Interview with Founder of Lifecode Gx, Emma Beswick

Written by Rachel Bartholomew BA (Hons), Dip ION, mBANT, CNHC, GHW 
on 29th October 2019

In today’s fast-paced world, where human interaction is often sacrificed for cyber ‘efficiency’, it is a breath of fresh air to meet a business owner who places personal customer support absolutely at the heart of her business. I had the pleasure last week of chatting to Emma Beswick, founder of Lifecode Gx. The aim of the interview was to understand more about the genetic markers linked to autoimmunity; I left not just with her invaluable insights on the subject, but inspired by so much more.

Lifecode Gx was set up in 2017 and was born out of Emma’s desire to provide an unparalleled level of education and practitioner support to accompany what was then an emerging field of genetic testing. She has never wavered from this purpose. Testament to Emma’s commitment to stand firmly by the core values of her business is the fact that Lifecode Gx has grown from strength to strength, mainly through word of mouth, and is now considered by many practitioners as an invaluable extension to their clinical practice.

Read on to find out more about Lifecode Gx’s functional medicine approach to genetic testing, key SNPs linked to autoimmunity, the inspiration behind their newest test, what Emma loves most about her job and much more…

RB: Lifecode Gx has become a firm favourite among practitioners. Many practitioners feel isolated and the support and training you provide is unparalleled in this field. Could you tell us a bit about the ethos and values that underpin Lifecode Gx and how this translates into the service you provide as a business?

EB: As a practitioner, I wanted to create a service that was appropriate, relevant, trustworthy and genuinely useful as a clinical tool, that solved the problem of people spending hours clicking through websites and trying to find the research for themselves.

“I thought, why should every practitioner have to do this individually for themselves; if this could be done for them? And then I thought, if we could do that bit for practitioners; then they can focus on the use of it rather than the finding of it. That was the main starting point of the business.”

I was also acutely aware that there were, and still are, lots of easily accessible testing options available to practitioners and members of the public on the internet. It was, and still is a bit like the ‘wild west of genetic testing’. One of the questions I get asked most commonly is, ‘I have this SNP so does that mean I need this supplement?’ And my answer is, I’m sorry but it’s not so clear cut; I know people want an easy answer and a quick fix but that’s not the industry that we work in. Two people can have the same SNPs, and in one it’s creating or contributing to a problem because it has been triggered or mediated by their environment. For the second person whose lifestyle, nutrient status, stress levels, exercise and sleep hygiene are good; there may be nothing posing a problem, or exasperating the vulnerability that comes with that gene, so it might never happen.

It’s so crucial therefore that we apply the functional medicine approach to genetics. Rather than getting a genetic test result and leaping to a conclusion, or having a knee-jerk simplistic reaction, we help practitioners to look at the results in a holistic way, in the context of an individual and their environment.

“It’s not about saying; ‘here’s a fix for the gene’, it’s about looking at how the gene is part of that person’s make up and part of their ecosystem.”

RB: Many practitioners are still scared of using genetic testing in practice. How do you help to overcome these fears?

EB: Every gene and SNP that we test for can be compensated for to a significant extent through nutrition and lifestyle interventions. We also only test for SNPs which have a strong weight of evidence as to their impact and clinical relevance. We say, ‘what is the point of knowing if you can’t do anything about it?’ We also understand the mechanism of action - how the SNP might alter the gene function - which enables identification of environmental factors that will counteract the SNP effect.

Our company values are firmly steeped in supporting practitioners to use our tests confidently, accurately and effectively in clinic. We want to build the knowledge of the practitioner. This is why education and support are so integral to what we do.

“I truly believe that knowledge is power.”

We are also trying to put practitioners one step ahead of their clients. Genetic testing is available online, and lots of people buy ‘at home’ tests and bring them to their health practitioner. There has been negative publicity about some of these tests recently, and rightly so. Through Lifecode Gx, practitioners have access to tests that are accurate both in terms of genotyping – we don’t test for rare SNPs, (which is a problem for some DTC tests) – and interpretation. Some of our education therefore is about nutrigenomics in general, and some is about helping practitioners to use our own tests. We want to ensure practitioners feel supported by us, and this helps to settle fears and increases their confidence in clinic.

Adding to that, there is a lot of information out there that is scary. There is also some disservice out there because people are over-exaggerating the impact of some genetic SNPs, for whatever reason; whether it’s to get a headline or attention? Or whether it’s to sell something else? There are companies which offer genetic tests to then supply a monthly pack of vitamins, just off the back of a genetic test, without any consideration of the nutrient status of the individual, or of their symptoms, or anything else whatsoever. And you have to then ask, ‘what is the purpose of this company?’

“Our purpose at Lifecode Gx is to inform and to educate, there is no other motive behind it; of course we are a business and we are commercial, but we are very transparent about what we do; this is our expertise, and we want to share it. We want to empower people, we want to give them correct information, and working with practitioners I think is the way to do it, because it’s not sometimes as straightforward as it might seem, so people can jump to a wrong conclusion, and end up causing more trouble than they solve – like treating an illness that isn’t there.”

Your genes are only a predisposition, and test results are more about genetic potential than what is happening at that moment in time. If you try and treat the SNP and address something that isn’t actually happening; you are potentially putting more burden on the body and also costing that person money, on a therapy that may not be necessary for them.

RB: For practitioners wanting to find out more about what you do, where is the best place to start?

EB: The best place to start is to register with us as a practitioner. We then send out some information about how it all works; test descriptions, how to access sample reports etc.

Next step I’d recommend attending one of our seminars. Every seminar relates to a test. We offer the option of purchasing a discounted test alongside our seminar places, so practitioners can try it for themselves.

“We believe that learning by doing is a very effective way of learning.”

It’s important not to bite off too much too soon, so it’s good to start with one of our simpler seminars such as Nutrient Core where we begin by answering questions such as, ‘what is a gene?’ and ‘what is a SNP?’ We then take people through the concepts of the different types of role or functions that a gene has; and then, crucially, how to look at the results as a whole and within the context of an individual so that people don’t jump to simplistic conclusions which simply aren’t right. Once you’ve got the basics, you can then build up to more complex seminars such as Methylation, Oestrogen Balance, Thyroid Balance and Nervous System.

We also offer 1:1 practitioner support calls, similar to yours at Nutri Advanced; either when practitioners do the test on themselves, or when they have client results to go through. Sometimes this is in depth, for those using the tests for the first time; and sometimes it’s a simple, ‘I just want to run this by you’ for practitioners more familiar with a particular test. Either way, we are always there for support.

RB: How do you stay on top of the latest research, and your own professional development in such a fast-moving field?

EB: I think there’s two important aspects to how we do this; both of which are key to our continual development as a company. First, we subscribe to a number of genomic tools and research sources and are automatically notified of new research on the genes and SNPs that we test for. We regularly attend conferences and training in genomics, nutrigenomics, functional medicine and in specific health disciplines. We also follow thought leaders such as Dr Dale Bredesen, Dr Jeffrey Bland, James Greenblatt, Datis Kharrazian, and Kara Fitzgerald. Every time we develop a new test we have a real focus on that particular subject area; and we now have a specific methodology for developing new tests which we know works.

“There’s lots of information out there and you have to have the ability to judge whether information is correct and what evidence is sufficient. We apply critical thinking and always err on the side of caution; if the evidence on a particular SNP is unclear or inconsistent, we won’t include it.”

We reference the research in our reports to support the interpretation of every single SNP there. It is important to us to be transparent about where our statements have come from; practitioners can click on the links to the research and see it for themselves.

Secondly, something very special has evolved out of our commitment to supporting practitioners which really helps us to keep developing too. I think of it rather like a ‘virtuous cycle’. We have a wonderful community of health professionals using our tests, and when we talk with them either at events or over the phone, helping with test interpretation, not only are they learning, but we are learning too. These conversations are a two-way process; we are constantly exchanging ideas, finding new ways of looking at things, brainstorming or perhaps identifying a new connection. We see it as a partnership and it’s mutually beneficial; we’re always getting tips and feedback about clinical strategies to support clients; be that a new food or supplement, and about what works for them, and we can pass that on, along the train. It really is a win-win. And we don’t always know everything, we are constantly learning, and I totally recognise that; for example, the understanding we have about methylation, compared to three years ago is totally different.

“And as companies who are supporting health professionals, the right thing to do when we don’t know is to say we don’t know and to be transparent about that. And that’s what it’s all about – it’s about continuously improving.”

RB: What key SNPs would you recommend testing in clients with autoimmune health problems?

EB: Many autoimmune health problems have the same risk genes. We find that autoimmunity absolutely runs in families; it does have a significant genetic aspect, so heritability is a really big part of it. People inherit the risk genes, and depending on what triggers the autoimmunity, that then influences what type of autoimmune health problem develops as a result. Sometimes this may be different autoimmune problems; so members of a family don’t necessarily have the same autoimmune disease. Also, people with autoimmune problems often develop another one.

One really common autoimmune gene family is the HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigens) family. Another name for them is MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) – this is the same family just a different name.

HLA genes are classic autoimmune risk and they are there to enable the immune system to differentiate between what is an invader / foreign and what is actually you. You can have variances on these genes which mean that recognition gets muddled. In simple terms, it’s not as clean and clear and efficient as it should be, so that person is then more at risk of mis-recognition and self-attack happening. HLA is a really big family of genes; and two of them in particular are associated with coeliac disease risk; although having the risk variant is still a very low risk that people will develop coeliac, so it’s not by any means a diagnosis, and that’s not how genetics should be used. One of these HLA genes is also the strongest single genetic risk factor for type 1 diabetes. HLA genetic variances are risk factors for Hashimoto’s and Graves’ Disease, and also Rheumatoid Arthritis, and there are likely more.

RB: Which of your tests reports on HLA gene variants?

EB: Lifecode Gx Thyroid Balance & Lifecode Gx Nutrient Core (has a section about food response, so it’s included in there really from a coeliac risk perspective).

RB: Which Lifecode Gx test would you recommend for looking more in depth at autoimmune risk genes?

EB: If I was looking at autoimmunity in a more focused clinical way, I would choose our newest test Thyroid Balance, because it looks at other genes too which are just as significant as the HLA family. In Thyroid Balance, there are 6 key families that we look at in the context of autoimmunity, and these are not just specific to thyroid autoimmune disease.

RB: What does the Thyroid Balance test add to the picture of a client struggling with thyroid issues who has already carried out comprehensive functional thyroid testing?

EB: We know that functional test results don’t always reflect what is going on. With thyroid testing people get ‘in range’ results but they know that something is wrong. There are many genetic and environmental reasons for this. For example, thyroid hormone transport from the circulation to tissues (liver, heart, brain) can be impacted by SNPs on transporter genes, so serum levels of thyroid hormone don’t necessarily reflect levels of thyroid hormone in tissues. As Lifecode Gx uniquely presents genetic results in context of environmental factors it is easy to see where and how genes, nutrients and lifestyle factors interact.

We’re already seeing patterns of genotypes & phenotypes in thyroid test results. It is often obvious from looking at the genes if someone has a predisposition to autoimmune disease.

RB: The new thyroid panel you have just launched is a pioneering step. What was the starting inspiration for this panel?

EB: Every Lifecode Gx test has some deep personal resonance. Sometimes I don’t know what that will be until we are part way through or even finished developing a test. The Lifecode team don’t test themselves until the pilot testing phase to make sure there’s no subconscious bias.

At the time we were organising our Female Health Conference so I did some functional testing on myself. The major outputs were sky high oestrogen and cortisol, sluggish liver and high reverse T3. What I now understand, very well, is that this was driven by stress, and the high cortisol and oestrogen were blocking thyroid hormone synthesis via negative HPT feedback, transport, and conversion (to T3). Actually the thyroid system was doing what it is designed to do and slowing me down for my own good. This was the starting inspiration for developing the new panel.

RB: What do you love most about your job?

EB: A lot of our clients come to us through word of mouth, which is just brilliant, and tells us that we are making a difference. The main thing I love about my job is the practitioner: practitioner work, because I benefit from knowing what’s happening with a client through that practitioner. I’m also seeing practitioners build their own confidence around using nutrigenomics in practice, and that’s really rewarding for me when people say, ‘I feel as if I’ve really got this now, I love it, I’m using it all the time. It’s given my clients such a boost and it’s just brilliant!’ And having started off saying, ‘this looks as if it’s going to be really hard and I’m really nervous and unsure about it’. I feel then as if it’s been worth it.

“We want to be there, be part of that, and be supportive of that change.”

Mental health is one area in particular where the acceptance of functional and lifestyle medicine approaches is really gaining ground. We feel as if we are really part of that ecosystem in that doctors, consultants and psychiatrists have introduced colleagues to us, but then that comes full circle and we’re then able to complement their practice by introducing nutritional therapists to them. This type of collaboration is how NTs want to work as well, so it’s that lovely, very positive situation where we are helping to connect people. I also love going to events and meeting people with a similar open-minded approach to health and collaboration, and where health professionals are embracing change.

RB: And finally, what’s next for Lifecode Gx?

EB: We have a great range of tests and now we really want to focus on providing even more education for our practitioners.

“We are all about practitioner support and education, and now we want to focus on different ways of getting the message out there; providing more access to what we do.”

We are always thinking about new panels, combinations of genes / SNPs or ways of presenting them. It’s tempting to create another panel, but we’ve got so many brilliant resources to share and it’s really important to us that people can access these easily. I’m also very aware of not spreading ourselves too thinly (which comes back to walking our talk), not overworking or having too many balls in the air at once. Our big initiatives for next year are about scaling our practitioner resources - including online education, support and referrals. So if you want to be kept informed sign up to our newsletter or, even better get involved as a Lifecode Gx practitioner – so watch this space! www.lifecodegx.com/nutri

RB: Thanks Emma for your time, for sharing your knowledge and expertise and for the inspiration. We’re excited to watch Lifecode Gx evolve even further over the next year!

Upcoming Lifecode Gx Nutrigenomics & Thyroid seminars ( UK & Ireland):
Manchester – Fri 1st November
Edinburgh – Sat 2nd November
Dublin – Sat 23rd November
www.lifecodegx.com/events