Adam Pivko Is Disrupting The DNA Supplement Game

Adam Pivko, MBA, is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Autumn DNA,  a new company that is all about Nutrigenomics and has already raised previously over $750,000 from various top Angels. The Autumn DNA process is quite simple, yet ground-breaking in the fact that they first decode a person’s DNA through an actual at-home sample that they send out to the individual’s home, and then after examining the sample back at their labs, the company sends that person monthly supplements and nutrients that will best suit what their DNA and body needs to stay healthy.

Gone are the days of needing to figure out what your body needs through trial and error or visiting an expensive nutritionist / trainer. Adam tells us directly about some of the disruptions his company has made after seeing a need for it all, “There are some real deep-rooted problems in the vitamin and supplement industry, and we built this business to solve them, for the masses. The biggest issues are that the vast majority of people don’t have appropriate nutritional education or personal insight to be self-prescribing, and are being marketed with one-size-fits-all solutions. This is a very problematic, and vicious cycle situation that we stepped in to break. Everyone is unique and the one-size-fits-all approach is outdated. People need to understand why they are different and what they should and can do about it, we enable people to do just that, conveniently and efficiently.”

And while they launched Autumn DNA during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adam revealed to us here at Disrupt that the pandemic actually helped companies like his and in his space, as “the pandemic helped us by putting a spotlight on people’s health, and in particular preventative health.”

And as DNA sequencing becomes cheaper here in 2022, Autumn DNA is ahead of the game. While anyone can get DNA sequencing done, figuring out what comes “next” is the tricky part. Personal genomes will not only tell people about genetic susceptibility to cancer and heart disease, but will also tell them which vitamins and how much can improve their health, which is where Adam’s company comes in. A new study shows that one enzyme can be tuned up with vitamins, suggesting that one day we all may take personalized vitamin supplements. Adam explains how his company dives deep into DNA to help people further, telling us, “Think of one’s DNA as a book, genes are like sentences in that book, and allele or SNP (aka snips or single nucleotide polymorphism) is like a letter in that sentence. When decoding someone’s DNA, it’s important to understand that 99% of our DNA is the same from one person to another, but it is that 1% of differences that make us look, feel, or act unique. We utilize the science called Nutrigenomics (nutritional genomics), which in layman’s terms, studies how our genes impact what we eat, and how what we eat impacts our genes. We use this to drive a portion of our personalization algorithms. To give a really simple example, there is a gene called CYP1A2 – which is responsible for about 95% of the metabolism of caffeine. It can indicate an individual’s sensitivity to caffeine, as in, do they metabolize it slow and feel jittery for extended periods of time (like 9 hours), or fast and feel more energized for a typical couple of hours. This was a very simple example, but the science of nutrigenomics has explained this correlation and many other different genes and nutrient relationships. Autumn DNA hones in on that 1% that makes us unique for nutritional considerations and combines the insight with a very thorough lifestyle assessment to create personalized plans. Things like diet, exercise, pain points, goals, and even allergies or medications are all taken into consideration for our personalized plans and weighed against what an individual’s DNA shows.”

As for how often someone needs to retest their DNA to keep up with proper results, once again our new friend Adam reveals, “An individual needs to only test their DNA one time, as it doesn’t change. That’s why it’s a very powerful tool and one that gives far greater insight than a blood test for real underlying issues. Blood tests are incredible if you are immediately sick, as they indicate the current snapshot of your health, but need to be done more consistently. To truly understand the root cause instead of guessing which figurative or perhaps literal band-aid is going to work best to resolve an issue, DNA is way up there on the list. For us, instead of retesting their DNA, we enable our customers to update their Lifestyle assessment, which will keep their recommendations optimal for the best results. This update is encouraged periodically and is absolutely free of charge.”

With new, innovative companies like Autumn DNA leading the pack, the world is bound for a healthier future so long as people continue to invest in their own health and now sway away to “quick-fix” fake brands. Autumn DNA has surrounded themselves with the top-notch industry people to ensure they are always innovating and giving their customers exactly what is promised; Their Director of their Scientific Advisory Board is the popular Dr. Nicole DeYonge.

Whether you are spilling out of your medicine cabinet or filling your bathroom countertop, you’re not alone if you’re one of the millions of Americans who take a vitamin or supplement each day, but now through companies like Autumn DNA you can actually use only the vitamins or supplements you need. Easy and simple, and very disruptive to a long-standing industry of companies that most likely doesn’t want you to know it can be this simple!