What is diet quality index?
What you eat supplies the raw materials your body uses to build, repair and run itself. Diet quality refers to the overall pattern of your eating rather than any single food or meal. Patterns rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and healthy oils are widely associated with good health. Patterns high in heavily processed foods, added sugar and refined starches are generally viewed less favorably. This index looks at your pattern as your body reflects it.
How your genes play a role
Nutrition is closely tied to DNA methylation. The methyl groups that form methylation marks depend partly on nutrients such as folate, vitamin B12, choline and other B vitamins. Research has also linked overall dietary patterns with differences in methylation and in epigenetic age. The diet quality index brings together methylation markers associated with healthy eating to estimate how your nutrition may be shaping your biology over time.
Food diaries and memory are easily skewed, and it is hard to judge a pattern from inside it. An epigenetic view offers a different angle on how your diet is landing in your body. It can affirm habits that are working and gently highlight areas worth exploring with a clinician or dietitian. Because methylation responds to change, it can also help you see whether adjustments to your eating are being reflected over time.
What your report shows
Your Diet Quality Index results are explained in plain language in your private EvoDNA account, alongside the other areas in your kit.
- Diet quality estimateAn index of how your overall eating pattern may be reflected in your methylation profile.
- Nutrient contextSignals connected to nutrients that support the body's methylation process.
- Link to biological ageHow your diet profile may relate to your broader epigenetic aging.
- Change over timeWith repeat testing, how your index responds to changes in what you eat.
Each result comes with a plain-language explanation and practical points to discuss with your clinician.
Illustration only. Your report reflects your own genetic results.
Putting results to use
Many people use their results as a starting point for conversations with their clinician about:
Adding vegetables, fruit or legumes to most meals is a widely shared suggestion.
Choosing whole grains and minimally processed foods is often recommended.
Olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish are common features of well-studied eating patterns.
A dietitian can help shape an approach that suits your tastes, culture and needs.
Questions
Is there one best diet?
No single diet suits everyone. Research tends to favor patterns built around whole, minimally processed foods, and a professional can help adapt this to your preferences.
Will one indulgent week affect my result?
The index is designed to reflect longer-term patterns rather than short periods. Your habits over months matter more than any single week.
Should I take supplements based on this?
It is best to discuss supplements with your clinician before starting them. They can consider your results alongside your health history and other tests.
