Epigenetics

Nature versus nurture. The debate over the relative importance of genetics and environment has been going on for decades. We now know that there is no clear distinction between environmental effects and genetic traits. Genes carry the code for reproduction of our cells (and ourselves) while they also direct all of the day-to-day activity in the cell.

Diet and lifestyle can activate some genes and deactivate others. This process, known as gene expression, happens when chemical switches attached to the DNA strand are turned on or off. Some switches make a gene more active by enabling RNA access to the gene. Others make a gene less active by inhibiting RNA access. Although these switches do not change the DNA sequence, they do change the behavior of the DNA in the cell.

Epigenetics is the study of these changes in gene expression, the environmental factors that cause them and the resulting changes in the cell or organism. Even though epigenetic changes do not involve any change in the DNA sequence, they can be inherited from one generation to the next as the switches are replicated along with the DNA.

Many epigenetic changes are linked to nutrients or toxins in the diet. The more we learn about epigenetics the more we learn about nutrition, health and performance. Over the coming years we will continue to grow our understanding of how nutrients work at the molecular level and how proper nutrition can improve our health and the health of our children.

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