EpiGaia Blog

The LiveScience site has a fantastic overview of epigenetics that was posted about three weeks ago. Epigenetics is a relatively new area of scientific study that has come into focus as a result of the human genome project. As scientists mapped out the genome, they began to see that genes by themselves are not entirely responsible for the growth and development of our bodies. It is the epigenome that helps determine whether a given cell will become part of a big toe, or part of a lung, or what color a person’s eyes will be.

The epigenome doesn’t just affect the body while in the womb, though. According to Liang Liu, a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who was quoted in the article, “food, pollution, toxic chemicals (such as those found in hard clear plastics), drugs, stress, even exercise and social interaction can all affect the epigenome and alter its attitude towards DNA.”

A key factor that can influence the epigenome and its effect on our genes is food and proper nutrition. In the article, Randy Jirtle, an epigenetics research pioneer at Duke University in North Carolina, makes this point clear:

Similarly, healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices can positively sway gene expression. “Food is truly medicine when you are talking about epigenetic changes,” Jirtle said…

The epigenome’s malleability highlights the power we can have over the health of ourselves and our children, said Jirtle.

Check out the article here for a great overview of epigenetics, and some of the great health benefits associated with this emerging science.

Tags: epigaia, epigenetic nutrition, epigenetics, epigenome, genetic health