“Epigenetics”
“Cancer (Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc.) runs in my family so I’ll probably get cancer too.” The popular concept of ‘Genetic Control’ has been pervasive for many years. The persistent theory is based on the belief that our genetic DNA is passed down from family members to succeeding family members. For example, I have a friend, Karla, who is an artist, had a career as an Interior Decorator, and is frightened that she will develop Alzheimer’s Disease just like her mother did. This is a very common concept in America today with many of us thinking that we have a much higher probability of getting the same disease. Karla may have changed that concept without knowing it.
Karla and her sister grew up in a city in Florida with their parents. Dad was a city official and mother was an artist. The family lived in the same neighborhood for over 20 years, both girls finished high school and a few years of college. Dad developed what the family assumed was dementia and died of a heart attack at the age of 74; mother developed dementia and was diagnosed at autopsy as Alzheimer’s Disease. The sisters have families of their own and get together about four times a year for holidays…and the subject of the parents always comes up for discussion. Both ladies fear developing Alzheimer’s Disease, have accepted that the process of life is dictated by our genetic DNA, that is, it’s hereditary. That was certainly the theory, based on evolutionary thought for most Americans until the past 10 or so years. Now research in medical science has proven that each of us can alter the way our Genes ‘express’ themselves.
Science has proven that the basic genetic makeup of DNA that has been passed down by the parents (hereditary) does not necessarily dictate what will happen. Historical information and scientific research has revealed that our environment has a huge impact on how our Genes will ‘express’ themselves. In other words, our experience in life can alter our outcomes. Science has proven that our Genes can express the direction of the outcome depending on the environment that we live in. This means that our lifestyle behaviors can alter the central structure of the Gene, the genome. The science behind this discovery is called ‘Epigenetics’; it is the study of how gene expression is regulated by environmental factors. Let’s check on Karla.
Karla and her sister grew up with their parents, ate most of their meals at home or at school, played games, had birthday parties, and had a childhood of normal development. The parents were devoted to their children and made sure they had enough food, clothes to wear, plenty of exercise, and got the proper education. That can be described as a normal childhood for all intense purposes. The meals were the typical foods everyone was eating at that time; breakfast of bacon and eggs, or perhaps cereal, lunch could have been baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise on white Wonder bread and dinner may have been a pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, and pie for desert.
Today, Karla is in 70, works everyday in her studio, and worries when she is going to get Alzheimer’s…..but that may not happen! About 10 years ago she decided to stop drinking (alcohol) and she became a vegetarian. Studies have shown that various life experiences such as poor diet, lack of exercise, poor life experiences, and/or trauma can alter genetic profiles. Our genomes can be altered or switched in one way or the other; in other words the expression of the genome can be upgraded or downgraded. Today that concept is called ‘Epigenetics’ which is the study of how gene expression is regulated by environmental factors.
Present research is becoming more and more exciting with early findings strongly suggesting that specific lifestyle changes can ‘regulate’ and change our outcomes. The lifestyle changes are 1. moving to a whole food, plant based nutrition and 2. exercise. Other factors which have an impact are sleep, stress, smoking, and alcohol consumption. There are a number of physicians and research groups making great headway and we are beginning to see some rather important developments. One of the most important is the direct connection of a animal based diet to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Even historical events are proving that altering the environment (food supply is part of our environment) is a direct ’cause and effect’ of health and/or disease. The scientific community has been following the results of a major and sudden change in the environmental food supply of the Netherlands which occurred in the latter stages of World War II; The Hongerwinter (The Dutch Hunger Winter) Famine.
In the winter of 1944-45 the Nazis were desperate. they needed food to supply their troops. At one point the Dutch people tried to help the Allies by going on strike; the Nazi Army, in retaliation, stopped food reaching the Netherlands and sent all the food to the German Army resulting in famine for an entire country. It is estimated that hunger effected over 4 million people in the Netherlands with over 18,000 dying from malnutrition.*
The ‘Dutch Hunger Winter Famine’ (the Hongerwinter) revealed just how impressive a change in diet can have. The changes are so dramatic that it has specific physical and emotional effects of the children, their children and their children. In other words the impact that the Hongerwinter had on the population has been showing up for the last three generations; the fourth generation is being studied now. Here we have documented scientific evidence that alterations in the food intake has a direct impact on our DNA genetic expressions; that is, specific food intake has a direct impact on genetic expression.
‘Genetic Expression’ is the process by which the instructions in our DNA are converted. For example if a grade school teacher instructs her classroom children to behave a certain way at home and the children show that behavior at home, which would be different that the instructions from the parents (the genes from each parent) that would be a Gene Expression that has been stimulated and expressed from the teacher. So, here we have Genes that were given but not expressed due to outside influence thus resulting in different outcomes. Our changing environment alters our Gene Expression; thus Genes can be suppressed, this is called Down Graded. Genes can also be stimulated to express themselves which is called Upgraded. In other words, we can turn on or off our Genetic switches. We now know that a plant based diet can have major positive impacts on our physical health, regardless of what the genetic profile is. We also know that consuming animal products (think cholesterol, Sat. Fat, and other toxic substances) is highly detrimental to our survival due to the sickness and death it is causing; as well as destroying the earth.
In the plant based community the common statement made is, ‘Your genes may be the bullets in your gun but you pull the trigger.’ Indeed, we have the evidence and proof that we can upgrade or downgrade our genetic profile; we can change our destiny. No longer do we need to fear that our family members will pass down hereditary illnesses; we have the power to control our genetic instructions for our own good. Eat healthy, stay happy, Vegan Doc 5/28/2019
* The loss of animal food supplies greatly reduced the deaths from Heart Disease as noted in various reports and charts. See chart.
