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Nature or Nurture? The Role of Epigenetics in Your Health

By Dr. Tiffany Reiss
Faculty Member, Sports and Health Sciences at American Public University

Whether nature or nurture dictates our overall health and wellness is an age old question that we are finally beginning to answer. It turns out, it’s likely both. We know this because of a relatively new field of study called epigenetics.

Epigenetics studies how the environment influences which genes in our bodies are turned on and active or turned off and inactive. So in reality our overall health does come down to our genetic construct (nature), but which genes are active or inactive is likely dependent on our environment (nurture).

Currently, there is much research being conducted on epigenetics and cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and lupus are also being investigated.

Epigenetics suggests that for some chronic diseases certain genes must be present and must also be activated, or in genetics terms “expressed.” What we know will activate or deactivate genes are things like diet, exercise, and prenatal nutrition; once those genes are active, we can pass them on from one generation to the next. Genes can be turned on by internal signals within cells, external signals from outside of cells, and the environment we live in. Epigenetic changes are seen in mice when their mothers groom and lick them. When mice are exposed to certain chemicals, it triggers epigenetic changes, even in the womb.

So the next question we ask naturally is “can I blame my parents?” The answer is yes and no. You can blame your parents for your genetic construct, but your behaviors will influence which genes are expressed. For example, a recent study suggests that with even one bout of exercise influenced gene expression in the muscle tissue, primary genes were involved with metabolism. The researchers theorize it is actually the process of muscle contraction that might trigger these changes. Other types of movement, such as walking, running, and resistance training, have also been studied and similar results have been found. Other studies suggest that dietary intake of folate, B-vitamins and certain bioactive food components such as tea polyphenols, genistein from soybeans, and isothiocyanates from plant foods might inhibit the development of cancer via epigenetic mechanisms.

The field of epigenetics is helping us to learn more about how our behaviors and our environment, both internal and external, might influence the development of various diseases. We are learning that, although we may be born with a particular genetic construct, we do have some control as to how those genes express themselves.  We can certainly make healthier choices to give our genes, and ourselves, the healthiest life possible.

 

About the Author:

Dr. Tiffany Reiss received her Ph.D. from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Virginia Tech and holds a master’s in exercise physiology from Appalachian State University. Currently she is the Director of Exercise Science and Wellness at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA and also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University and American Public University. 

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