Interesting Science #1 - I discovered this interesting snippet of information today. Information that everybody should know about! If you choose to read it, read to the end ...
Interesting Science #2 - Science is making a fact abundantly clear: our genetics do not determine our health fate.
In fact, genetics don't even determine which genes our cells express (meaning which ones are turned on, and therefore control the proteins being produced by the machinery in our cells). Environment does. The field of research that is broadening understanding of how environment controls which genes are turned on or off in our bodies is called "epigenetics", a term roughly meaning "outside of our genes".
The signals to our epigenome begin even before conception. In fact, your parents' environments, even as children, affect your epigenome. Yes, the epigenome is inheritable. But, it's also dynamic and at any one time represents the sum total of the environmental influences experienced by your cells to date (from conception to present), with the current environment exerting the strongest impact.
Studies show that genes account for only 10-30% of our risk for disease, while the other 70-90% comes from our environment. The reason for this is how our environment affects our genes (or rather which genes are turned on or off by affecting our epigenetics).
Environmental factors that impact your epigenome include:
-the foods you eat
-the foods you don't eat
-nutrient status (whether or not you're deficient in certain nutrients)
-whether you smoke
-alcohol
-toxin exposure
-environmental or pharmaceutical hormone exposure
-medications and drugs
-exercise
-your social and family networks
-stress
-infections (current and past)
And as you can see, most of these are things you can control. We are starting to understand that those things that correlate with better health (getting enough sleep, managing stress, being active, having tight social and family networks, not taking medications or being exposed to toxins, not smoking, not drinking, eating a nutrient-dense diet including lots of veggies) achieve their benefits to health via positive changes to our epigenetics.
Epigenetics are why, when you change your diet and move your body, you feel better, lose weight, and reverse risk factors for things like cardiovascular disease. Epigenetics are why we can put autoimmune disease into remission with strategies like the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.
And here's what's most exciting - because our epigenetics are inheritable, we get to pass on the benefits of our good choices to our children and their children and beyond.
Epigenetics show us that WE are who determine our health fates.
I LOVE 'Epigenetics' - I think I'll study that next!! At least I'll put it on my list of things to study!
Nite all.
No comments:
Post a Comment