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Genetic analyses in your practice: the added value for your consultations
A lifestyle genetic analysis enriches your practice on three levels. It adds depth to your consultations, because it reveals predispositions that no food diary shows. It turns a single appointment into support over months, because the report remains a foundation at every follow-up. And it leads to a concrete product: personalized supplements in daily sachets, with one supply lasting 90 days – through a partner shop or under your own brand. What you can promise is better-founded, more personal advice, but no guaranteed results.
A study from primary care: genes help people stick with it
What happens when a practice adds genetics to its weight management program? A primary care team in Ontario, Canada, set out to find out. In the NOW trial with 140 participants, an established group program ran in two versions: once as the standard program and once supplemented with gene-based dietary advice. After twelve months, only the group with genetics had significantly reduced the share of fat in their energy intake – from 36.0% to 30.2%. And they stuck to the guidelines on fat and saturated fat better over the long term (Horne et al., BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2020).
The logical conclusion: a personal, genetic reason turns advice people already know into advice they actually follow. Think of the genetic report as a compass. Your client still walks the path – but now knows why the direction is right for them, and drifts off course less often.
For your practice, the added value comes on three levels: the depth of your consultations, support over months, and the product. This article walks you through all three – and what you can realistically promise. Which analyses your profession may offer in the first place is covered in What you may offer: lifestyle or medicine.
Three levels on which your practice gains
| Level | What the genetic analysis contributes | What you make of it |
|---|---|---|
| Depth of advice | predispositions that never change and that no food diary shows | recommendations with a personal reason instead of average rules |
| Ongoing support | a report that remains a foundation at every appointment | a package of initial consultation, analysis, results consultation and follow-ups |
| Product | a formula based on genes, a questionnaire and blood values | personalized supplements as a concrete next step |
No level is a must. You can work with the analysis alone or add the product later. But never make the genetic analysis mandatory – good advice works without it too.
Level 1: advice with a personal reason
A food diary shows you what your client eats. Blood values show you their current nutrient status. A genetic analysis shows a third thing: how their body is built to handle nutrients. Typical examples from nutrigenetics are the genes for lactose (LCT), caffeine (CYP1A2) and folic acid (MTHFR). CYP1A2 is the blueprint for the tool the body uses to break down caffeine. If this gene is impaired, caffeine stays in the body longer – and the advice “coffee only in the morning” suddenly has a reason that applies to exactly this one person.
Clients notice the difference. In a randomized trial from Toronto with 149 young adults, 93% of the group with gene-based advice said they understood their recommendations – compared with 78% in the group with general advice. 88% found the advice useful for their diet, compared with 72% (Nielsen & El-Sohemy, Genes & Nutrition, 2012).
The potential also shows in weight management: in an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet (more about our scientific approach).
Important for how you see your role: the genetic traits are well documented – at Novogenia, at least three independent studies support every gene included in an analysis. The recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Genes are one factor among many; your knowledge of your client’s everyday life is the other. Which genes matter most in nutrition counseling is covered in The key genes for nutrition counseling.
Level 2: from a single appointment to ongoing support
A genetic analysis gives your work a natural sequence: initial consultation with goals, information and consent, saliva sample, lab analysis, results consultation, and a plan with a follow-up appointment. A consultation package built from exactly these elements is the obvious choice – so you are no longer selling individual hours but a path with a clear start and agreed stops along the way.
The report does not go out of date. Genes do not change over the course of a lifetime; when a new goal comes up, such as a competition or a change in diet, you bring it out again. And anyone taking personalized supplements has a built-in rhythm: one supply lasts 90 days. That is a good reason for a follow-up appointment where you review what worked and adjust the plan.
The six steps in detail are described in Adding nutrigenetics to your practice: 6 steps. How to explain results clearly, document them and know when to refer to a physician is covered in The consultation: explaining results.
Level 3: a product that grows out of the consultation
The results consultation leads to an obvious next step: nutrients that match the profile. This is where the circle closes, because at Novogenia the genetic lab and the supplement factory are in one building.
- How the formula is created: from around 50 genes with three possible genotypes each, a questionnaire and – if available – blood values, which take precedence. Each nutrient is dosed between one third and three times the reference intake, capped at the EFSA upper limit.
- What it looks like: Microtransporter pellets in daily sachets; one supply lasts 90 days.
- Under whose name: through your partner shop or as white label under your own brand, with supplements from a single unit. Novogenia stays invisible to the outside world.
- No stockroom: for practices, a model in which you recommend and products ship directly to your clients often works well.
Two points belong to honesty. First: supplements are not medicines. They are a lifestyle offer alongside your consultations, not part of a treatment. If a client has an illness, takes medication or is pregnant or breastfeeding, a physician should clarify whether the supplements are suitable. Second: if you sell under your own brand, you are responsible for the label and the claims, because responsibility always lies with the company under whose name the product is marketed. How the formula is calculated is explained in From genetic profile to personalized supplements; sales channels for practices are described in Sales channels: shop, Amazon, practice, direct selling.
What it means financially – without sample calculations
A genetic analysis broadens what you offer: you no longer sell just your time, but a service made up of analysis, advice and a matching product. How you earn from it depends on the model:
| Model | How you earn | A good fit if you … |
|---|---|---|
| Partner shop | a commission on every order; no setup fees | want to start without upfront investment |
| White label | through your own retail price | want to build your own practice brand |
| Your own product idea | through your own retail price; the effort depends on the scope | want to stand out with your own concept |
You will learn the specific commission rates in a personal conversation. Do not calculate the analysis alone but your entire service, and show your clients openly what is lab work and what is advice. Questions about VAT are best clarified with your tax advisor. And be skeptical of anyone who promises you a specific income: what you end up with depends on your clients, your advice and your offer. If you are unsure, start with the partner shop. The models in detail: Nutrigenetics as a service: partner and white-label models.
What you can promise your clients
The greatest added value is lost if you promise too much. Promise better-founded, more personal advice – not guaranteed results. This is how it sounds in a consultation:
- “We look at how your body handles nutrients and tailor your recommendations accordingly.” – instead of “Your genes reveal the perfect diet.”
- “Your genes show tendencies, not destiny.” – instead of “Your genes determine your weight.”
- No statements about diseases, diagnoses or cures – not even between the lines.
- The genetic analysis is an offer, never a condition for your advice.
What you may say in advertising and on your website is covered in Professional law and advertising: titles, claims.
Is a genetic analysis a good fit for your practice?
- Your clients come to you with questions about nutrition, weight, training, stress or skin.
- You work with them over several appointments – or would like to.
- You can explain results confidently or want to learn, for example with the free NOVO Academy.
- You know where your profession ends and medicine begins, and you know whom to refer to.
- You have clarified whether and how you may sell products in your practice.
If you can tick most of these boxes, Launching your offer in 5 steps shows you the way to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Is a genetic analysis worthwhile for every client?
Does the analysis need to be repeated later?
What will I earn with genetic analyses?
Do I have to stock products in my practice?
Are personalized supplements part of my therapy?
Related: Adding nutrigenetics to your practice: 6 steps · Partner and white-label models · Personalized supplements from Novogenia
Genetic analyses for your practice?
Tell us about your practice and your clients – we will show you what fits.
Request a project →Offer for naturopathsNote: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.