The majority of us go through life under the false impression that our genes have both blessed and harmed us. You might have the beautiful eyes of your mother but also astigmatism, or you might have the tall and thin genes from your father’s side of the family but worry that you might also have Alzheimer’s.
According to Brandon Colby, M.D., a clinical geneticist in Beverly Hills and the author of Outsmart Your Genes, “we can positively influence how our DNA gets expressed” despite the fact that we cannot alter our genetic makeup. According to Dr. Colby, “you can think of your genes as a road map of possible routes.” Although the paths that lead to heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease may be marked by your genes on your road map, these paths are only possibilities marked by your genes.
Additionally, you can set up your genetic GPS in a number of ways to direct it in the direction of health. According to Dr. Colby, “you can make changes that will minimize—and possibly even eliminate—your chances of contracting diseases for which your genes put you at risk.” The majority of diseases are determined by a combination of genetic and nongenetic factors. It gives you power.”
How can we reorient ourselves, taking into account what we know about our own genetic predisposition, so that we are on the road to better health and might even be able to avoid problems our ancestors faced? The tens of thousands of studies in the emerging field of epigenetics, which investigates how lifestyle and environment can alter the ways genes function, are beginning to provide some guidance, despite the fact that genetic research provides the majority of our insights.
Explanation of your genetic code
A fact that will take you back to Biology 101 is as follows: Even though humans appear to be very different from one another, we all inherit the same 20,000 or more DNA-based genes. Your DNA is organized into pairs of chromosomes in all of your body’s trillions of cells. According to Dr. Colby, even though a pair of chromosomes contains the same genes, the genes’ genetic code may be slightly different. Gene mutations, also known as variants, can also occur during cell division. Dr. Colby asserts, “Everything from what we look like to our personality traits to our disease predisposition is caused by differences in our genetic code.”
A new genetic variant is created when a rare mutation occurs in one of the cells that combine to form an embryo—the egg or the sperm—and neither parent will have it, but the child will. It can then be passed on to future children by that child. This can be a positive thing at times: Humans have evolved to be smarter and live longer because our genes have changed over time.
On the other hand, Dr. Colby explains that certain genes are linked to particular diseases because a change in a gene can sometimes cause it to cause havoc. Some changes are caused by things like too much sunlight, eating poorly, smoking, and other choices about the environment and lifestyle that can cause diseases like cancer. Other mutations occur as a result of aging or occasionally occurring errors during the body’s normal cell division and multiplicative process. However, in most cases, these do not pose any health risks. Dr. Colby asserts, “Many gene mutations are harmless and won’t affect your health even if it doesn’t detect and correct them.” However, there are some mutations that are harmful—those are the ones that we can now identify and attempt to avoid.
Why your DNA does not determine your fate
Our 20,000 genes, in the words of muscle physiologist and Iowa State University professor Joshua Selsby, “are like recipes in a big cookbook.” We get our genetic makeup (DNA) from our parents, but we can control how frequently we make certain recipes by changing our lifestyles. You can also choose which recipes you cook the most, but you can’t change your cookbook.
Take, for instance, your regular exercise routine. According to Keith Baar, Ph.D., a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California, Davis, “that healthy lifestyle choice is like making a good-for-you recipe over and over again, so many times that your cookbook will automatically open to the page for that recipe.” He says, “It’s like you’re pushing down the pages of the recipes you use repeatedly on your genome when it comes to the genes you use a lot of.” If you’re doing something positive, like exercising or eating 12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, choices that change your genes in a positive way, that’s a good thing.
Also true is the opposite. Smoking and sitting for twelve hours a day can activate genes you don’t want. According to Selsby, the way you move, what you eat, and a number of other things will affect your DNA. This means that you can choose the genes that will help you live a long and healthy life and work to suppress the genes that make you more likely to get sick. Selsby asserts that although you cannot control your genetics, you can influence what you do with them.
How to Outsmart Your Genes and Improve Your Health
With advances in genetic testing, you can learn about your specific gene mutations. This information can help doctors, for example, predict your risk of certain diseases and prescribe medications with greater precision (you could even receive nutritional recommendations that are truly tailored to your needs). However, even the majority of geneticists agree that genetic testing isn’t necessary for the majority of people, especially since the majority of clinicians won’t know how to support you with this kind of precision medicine.
However, a small number of methods can be used to “turn on” genes that are good for your health and “turn off” genes that could harm you. Here are a few suggestions for where to start.
Increase the intensity of your workout.
You already know that exercising is one of the best things you can do for your health, and research has shown that exercising, particularly weight training, can actually change your genes so that they look like those of someone much younger. For six months, men and women over 65 took part in a study that did resistance training twice a week. After that, the researchers compared their muscle to that of a group of 20-somethings, and they discovered a significant difference: In fact, the levels of the older adults’ genetic fingerprint were similar to those of the younger adults.
Exercise with cardio is still important; In fact, exercise has been shown to have a significant and beneficial effect on lowering the risk of breast cancer. Experts believe that changes in the genes themselves are to blame for the 30% reduction in breast cancer risk associated with cardio exercise of four or more hours per week or more. Additionally, a fascinating study on breast cancer survivors suggested that increasing physical activity may alter tumor suppressor genes, thereby improving survival rates.
According to Baar, “Think back to when you were a kid—you probably sprinted as fast as you could, pulled yourself up on the jungle gym, and tried to lift or push heavy things, and all of this activity turned on certain genes.” “Think back to when you were a kid.” When you exercise vigorously as an adult, your epigenetic memory is activated, causing the genes that respond well to exercise to respond once more.
Keep in mind that stressing your body is the key to triggering this reaction. According to Baar, this means that you should engage in activity that is more intense than brisk walking around the block a couple of times per week. The genetic response will be greater if you really push yourself.
Consume entire foods (and ditch processed junk).
The food we eat is an epigenetic signal that can actually cause changes. These changes change important chemical tags on DNA and could have a positive or negative effect on our health.
For instance, DNA changes that stifle gene expression and cause disease have been linked to a diet high in refined grains and low in fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that polyphenols, which can be found in red wine, coffee, green tea, fruits, and vegetables, reduce DNA damage, thereby preventing disease. According to Baar, it is also essential to consume foods that you enjoy, pay attention to what you eat, and keep your calorie intake at or slightly below your daily requirements.
Find new methods to learn and relax.
Exercise your mind on a daily basis is very vital for outwitting DNA changes that may lead to cognitive deterioration. This has been found to encourage the formation of new brain cells as well as enhance the connections between those cells, both of which help you stay sharp as you get older. Mental activities that you love have the extra benefit of lowering stress, which is important when it comes to programming your genetic GPS.