In today’s episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Kim Ressler, Founder and CEO of SNiP Nutrigenomics, a company custom-creating supplements based on your body’s unique genetic code, making it easier for you to absorb and utilize essential nutrients.

Ressler starts off by sharing her own personal journey that led her to work in the field of nutrigenomics, explaining that her health struggles motivated her to explore the connection between genetics and nutrition.

Having worked in the field for the past five years, she shares how she recognized the complexity and cost involved in genetic mapping.

Thus she created SNiP Nutrigenomics, which aims to simplify the process by focusing on key areas of the body and providing a single supplement that addresses an individual’s specific genetic profile, thereby saving time and simplifying supplementation.

Ressler also goes on to explain that the use of “SNiP” in the name of the company refers to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are genetic variants that influence functions in the body.

She highlights that SNPs can determine various characteristics, such as eye color or skin tone, and by analyzing these SNPs, SNiP Nutrigenomics identifies an individual’s specific genetic blueprint and determines the nutrients they require. Ressler also talks about how her core mission is to increase awareness of the importance of personalized nutrition and prevention.

She aims to support doctors in incorporating genetic analysis and customized nutrition into their practices. Additionally, she talks about how the company plans to conduct clinical trials and case studies to further validate its product.

And finally, Ressler shares how the ultimate goal of the company is to provide simple, affordable, and customized solutions to the masses, reducing the confusion and overwhelming nature of the supplement market.

You can listen to the episode below, or on Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Listen Notes, PodBean, and Radio Public.

Alternatively, you can find a transcript below:

Kim Ressler: Hi, Sam, thank you so much for having me. Yes, my name is Kim Ressler. I am the founder and CEO of SNiP Nutrigenomics. And what do we do? SNiP Nutrigenomics has the ability to do genetic testing. From that we look at actionable genes. And then we can customize a single supplement for an individual based on their genetic predispositions. So it’s, it’s a biohack, giving you or the individual what they need, and the dose that they need and in the format they need it in. So that is what SNiP Nutrigenomics does.

Sam Brake Guia: Fantastic Well, I’m so happy to have you here because I feel so blessed to live in a time where we can get so specific with these sorts of things. No longer is it like a one size fits all approach out to everyone. So that’s why I was really happy to have you on today, because I think the work you’re doing really intrigues me. Now, Could you walk us through like what the process of using your service would look like for an average customer? So if they wanted to sign up today.

Kim Ressler: For the average customer we keep it really simple. It’s a one to three step process. One is purchasing a DNA test swab kit that comes straight to your house that is purchased at snipnutrition.com. Just like you said, snip nutrigenomics. At the beginning, you said that was a little hard to say. So our website is actually snip nutrition S N I P. But they would purchase a DNA test kit there it gets delivered straight to their home where they can easy and conveniently swab the insides of their cheeks. To send back to our lab partner, it takes about 21 days. Step two then would be to review your information. We produce from 11 different genetic reports telling you one unlocking the formula of what your body needs and why. But then we take all that information so that an individual can understand clearly, maybe I need support in heart health so we put it into categories that an individual would understand. And then step three is so somebody could either go down the rabbit hole and really read tons of information, or some people just want the solution. And that is step three is the customized supplement based on an individual’s genetic profile.

Sam Brake Guia: That’s awesome. It sounds so easy. It’s crazy that like something that’s so detailed can be done so. I mean, I wasn’t expecting some crazy experiment or test with lots of spikes or anything like that. But it just seems for what you get, it seems like such a simple process.

Kim Ressler: It is a simple process. I mean, we all know that DNA can be very complex. And it has been very complex. Having in the past individuals, maybe they were trying to get the root of a problem, and they would have their genetics mapped. And it was extremely expensive. And it was time consuming. And so what we’ve done is we’ve taken out that guesswork for the individual. And we’re looking at very key areas of the body that truly impact us and how we age. So what we know there is and when we look at these specific actionable genes, we know exactly what you need and why. And so instead of taking 20, 30, 40, different individual supplements, we’re taking that information and we’re putting it all into a single supplement for the individual. So we’ve we’re taking out a lot of the time that it would take and simplifying it.

Sam Brake Guia: Personally, I’m turning 30 this year. And I have to say the older I grow, the more concerned about these sorts of things I am I remember actually, when I was younger, my parents would take supplements for different things just to improve their health. And I always remember looking at them being like why do you take that there’s like, it’s such a way such always but now as I grow older, I’m like I’ve come to learn about the importance of taking these kinds of supplements and being more clued up on it. So I think the work you’re doing sounds really awesome. And I really like it.

Kim Ressler: Thank you. Yeah, we are really excited to be able to push the needle in the whole health and wellness arena, on the fact that your genetics really do determine what you need and why you need it basically to optimize its biohack. But if you get the pathways in your body working properly, when maybe you have a predisposition and you get them working properly, your body can function more optimally.

Sam Brake Guia: Definitely. That makes absolute sense to me. And I can also say I did some research and I saw on LinkedIn that the company has been around for less than a year now. So it’s still relatively new. I understand like what did you do before this and what have you and what is like These early days of the company been like founding it for you?

Kim Ressler: Wow. Well, it’s, it’s been a ton of fun, but a lot of challenges. I’ve actually worked in the neutral genomic arena for the past five years. And what led me to it was my own health. And I had struggled for over 10 or 11 years with looking for solutions for myself. So when I understood that genetics could play such a role, yes, I started, I was that person that started going down that path, trying to figure out the what and the why. And ultimately, when I addressed my own genetics, the way that my body utilizes nutrition absorbs it, etc, it was literally a shift in the trajectory of my health. So being that, that I’ve worked with nutrigenomics for the past five years, and how we can truly simplify it, for the individual, of bringing all of the DNA, there’s tons of DNA companies out there, that offer amazing information. But we take it a step further, that we actually can provide the solution as well.

Sam Brake Guia: Awesome, fantastic. Well, I’m glad that it has a really happy ending that story. And I’m also curious to know, what made you decide on the name SNiP Nutrigenomics, maybe not so much the nutrigenomics part. But I just for our listeners to clarify it, capital S, capital N, lowercase i and capital P. What does the lowercase i in the name represent?

Kim Ressler: Well, okay, so ultimately, we are looking at snips. snips are considered and it’s spelled in in, in the world. It’s spelled SNPs. But it is pronounced snip as snips or single nucleotide polymorphisms. And these are ultimately these are the blueprints that create either proteins or enzymes that run all the functions within our bodies. snips are the genetic variants that alter functions of the genes naturally. And they determine things like your eye color, your hair color, the tone of your skin, etc. So when we have variants on these snips, that’s what we’re looking at is we’re looking at snips through your genetic group blueprint, and when you have these variants, that’s what tells us what you need. So why the reason snip? Because it just aligns it’s, it’s how it sounds, how it’s pronounced snip. It’s simple. But yeah, we’re looking at single nucleotide polymorphisms. Which, which gets more even complicated, right?

Sam Brake Guia: Like nutrigenomics wasn’t hard enough for, for me to pronounce, I’m not going to try the acronym. But not only have I learned something about your name today. I’ve also learned a little bit about science. So thank you for that.

Kim Ressler: Nutrigenomics ultimately means it’s the study of nutrition. So food, and we’ve got a lot of plant based nutrition, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients. So nutrigenomics is the science of how food impacts your genetics.

Sam Brake Guia: That’s cool. I feel like there’s so many levels to this. And it must be so complex, getting into all the nitty gritty of all of this, but I’m glad that you folks are doing all the hard science stuff.

Kim Ressler: We’re trying to make it easy because we are in the day and age that I mean, I don’t know. Have you ever like you said, you wondered why your parents were taking this or that? Or if you’ve ever gone into a pharmacy, and you’re looking at the supplements on the shelf and you’re going, you know…

Sam Brake Guia: It’s overwhelming? Yeah.

Kim Ressler: It’s overwhelming. Do I need this? Do I need that? And ultimately, your body? I’d love to give an example, it’ll kind of make sense, I think Have you heard of CoQ 10? Energy before?

Sam Brake Guia: No, what is that? I have no idea.

Kim Ressler: CoQ 10 is it’s a supplement. And ultimately, it comes in different formats. And if you ever walked into the form into the pharmacy, what you’re going to see is you’re going to see it in different like you’re going to see it either in Ubiquinone or you’re going to see it in Ubiquinol. We need CoQ 10 for a healthy heart, energy in the cell’s energy in our body. As we age. We need it even more so. But based on your genetics there’s a gene it’s called the MQL one gene and based on that gene, depending on whether you have variants on it or not, you need it in a different format. So unless you knew it’s almost like we know more about our cars, we know that our car, if you have a car that needs premium unleaded gasoline, you’re not going to put diesel fuel into it. This is same with our genetics. I mean, knowing that I don’t have a variant, my body can use it in one format versus another format or depending on what variant you have, you may need both formats of the big unknown and the big one all mixed together. And that’s where we take the guesswork out doing it just for you. That make sense?

Sam Brake Guia: Yeah, that doesn’t make sense. And I really do love the car analogy. I think that that really puts into perspective. So I’m getting a better grasp of all of this. And I know, we mentioned in the past that or I mentioned, certainly that the company is relatively new. But do you have any case studies of how your clients have been like, positively impacted by your services or any feedback?

Kim Ressler: So here’s what we do have and everything that we do is all based on peer reviewed science, every single ingredient, and if somebody just go to our website, snipnutrition.com, they can download and have the ability to get a code complex report. So we back every single ingredient with peer reviewed science of understanding and knowing that it has benefited somebody’s body for using that specific ingredient in that specific dose. So we have all the case studies there. As far as individuals, yes, what a lot of people say is just an overall better feeling of wellness, energy, better sleep, better digestion, my story alone of this product, I literally felt like I got my life back. Addressing my genetic components, I’d spent years, spending hundreds of dollars per month on supplementation for one specific topic or area and had I been able to go to the route of things, sooner, I would have felt much better, much faster. So energy, sleep digestion, you’re wanting to support yourself and long term heart health, your body’s detoxification, inflammation, immune, your immune system, these are the areas we support very heavy, impacting key areas in the body that we are looking at.

Sam Brake Guia: Well, all areas that definitely count and are more than count, there’s definitely something that motivate anyone listening to, to go check this out. And really, I just want to ask one last question. What are you folks focusing on the near future? I know the company is still relatively young, but like, what’s the priority? And what are your hopes dreams and goals when it comes to snip?

Kim Ressler: Hopes, dreams, and goals? An integrative Doctor once that told me that this was 95%? Correct for 100% of the population, the 5%, that she felt that it might not be correct for us because they were very, very sick, and that she would have to address them additionally, based on what that what they were dealing with, what are our goals, my mission is to push forward, the idea that we are in a day and age that we can’t get enough nutrition from the food we need, we need more nutrients, I would love to see this on the prevention side of more and more people having the ability to have this customization. We’re very cost effective, we actually save people a lot of money will coming into having a single supplement my goals, yes, actual clinical trials on the product as a whole. And I have numerous fellows using this. Or looking at this right now to take this into a case study as a product as a whole. And I want to support doctors in understanding how instead of always a prescription a prescription a prescription. And what if we could do something on the front end, and I want to support doctors coming through this. Because genetics, they are complicated. But if we can continue to simplify, and we give them this foundational nutrition, that’s what I would like to call our code complex. It’s foundational nutrition to support a body. And then if you are dealing with something very specific, the doctor can take a look at that not only that we even give tracking results for both the consumer or the wellness professional. So my goal is to continue to push forward and bring simple solutions to the masses that are simple, easy to use. They don’t create supplement fatigue, and they are at a cost that the masses can afford.

Sam Brake Guia: I like that makes sense. And I also really liked the fact that you spoke about prevention there, because I’m hugely into fitness and one of the reasons being, I mean, there are many reasons for me to be into fitness but I do love the idea of preventing illnesses or injuries or issues before they happen. And I feel like this is another avenue to go down when it comes to your nutrition. So that really spoke to me. And if people are listening, and they feel the same way, and they feel like they want to go on top of their supplement game, and really just get ahead and prevent, I suppose prevent just all these issues that can come from from poor malnutrition or whatever.

Kim Ressler: Yeah, it’s not just poor malnutrition, it’s just sometimes when we need something in a different form in our body isn’t absorbing, and then and then one pathway way gets blocked. It’s the standard, you know, I don’t feel well, and then and then it led to bloating and then it led to body burning and or, you know, it’s because these pathways aren’t working properly. So we are the biohack to help those pathways function optimally is what we are through the customized nutrition.

Sam Brake Guia: I like that. Yeah, I think biohacking it sounds cool. And it is cool. And I’m very much on board with it. And if people want to check you folks out how can they do that? Where would you recommend they go?

Kim Ressler: I would recommend they go to www.snipnutrition.com. And there is a quick video on their fast class will be on there soon as well. And take a look at all of the different information that you get getting the website snip nutrition.com. And Sam has said hey, it would be great if you could offer your listeners a way to save a little bit on the genetic testing. And so if you use the coupon code “brains” at checkout if you decide to get your own genetic test, it’ll take $20 off of your lab fee. And with that, you’ll also get 11 reports as well as it unlocks for us to be able to formulate for you specifically.

Sam Brake Guia: Fantastic. Well, you heard it that folks, go check that out. Thanks for sharing that with us, Kim. And also thanks for coming on today. And sharing all this knowledge and teaching me a little bit more about science.

Kim Ressler: No, Sam, thank you. I think that us sharing information with the world of what is out there and what’s available. I appreciate the fact that you and your podcast of sharing information to the world because it is it’s all about education.

*The coupon code “brains” now has a $50 value and is valid for 30 days following the publication of this episode