What is Epigenetics and Why Does it Affect You?
Author shows that genes cannot explain our whole story. I've also recently leanred that every human is born with the same 23,000 genes.
For the last thirty years we have been bombarded by reports of the discovery of a gene for every condition, from schizophrenia to cancer to homosexuality. Upon further examination, many of these claims have proved to be bogus, or do not fully explain the condition. For example, the discovery of BRCA accounts for only a minuscule number of cases of breast cancer. And that is the rule generally; to date, the genes that actually do play a role in human disease, explain only a very small percentage of these diseases. This has led some to question the utility of the whole “gene for” approach; others though have doubled down in the search for what I call “genetic dark matter,” cryptic DNA that will eventually explain everything.
Q
And where does epigenetics fit in the nature vs. nurture debate?
A
Ideally, epigenetics will prove instrumental in disposing of the debate altogether. The fact that the dichotomy has been around since Francis Galton first formulated it in the 19th century is scandalous, given what we now know about our development from zygote to adulthood. It is simply not a productive way to frame issues concerning the effects of environmental factors and DNA in this regard. Sometimes the best way to address a question is to ignore it because it’s poorly formulated. Only then can progress be made. One of the take-home messages of epigenetics is that our DNA is as much acted upon as acting, as much effect as cause. As such, there is no way to assess the effects of a piece of DNA on development independently of the environment in which it is situated, beginning with the cellular environment and working outward all the way to the sociocultural environment.
http://goop.com/understanding-epigenetics-and-what-it-means-for-aging-cancer-and-obesity/
All humans are born with the same 24,000 genes (fewer than we anticipated when the Human Genome Project started). Our genes are constantly being activated and silenced based on our environment—their expression is not written in stone. This means that your genes are not your complete destiny, and that actions can potentially change how your genes are expressed. In medicine, this new consideration is called Nutrigenomics.
Nutrigenomics means that diet-induced changes in gene expression can influence network interactions and cellular information flow. In layman’s terms this essentially means that what you eat can change how your genes are expressed and determine health outcomes. Essentially this is “you are what you eat.”
Nutrition-packed vegetables can activate the expression of good genes and silence bad genes, your body can function better and you can live a healthier life. Consuming sugar, refined carbohydrates, and poor quality fatty foods can influence harmful genes and silence good genes resulting in poor health.