Can we control our genes with nutrition?

It is rather relaxing to believe in fate sometimes, to think that the way things are, are the way things were always going to be.  However, when it come to genetics, we may have more control that we think.  When we develop we have a very specific blueprint which is a code for who we are, for how we look and for how tall we will be.  

We are often aware of our genetic predispositions to certain illnesses and body types and we often use this as a reason to be apathetic about our future health.  However, nutrigenomics (the study of how food compounds and genes interact) is finding that the food that we eat makes a big impact on the way our genes are expressed.  

How our genes make our bodies....

Our body  mass is predominantly made up of proteins.  When we eat proteins they are broken down into amino acids and then rebuilt to reflect our specific genetic expression.  They are given instruction so they can use our genetic blueprint to create more of the same...strand of hair, colour of skin, shape of nose and size of hand.  Our genetic expression is imposed on all proteins that enter the body, our cells contain our coding and this is imprinted on the proteins so they are adapted via receptors sites on the cell surface.

Watch this video for a simple video of how this works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWOZS_JTgk

Nutrigenomics shows that nutrients and chemicals can affect the way substances such as enzymes and proteins are expressed, which in turn affects new cells as they are created.  This affects our metabolism, hormonal balance and regulation of inflammation in the body.

Therefore if we are depleted of vital nutrients and taking harmful foreign chemicals into the body, then we can affect the way our genes are expressed and potentially develop mutations and irregularities.  We can also make ourselves more prone to developing genetic disorders than if we had a full nutritional profile.

We do have a genetic code in our DNA which makes us who we are, but we also have a great deal of control over how these genes are expressed and controlled within our body.

So, another great reason to eat organic, avoid toxins and keep your body stocked up with vital nutrients!

Josie

Liu, L. and e. al, Gene-environment interactions and epigenetic basis of human diseases. Mol Biol, 2008. 10 (1-2): p25-36

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