The importance of epigenetics in creating health
I was brought up to believe that DNA tells the whole story. That our health is determined by our genetics.
And there is truth to that. It’s important to be aware of our family history. To take into account our hereditary risk factors.
Our DNA, which makes up our genes, is super important. So important that an international group of scientists spent 13 years working to sequence and map all the genes in the human body. In this ambitious effort called the Human Genome Project researchers toiled to uncover the manual-of-sorts that explains the human body.
Equipped with this manual scientists hope to learn how to read it and then crack open the code to human health and illness. The hope is that understanding the genome will allow us to evaluate individuals based on their unique genetic make-up and then design new and personalized treatments for disease.
This is very exciting! We will be able to tailor medical treatment to a person’s individual needs.
But DNA isn’t the whole story.
From studying identical twins scientists realize that there must be other factors at play. Even though the twins share the exact same genetic code they don’t always develop the same diseases. Sometimes one twin gets sick and the other twin remains healthy.
How can we explain this?
Truthfully our bodies follow the DNA coding. But here is the crucial point: not all the DNA in our body is expressed in reality.
Genes are switched on and off. So while our bodies might have the coding for illnesses like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or heart disease etc. – that coding doesn’t always get expressed and we don’t all develop disease.
The study of how our genes are switched on and off is called epigenetics. Epigenetics studies how the expression of DNA can be changed without changing the actual structure of the DNA itself.
So while it is true that the Human Genome Project essentially provided the blueprint for life,
It is the epigenome that will tell us what this life will actually look like.
So what does this all mean for your health?
It means that what drives the gene expression is as important as the genes.
It means that the DNA isn’t in control.
It means that YOU are in control.
The choices you make every day are what drive the epigenetics and the expression of the genes. The choices you make every day determine the quality of your health.
The way you live matters.
Eating right, proper hydration, sleeping well at night, gentle daily movement, and appropriate stress management are the cornerstones of a healthy life and help drive the epigenetics in your favor.
Honor your DNA. Know your family history.
And then make the choices that will maximize the way it unfolds in your life.
