I’ve spent a lot of my life being told I should take vitamins and supplements. Starting with gummy-vites at breakfast as a young kid to now being exposed to social media, where every day it seems like I come across a different influencer promising their new supplement will change your life, help you lose weight, etc.
But how valid are these statements? Isn’t everyone different? Different backgrounds, life circumstances and exposures, different DNA? I’ve come to realize that a lot of people buy vitamins impulsively or through guesswork due to ignorance or influence. But how can we know which vitamins and supplements are best for your body?
Table of Contents
As a researcher to my core, I had to find out more. Our genes contain tons of information about us that can tell a full story, and Autumn DNA has harnessed this ability into tests that analyze gene variants that are scientifically proven to impact your nutrient needs.
In This Post
Key takeaways
Using this information and nutrigenomics (how our genes and our nutrition interact), Autumn DNA creates personalized regiments of the vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements that your body needs most so you can stop self-prescribing, wasting money, and taking low-quality vitamins and supplements.
- Nutrigenomics sheds light on where each person’s nutrition is lacking: It can help prevent, control, and cure deficiency-related diseases.
- Help to understand the role of nutrition and how each individual can react differently
- The science is still improving, as it’s difficult to create controlled groups for research
- With current research, only a portion of the population will respond to specific nutritional interventions
- Autumn DNA provides DNA testing that a normal blood test wouldn’t reveal: This offers valuable information on nutritional deficiencies
- Each vitamin pack is completely personalized: Autumn DNA uses genetic mapping & lifestyle evaluation to create a recommended custom regiment of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements
- Your personal data & DNA test results are kept 100% private: The sample is then automatically destroyed by the lab within 15 days of being tested
Read on for more info and the benefits that you can reap from this incredible science that Autumn DNA offers.
Best personalized vitamins: Autumn DNA vs Persona vs Rootine
There are a lot of new breakthroughs in the personalized vitamin world, so how do you know which is best for you? Here are the high-level comparison points.
| 
| 
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Personalized Vitamins | Autumn DNA | Persona | Rootine |
| What are the personalized vitamin recommendations based on? | DNA test Lifestyle assessment | Nutrition assessment | Lifestyle test DNA test Blood test |
| DNA test available? | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Cost of DNA test kit | Autumn DNA collection kit: $59.99 Uploading existing results (like Ancestry or 23&Me): $14.99 | N/A | DNA test: $115 Blood test: $240 |
| Price of vitamins | $79.99 / mo ($2.66/day) (No matter how many vitamins are included) | Not a subscription, only charged for price of vitamins, all prices listed on their product page $0.06 - $1.54 per pill Equivalent to $4.80/day if you average the cost of 6 pills/day | $69 / mo ($2.30/day) |
| Number of vitamins in each pack | Will vary per person Estimated 4-8 pills per day between day & night packs | Will vary per person Minimum recommended is 2-4 pills, not exceeding 24/day | Will vary per person 1 pack comes with microbeads containing all vitamins, minerals & ingredients |
| How many supplements do they offer? | 30 | 70 | 19 |
| Do they develop their own vitamins & supplements? | ✔ | 🟡 Some are sourced from third party vendors | ✔ |
| Morning and night vitamin packs? | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ |
| Offer vegan vitamins? | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ - vegetarian |
| Non-GMO? | ✔ | 🟡 Not all | ❌ |
| Free shipping? | ✔ | ❌ | For orders above $100 |
| Money back guarantee? | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Where do they ship to? | US only | US & international | US only |
| Website |
What is Autumn DNA? 🧬
Autumn DNA is a personal genomics company that uses your submitted DNA and lifestyle quiz answers to offer personalized health and wellness reports, insights, and recommendations.
That information is amazing in itself, but they take it a step further by offering the perfect custom supplement routine for your unique needs based on the collected information.
You have the option of submitting your own existing DNA results (like from Ancestry or 23andMe) (which saves you money 💰) or using their DNA collection kit. You’ll send in your saliva sample and complete their lifestyle quiz, which their team uses to create a comprehensive report on how your gene variants impact the vitamins or supplements that you need.
You then have the option to order their recommended regiment of 30+ supplement combinations tailored specifically to you and your genes. You receive your personalized packs every month, and should your lifestyle choices change over time, you can retake the quiz, and your next shipment will automatically reflect any changes.
Does DNA determine your nutrient needs?
There’s a LOT of information out there discussing if DNA information can actually determine what your body needs nutritionally. I’m going to do my best to explain how it works and if it works.
Nutrigenomics studies human genes and DNA to uncover the link between diet, nutrients, and how the genes express themselves and have the potential to create the groundwork for completely personalized nutrition approaches. With this, nutritional and dietary inconsistencies can be found, including specific inadequacies, vitamin levels, and how your body absorbs critical vitamins and minerals.
Think of it this way: Genes affect the body’s formative processes (like developing physical features) and other metabolic functions, as well as respond to both internal and external stimuli. This means that genes can be influenced by environmental factors, including what you eat.
Many of the nutrients in food and supplements are directly involved in metabolic reactions that determine everything from hormonal balances and immunity to your body’s ability to detox or grow. For example,
80% of your body’s vitamin D absorption is closely linked to genetics
. So, even if you eat a vitamin D-rich diet and get plenty of sunlight, you may still be at risk of deficiency.
Nutrigenomics can help dig into your DNA to determine whether there is a genetic barrier impeding your progress or affecting a normal bodily process. People may be able to better understand things like why they can’t lose weight, why traditional diets aren’t working for them, or why they’re always exhausted.
But does it WORK?
Does this process always work for 100% of people? No. But is Autumn DNA’s process of dosing personalized vitamins based on looking at DNA and lifestyle more accurate than other vitamin packs? Yes.
Researchers recognize that only a portion of the population will respond to specific nutritional interventions. Additionally, nutrition-genome interactions can’t really be found unless diet and genotype are controlled, which is extremely hard to consolidate. At this time, few SNP-diet associations have been replicated.
We do know, however, that nutrigenomics provides an incredible amount of insight and has the potential to change lives. In time, we may see nutrigenomics offering important contributions to the prevention of many common diseases like obesity, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory disorders, and (of course) vitamin deficiencies.
So, does Autumn DNA’s nutrigenomics do what it promises?
All that being said, Autumn DNA is on the cutting edge of the Nutrigenomics front in revealing the vitamins and minerals your body needs and developing the correlating supplements to help you thrive. It’s always important to remember, however, that supplements should NOT replace a healthy diet, good sleep, daily movement, and consistent routine (duh).
Take some of these real customer successes, for example:
In one instance, a client had low energy. After her Autumn report came back, the report suggested that she had a high risk of B12 deficiency and that her intake was inadequate based on her FUT2 gene. In a way, the Autumn report made it far easier to find out that a gene was causing her vitamin B12 deficiency and, in this case, her low energy levels!
An expert can interpret genetic information like this and advise you on the specific vitamins and supplements best for you to address your concerns or deficiencies.
But it’s more than the DNA…
It’s crucial to highlight that nutrigenomics will not answer everything, which is why Autumn DNA also thoroughly evaluates your lifestyle and medical history.
Genes are only one of many factors that affect health and optimal dietary recommendations. There are also thousands of DNA alterations in each human cell daily, of which diet and lifestyle choices are major components.
For example, DNA damage is accelerated by stressors like tobacco smoke, strenuous exercise, and a high-fat diet. And on the flip side, low-fat diets high in vegetables have been shown to lower the DNA damage rate in humans.
Autumn DNA’s lifestyle quiz takes this and many other factors into account when creating your personalized vitamin routine and optimizing your health.
What Do Other DNA Tests, like 23andMe, Typically Show Us?
Tests like 23andMe and AncestryDNA look at many individual variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) across your entire genome, accounting for over 100,000 SNP points. The results are compared to similar SNPs in a laboratory database to closely determine your ethnic background.
In contrast, Autumn DNA only tests 500 actionable SNPs – specifically the ones that have been proven to impact nutrient needs or absorption. In other words, Autumn DNA’s test kit is much more specific to your nutritional needs and prioritizing your health.
DNA Testing vs. Blood Testing for Nutritional Deficiencies
In nutrient or vitamin deficiency tests, venous or finger-prick blood tests are used to collect blood and assess vitamin or mineral levels. While they effectively indicate deficiencies, they won’t reveal the source of the problem.
However, when used as part of an integrative nutrition strategy, DNA testing (nutrigenomics!) can reveal issues that a simple blood test cannot.
Not everyone responds in the same way to one diet, and not everyone requires the same vitamins. Certain genetic variances often explain why some people can eat “whatever they want” without weight gain or increased cholesterol levels.
DNA testing helps clients know which nutritional requirements will work best for them based on their genes, including diet and vitamin deficiencies. And nutrigenomics as a whole investigates how what we consume influences both our genes and our overall health – it has the potential to both cure and prevent diseases through diet.
Autumn’s DNA testing helps you:
- Eliminate guesswork or trial-and-error when selecting diets and supplements
- Reduce disease risk factors caused by nutritional deficiencies
- Prevent and control diseases caused by genetics
Feel better faster by taking a more targeted approach to figuring out what steps you can take to feel your best
How to get started with Autumn DNA
Here are the steps to getting your personalized vitamins through Autumn DNA.
1. DNA testing
If you’ve never taken a DNA test:
Order Autumn DNA’s at-home DNA testing kit (delivered in 3-4 days) ($59.99). This includes step-by-step instructions, saliva collection tube + funnel, and tube container + cap
Send back to lab with included barcode and pre-paid postage
OR if you’ve already taken a DNA test:
Upload existing recent DNA tests from 23andMe or Ancestry.com ($14.99)
2. Lab testing
- Autumn DNA’s licensed lab professionals will carry out DNA sequencing
- 500 SNP’s will be analyzed, focusing on your nutritional genes to figure out exactly what your body needs
- Process will take approximately 3 days
3. Take the lifestyle quiz
- While your DNA data is being analyzed, log into your customer portal
- Lifestyle quiz includes questions that are pertinent to determining your results & recommendations
- Includes questions like: your current medications, activity level, wellness goals, and habits like drinking or smoking
4. Analysis and recommendations
- Autumn will combine quiz answers and DNA data for a custom genome report and supplement recommendation list
- You’ll receive an email with a link when the report is ready
- Your DNA test and report will tell you:
- Which genes work well and which don’t
- How the gene variants impact the vitamins & supplements that they recommend
- Which nutrients you need to pay more attention to and which your body is strong in
- Your process can end here! If you’re satisfied with this information to use it on your own to optimize your health, then you’re done 🙂
5. Personalized monthly vitamins
BUT, if you want to continue to optimize your health, you can sign up for your custom monthly vitamin subscription box ($79.99) ($2.66/day)
Subscription box includes:
- Your PERSONAL daily, high-quality supplements split into AM & PM pouches (amount in each sachet will vary depending on your data)
- First shipment will include a free countertop dispenser (it looks really cool IMO)
- 30-day supply
- Free shipping, monthly subscription
Should you make some life changes, you can retake your quiz anytime, and they’ll adjust your personalized recommendations to reflect any changes.
What Vitamins Does Autumn DNA Offer?
Autumn DNA offers over 30 different supplements (compared to ~18 offered by competitors). Your custom regiment could be any of over 415 billion possible combinations based on your data.
Below are just a few of the vitamins and minerals offered:
- Probiotics – Digestion, weight management, immune support, mood & stress support
- Calcium – Bone & joint health, healthy aging, strength
- CoQ10 – Healthy aging, inflammatory response, heart health
- Mushroom immune blend – Digestion, healthy aging, immune support
- Vitamin A – Sleep, energy, immune balance, healthy aging
- Vitamin B12 – Hair, skin, nails, strength, fitness
- Vitamin C – Sleep, energy, heart health
- Vitamin D – Mood & stress, weight management
- Vitamin E – Healthy aging, memory & brain health
- Zinc – Immune support, healthy inflammatory response
How Much Do Autumn DNA’s Personalized Vitamins Cost?
| DNA collection kit | $59.99 |
| Upload your own DNA results | $14.99 |
| Personalized 30-day vitamin supply | $79.99/mo ($2.66/day) |
tl;dr - Is Autumn DNA Worth It?
We really want to rehash the point that supplements are not a replacement for exercise, nutrition, good sleep, and personal development like healthy routines and habits. But, if you’re someone like me who’s been taking vitamins and supplements for years based on what my mom and a few online sources along the way have told me, Autumn DNA is definitely worth trying out.
Think about how much you currently spend on vitamins and supplements. For probably a similar price, you could receive a wealth of data on your DNA and genes, along with personalized supplements that you actually know are meant for you based on real, supported data. Results are not immediate, but Autumn DNA claims that most clients see results anywhere from 1 week to three months of consistent use.
And while Nutrigenomics is still a work in progress, we know that it is contributing to a major effort toward the prevention of so many things, including vitamin deficiency, cognitive and inflammatory disorders, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more.
