EpigenEating
Epigeneating is an educational website that examines and presents information about the impacts of nutrition on the human body. In the emerging field of epigenetics, research has found that what people eat can alter the way their genes are expressed as early as gestation. Through improved nutrition, we can drastically change our lives for the better. Epigeneating offers information on how people can make changes in their diet to best help their body manage a disease, cardiometabolic syndrome, chronic wound, or disorder. The information on this website is verified by physicians; however this website is NOT FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES. Any desire to monitor a current nutritional plan or follow a new one should be cleared by your primary care physician or provider.
It's your time now...read and learn, cook and enjoy the fruits of Epigeneating!
It's your time now...read and learn, cook and enjoy the fruits of Epigeneating!
What is Epigenetics?
Epigenetics is the changing of the acetylation and methylation of the DNA to make it easier or harder to transcribe, thus affecting the expression of the gene. Within the genome, DNA is wrapped around compounds called histones. The more the DNA is wrapped around the histone, the less the gene that the DNA codes for is expressed. By bathing the DNA in a certain type of environment, a histone can be acetylated or "tagged," allowing the DNA wrapped around the histone to unwind and become more readable. The reverse of that process is methylation of the DNA, where the readable DNA wraps itself around a histone, thereby effectively "turning off" the gene which that DNA codes for. These changes to the structure of the genome can be passed down to the next generation, but because the genome is changeable, those traits can be turned on or off again. Epigenetics is a relatively new field of study, but it is on the cutting edge of certain fields like cancer research. Researchers have found that cancer is only 5 to 10 percent genetically inherited and the other 90 to 95 percent of it is dependent on the environment people put their genes in (1).
Fusion of Nutrition and Epigenetics: Nutrigenomics
The environment in which people submerge their genes is entirely dependent on lifestyle choices. If people smoke, their genes are going to be in a more toxic environment than that of non-smokers. When people start looking for a way to change the environment their genes are in, some look to supplements to help improve their overall health. While some supplements are necessary, the best way to place one's genes in a new environment is by changing dietary choices. Whole, organic foods can supply people with all the nutrients their body needs to achieve quality health. If the goal is to switch off one gene or disorder in particular, daily intakes can be altered to best achieve this methylation of the gene. As more work is done with identifying which gene a disorder or disease effects, people can start tailoring their diets to shut off those genes. As this becomes a reality, people will find that the ideal version of their genes can be turned on by food.
(1) Anand, Preetha et al. Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 25, No. 9, Sept. 2008, p 2097 - 2116.