Epigenetics Series – Is Cancer Related To Your DNA?


Are we predisposed to cancer, based on our DNA?

Or do our lifestyles and choices primarily determine our health?

For years, doctors debated this question in a “black or white” fashion: either disease is predetermined in DNA or disease is determined by lifestyle.

Recently, though, doctors determined that the answer falls somewhere in the gray area between both sides.

Our risk of disease, especially cancer, is defined by the expression of our genes.  And the expression of our genes is defined by our lifestyle and environment.

This is where epigenetics has stepped in to answer questions about disease and illness that have stumped scientists for decades.

There is an intimate link between disease, genetics, and lifestyle that can’t be ignored.

These epigenetics findings declare resoundingly: you are not a slave to your genes.

You can take control of your own health and wellness, which can enable you to fight off disease and cancer at its root.

Let’s explore how epigenetics plays a role in cancer—and what you can do about it.

What is epigenetics?

In order to understand how epigenetics impacts cancer, we need to first understand the basics of epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the expression of your genetic sequence. You’re born with a certain DNA sequence, and that’s the same DNA you’ll have for life. However, the expression of those genes can change throughout the course of your life. This expression depends on which of your genes are active or inactive.

There are two primary epigenetic factors that impact the expression of your DNA sequence: DNA methylation and histone modifications. (There’s also RNA-associated silencing, which we won’t get into today.)

Methylation

DNA methylation occurs when a methyl group is added to DNA. Usually, it’s added to a specific part of the DNA sequence: on a cytosine nucleotide next to a guanine nucleotide linked to a phosphate.

This is called the CpG site. Keep this in mind, as we’ll be discussing the impact of methyl groups at the CpG site in our discussions of cancer and disease below.

Generally, methylation “turns off” or deactivates genes. More methylation equals greater silencing of the gene.


In some cases, this can be positive. For example, if you have a gene that puts you at high risk for disease, you would want it to be silenced with a methyl group.

However, you don’t want to silence genes that fight off disease or tumors. Silencing certain tumor-fighting genes is one of the key causes of cancer.

Histone modification

Histones are proteins that make up chromatin, which is the foundational component of DNA chromosomes. DNA wraps around histones, like thread around a spool. When these histones are modified, then the chromatin arrangement can be altered and misread.

There are two types of histone modification: acetylation and methylation.

When an acetyl is added to the histone (acetylation), it typically activates chromatin. Deacetylation, then, is associated with heterochromatin, which is a deactivated or suppressed expression of the gene.

Histone methylation also impacts the active and inactive regions of chromatin. For example, a methylation on lysine K9 with histone H3 is responsible for the inactivated X chromosome of females.

Any of these epigenetic factors, especially methylation, create abnormal activation or silencing of genes. This can put you at greater risk for cancer, disease, syndromes (especially chromosomal instabilities), and other serious illnesses.

So how do these epigenetic changes occur? What causes methylation or acetylation?

Environment and lifestyle dynamics have a direct impact on these epigenetic factors, which I’ll discuss further below.

How does epigenetics affect cancer?


One of the most forceful diseases of our time is cancer. While there’s still so much we don’t know about the growth and treatment of cancer, there is one thing we know for sure: genetics and epigenetics play a significant role in the development and progression of cancer.

In fact, study after study has proven that there are links between certain types of cancers and certain epigenetic modifications.

Epigenetic factors can suppress cancer-fighting genes.

All humans are programmed with certain genes. These genes are meant to keep us healthy and functioning.

For example, there’s a gene that helps fight off diseased cells (aka cancer cells). There’s another gene that suppresses tumor growth.

You want these healthy “fighter” genes to be active, so they can minimize your risk for cancer.

But if methylation or acetylation impacts these genes, then they can be deactivated. So if cancer strikes, your body is unable to fight off the diseased cells or spread of cancer. This then would leave you susceptible to cancer, which you may have otherwise been able to fight off had your healthy genes been activated.

Studies have even shown a proportional link between methylation levels and severity and prognosis of cancer.

For example, the GSTP1 gene is methylated in over 90% of prostate cancers.

An early study found that diseased tissue affected by colorectal cancer had less DNA methylation than normal tissue. This is because the methylated genes “turned off” or deactivated the tumor suppressor genes.

Methylation deactivates genes that are necessary to fight off cancer.

Methylation impacts cancer cell growth.

Moreover, methylation itself plays a role in how cancer develops. Methylation is involved in cell divisions, DNA repair, apoptosis (cell death), metastasis, cell detox, and more.

High levels of methylation (hypermethylation) indicate that diseased cells aren’t dying off and healthy cells aren’t generating fast enough. Thus, high methylation is a predictor—and potentially a cause—of cancer.

For example, hypermethylation in APC and RASSF1A genes are used as epigenetic markers for early detection of cancer, especially breast cancer.

Methylation causes microsatellite instability.

Microsatellite instability is linked to a number of cancers, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and gastric cancers.

Microsatellites are repetitive DNA, they have certain strands of DNA  that are repeated within the genome. They’re common in normal individuals without disease.

Instability of microsatellites, though, is linked to chromosomal instability. This upsets the genetic function, creating a dangerous mutation.

Microsatellite instability is a direct cause of DNA methylation, especially methylation of the gene MLH1, which is the gene that repairs DNA. If the gene is methylated, then it is unable to properly repair your DNA when it becomes damaged by disease and cancer.

Researchers have seen microsatellite instability in a number of cancers, even occurring in 15% of colorectal cancers.

How can I prevent cancer with epigenetics? 

Genes are inherited. This means that your risk for cancer could come from your ancestors—just like your genes that suppress tumor growth and cell division come from your ancestors. 

But just because you inherit certain genes does not direct the course of your fate.

In fact, nearly half of all inherited genes related to cancer can be impacted by methylation.

And methylation is not inherited. Methylation and other epigenetic factors are proven responses to environmental stimuli including diet, toxins, pollutants, and other stressors.

This means you can take control of your risk for cancer by directing your epigenetic expression.

In fact, some doctors have even started building cancer-fighting programs—like my EDGE Blueprint Consult—based on epigenetics as potential chemopreventative measures.

You can change your health with certain lifestyle and diet choices, many of which I go through below.

  1. Get your folic acid.

Folate or folic acid is a B vitamin (B-9) that plays an important role in cell growth and function. It’s actually the foundation of a number of prenatal vitamins as a means of reducing the risk of birth defects.

Folate can play an important role in gene expression and DNA integrity and stability. Studies have shown that folate can help modulate DNA methylation. On the other hand, a folate deficiency may cause DNA methylation.

Learn more about folate’s role in epigenetics in section 3.1 here.


You can get folate through both diet and supplementation. You can find folate in:

  • Garbanzo beans (100% of the required daily dose)
  • Liver (55% DV)
  • Lentils (45% DV)
  • Pinto beans (37% DV)
  • Asparagus (33% DV)
  • Black-eyed peas (28% DV)
  • Beets (17% DV)
  • Avocado (15% DV)
  • Spinach (14% DV)
  • Broccoli (14% DV)

You’ll also receive folate in oranges, lemons, bananas, melons, and strawberries.

You can also take folic acid vitamins. The recommended daily amount of folate is 400 micrograms (mcg).

  1. Consume polyphenols.

Polyphenols are antioxidants, which help reduce the damage of cancer-causing free radicals. They help minimize cell damage and regulate methylation. There are four types of polyphenols: flavonoids, phenolic acids, benzoic acids, and stilbenes.

Green tea polyphenols have been shown to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and oesophageal cancer. It’s been shown to suppress methylation or demethylate TSG promoters, which helps protect against the spread of cancer.


Resveratrol has been shown to modify histone acetylation, as it works as a Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1). It helps fight off cancer while maintaining the structural integrity of DNA. You can find resveratrol in blueberries, dark chocolate, red wine, peanuts, cranberries, and pistachios.

 

  1. Drink coffee. 

Caffeic acid is a type of polyphenol. It affects the bioavailability of SAM, which is a methyl donor (and required for methylation).

Some studies have shown that coffee consumption may be able to reduce the risk of cancer, especially progressive prostate cancer. In fact, one study found that coffee was a better regulator of methylation than even tea.

As with anything, though, you want to regulate your caffeine intake. A cup or two a day may help with methylation, but too much can have the opposite effect.

  1. Get sleep.

Sleep has a direct impact on epigenetic factors of methylation and histone acetylation. Learn more about the link between sleep and epigenetics here.

Sleep can literally help your body fight cancer. Tonight’s “all-nighter” could put you at risk for serious disease down the line. Get your Zs for optimal health.

  1. Cut the alcohol.

Alcohol consumption is directly linked to DNA methylation.

Over 20 studies have found that heavy alcohol consumption creates epigenetic modifications that can lead to disease and cancer.

One study, in particular, found that low folate intake and high alcohol intake had a significantly greater prevalence of hypermethylation, which was especially linked to colorectal cancer.

This doesn’t mean you need to cut out alcohol altogether necessarily. A glass of red wine can give you a boost of resveratrol and heart-healthy benefits. As with coffee, it’s the excess of alcohol that can cause genetic concerns. Stick to one glass daily at maximum.

  1. Eat a balanced diet.


Like sleep, nutrition has a direct impact on your genetics. What you put into your body can be the strongest predictor of future health—especially in regards to cancer.

Eating phytonutrients and vitamins is the only way to fight against inflammation, oxidative damage, imbalanced hormones, and more.

Learn about the importance of a rainbow diet for your epigenetic health.

  1. Minimize your stress.

Stress is a proven cause of DNA methylation. The more stress you have, the more it impacts your genetic expression.

In fact, stress has even been linked to cancer—but until recently, the cause of this link was always fuzzy. Epigenetics might be the “missing link” in the DNA.

Stress creates harmful free radicals while also causing methylation that suppresses cancer-fighting genes. This creates a double whammy that can cause progression of cancer.

Find out about the link between stress, epigenetics, and cancer here.

  1. Get more vitamin D.

Studies show that Vitamin D can reverse abnormal epigenetic modifications. Vitamin D has especially been linked to the development of breast cancer due to the role that vitamin D plays with estrogen.

Vitamin D is also linked to the development of prostate cancer.

  1. Workout.


Working out directly impacts your genes. Studies have shown that intense workouts can eliminate methyl groups in just one session. Daily exercise regulates ongoing methylation at a greater rate than even diet or sleep.

This means that you may be able to reduce your risk of cancer with intense, frequent exercises.

If you want to have improved overall health and optimal epigenetic expression, you need an exercise routine. 

Conclusion

Cancer is directly related to epigenetic expressions of your genes. But you can control this expression with lifestyle changes that minimize methylation and acetylation.

It’s time to sign up for our G1 Performance Health program to start experiencing the health and vitality you’ve always dreamed of.

Disease doesn’t wait—so why are you?

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Epigenetics Series: How does stress affect your genes?


Could your genes and stress be related? Is stress passed down from generation to generation?

Recent research shows that stress may alter our genes in a way that’s linked to mental and physical illnesses. These stress-induced illnesses may even be hereditary, meaning the trauma of our ancestors impacts our contemporary genetic expression. 

How is stress related to your genes? Why is stress such a problem for health?

And what can you do about it to take control of your health?   

What is stress?

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of “stress?”

Maybe you instantly think of a project you’re working on at your job or a loan you’re trying to pay off. You may even think of public speaking or skydiving.

Interestingly, when we think of “stress,” we automatically think of situations. We think of instances where our bodies are stressed. These are uncomfortable or challenging situations that push our bodies and brains to new places.

These situations cause us “stress.”

In reality, though, stress itself is a response to these situations.

When these situations occur, our bodies release stress hormones called glucocorticoids. The principal glucocorticoid is cortisol, otherwise called “the stress hormone.”

There are two types of stress: acute and chronic.

Acute stress

Acute stress occurs in the short-term. This is when you’re met with a challenging situation that you have to respond to in some way. To overcome this stressor, your body releases a burst of glucocorticoids.

Glucocorticoids prepare your body to tackle the stressor. For example, your heart might start pumping blood faster to give your body more oxygen; your eyes might dilate to see more around you, and your hands and feet might tingle because they’re receiving more blood (in case you need to fight or flee).  

These stress responses are often dubbed as symptoms of “anxiety.” But in the short-term, these hormones can actually give us a biological advantage. For example, they would allow us to fight or flee a bear we come in contact with. In more practical terms today, this response could also make us more alert and energized to give a speech or take a test.

In short spurts, glucocorticoids are manageable and healthy. They can help you tackle a situation with confidence and determination.

It’s when glucocorticoids flood our bloodstream for an extended period of time that they become an issue.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress is long-term. This is caused generally by ongoing stressful situations, like a career you hate, a debt you can’t pay, or an ongoing divorce. Chronic stress can also be the result of PTSD. Even if you aren’t currently going through the stressor, memories of that trauma can continue releasing glucocorticoids for months or years.

Chronic stress causes high levels of stress hormones for an extended period of time. This damages the endocrine system by unbalancing hormones, tiring the body, and fatiguing organ function.

In fact, chronic stress can even negatively impact your genetic expression.

Moreover, this altered gene expression can be passed down from generation-to-generation.

Before we get into how chronic stress alters epigenetic expression, let’s first take a look at why stress is bad for us.

Why is stress harmful?

Stress kills. Stress has been linked to:

Chronic stress can literally burn out your body. Your adrenal glands, which produce cortisol, get fatigued and don’t function properly. The oxidative stress caused by these stressors creates harmful free radicals that severely damage your cells. This accelerates the aging process, damages the immune system, and impacts cognitive function.

Stress is linked to just about every disease—big or small. You’re even more likely to catch a common cold if you’re stressed.

Cortisol and testosterone

Stress also has a direct impact on your sexual health.

If you’re suffering from low libido and low testosterone, it may be because you’re stressed.

Numerous studies have shown that high levels of cortisol are directly linked to low levels of testosterone. There is especially a link between stress and severe trauma with PTSD. Higher cortisol in stressful situations drastically lowers testosterone.

When your cortisol goes up, your testosterone goes down.


Why does higher cortisol mean lower testosterone?

There are likely a number of hormonal pathways that create this hormonal relationship. To simplify it, we can look at the building blocks of cortisol and testosterone synthesis.

The body uses cholesterol to produce cortisol. Cholesterol is also a necessary part of testosterone synthesis. When stress levels increase, all of your body’s cholesterol goes to produce cortisol. This leaves no cholesterol left to produce testosterone.

Testosterone is a critical hormone in healthy adult males. Low testosterone is associated with decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety, weight gain, reduced muscle mass, cognitive impairment, arthritis, increased risk of heart disease, and more.

Low levels of testosterone kill your energy, productivity, enjoyment, and health. And low levels of T are a direct result of high cortisol and high stress.

Chronic stress not only impacts our hormones but also our genes. High levels of cortisol and low levels of testosterone can alter the way our DNA is expressed, putting us at risk for disease and illness.

How does stress alter your epigenetic expression?

Epigenetics involves two key genetic alterations: DNA methylation and histone acetylation. DNA methylation adds a methyl group to the end of a DNA structure, and histone acetylation adds an acetyl to the end of the histone binding. These additions can either activate or deactivate certain genes.

Research has shown that stress causes both methylation and acetylation on a variety of genes, especially neurological genes (those in the brain).  

DNA methylation and stress

One study found that certain psychological stressors can cause DNA methylation of certain genes. For example, war trauma and physical abuse caused DNA methylation to occur on genes that activate damaging psychiatric disorders.

A study of Cushing’s Syndrome, which is caused by excess cortisol production, found genome-wide changes with regards to DNA methylation. They discovered that individuals with high cortisol levels had less DNA methylation compared to healthy individuals.


DNA methylation suppresses the expression of genes. In this way, certain harmful genetic expressions need DNA methylation in order to be suppressed. For example, in the study, the gene for psychiatric issues remained active because stress kept those genes “turned on;” this caused a number of CS patients to suffer from mental illness at a higher rate.

Research at Johns Hopkins found that mice given corticosterone appeared more anxious during a maze test. When testing their gene methylation levels, they found altered expressions in three of the five HPA axis genes.

They especially found higher levels of Fkbp5, which is the molecular complex that interacts with the glucocorticoid receptor. Genetic variations in Fkbp5 have previously been associated with PTSD and mood disorders.

transform-your-health-with-dna-2

Overall stress and genes

Basically, stress boosts cortisol and other glucocorticoids. These hormones impact histone coding and DNA methylation, activating genes of illness while deactivating healthy-suppressive genes.

Stress also plays an important role in those genes that control memory and cognitive function. Too much cortisol and these genes “turn off,” causing serious psychological and behavioral concerns.

Glucocorticoids, like the stress hormone cortisol, alter the genetic expression in the brain. Thus, any cortisol-boosting situation—like anxiety, PTSD, depression, and stress—can impact epigenetic chemical tags.

Thus, prolonged stress causes significant epigenetic changes that can drastically impact mental and physical wellbeing.

Stress doesn’t just alter your own genes. These epigenetic expressions and psychological concerns can be passed on for generations as well…

How does stress impact your children’s genes?

That’s right. You can pass your stress on to your children.

Studies have shown that environmental conditions of previous generations impact the expression of our current genes as well.


For example, one study found that daughters of women who experienced the Dutch famine were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia. The daughters did not go through the famine themselves, but their mother’s trauma was genetically passed down, increasing the offspring’s risk of mental illness.

Other studies have shown that extreme stress during pregnancy, like living through the 9/11 attacks, can pass the experience on to the child. These children report depression, anxiety, and poor coping mechanisms at a much higher rate than parents who did not live through extreme stress.

This is true even when the children are well cared for. A study of rats found that parents who experienced epigenetic-altering stress passed this genetic structure on to their pups and grand pups—even if they’re pups were cared for and loved in early life.

Although these altered genetic expressions are hereditary, they’re not permanent.

In fact, you can reverse stress-related DNA changes with environmental and lifestyle factors.  

A study of identical twins looked at how environment and trauma impacted epigenetic flags. Although the siblings were genetically identical, their epigenetics changed over time. One twin had depression, anxiety, and obesity while the other did not. This is likely because the latter twin was able to change his epigenetics in a way that suppressed the genes for those diseases.

We have power over our epigenetics.

You can deactivate the stress-related genetic expression that you may have inherited from your family.

And you can prevent the activation of your own stress-induced DNA methylation.

How can you reverse stress-induced genetic risk factors?

  1. Meditate.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to combat high stress is through meditation. Relaxation practices have been shown to reduce cortisol and increase testosterone. In fact, even just four months of meditation practice can help reset hormone levels and improve stress response.

I recommend taking a yoga class and learning deep breathing exercises. You should also get outside to meditate and relax. Studies show that taking a walk in nature is linked to lower cortisol levels. Fresh air helps calm the mind and body—and gets you to exercise as well.  

  1. Workout.

Working out has a direct impact on mood and cortisol. Working out releases endorphins, which makes you happier and less stressed.

High-intensity interval training boosts testosterone and decreases cortisol. Learn more about using HIIT to lower cortisol and increase T here.

This decrease in cortisol has actually been shown to boost cognitive function and improve behavior and mood.  

However, if you have high levels of stress, an intense workout might worsen the problem by boosting cortisol in the short-term. This cortisol increase isn’t harmful to your genes, but it can increase levels of anxiety and tension in individuals already experiencing high levels of stress.

Plus, losing weight and fat can help reduce stress. Moreover, body fat increases estrogen, which decreases T levels. This causes lower testosterone, and low T, in turn, leads to increased body fat and reduced muscle mass—which further impacts stress. It becomes an unhealthy cycle of weight gain, low T, and stress!

  1. Eat more carbs.

People tend to shy away from carbs because they “make you gain weight.” However, a diet that’s too low in carbs can actually make you gain weight by increasing cortisol levels.

Carbohydrates actually help reduce cortisol levels, especially post-workout.

However, don’t go guzzling carbs when you’re stressed, as too many carbs will cause weight gain and this can further increase cortisol and lower testosterone.

It simply means you want to maintain a balance of macronutrients: proteins, fats, and carbs. Studies have shown that higher protein diets lead to high cortisol levels, while a strong ratio of protein to carbs creates the most balanced hormones.

Click to learn more about the dangers of an all-protein diet—and why you need carbs.

  1. Get more vitamin C.


Vitamin C has been linked to reduced cortisol production, especially after an intense workout. Vitamin C is also a great testosterone booster.

One study found that vitamin C actually regenerated 58% of damaged testosterone molecules. It also helps with sperm quality, motility, and volume for improved sexual health. Boost your testosterone and you can help reduce your cortisol and stress.  

You can find vitamin C in a number of healthy foods, like citrus, guava, red peppers, strawberries, and papaya.

  1. Sleep more.

Sleep helps reset your hormone levels, reducing cortisol and increasing testosterone.

In fact, if you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise astronomically.

Cortisol levels naturally rise slightly in the morning to help us wake up and prepare for the day. In reverse, cortisol drops at night to help us sleep.

However, if your body doesn’t drop cortisol at night, you’ll deal with insomnia and late-night anxiety. You’ll also have increased levels of cortisol in the morning that can cause severe, chronic stress whenever you’re awake.  

Sleep is critical to balance hormones, reduce stress, and restore your body’s natural health.

Learn more about how sleep impacts your epigenetics here.

  1. Stand in power poses.

Studies have shown that you can increase testosterone by 20% and reduce cortisol by 25% simply by standing in a “power pose” for two minutes. The researchers concluded that you can change your brain and hormonal chemistry through body language and behavior.

Simply pretending to be powerful and stress-free will make you powerful and stress-free!  

Conclusion

Stress impacts our behavioral epigenetics. Traumatic experiences in our past—and in our ancestors’ past—can scar our DNA. Although we can inherit stress-induced genetic expressions, we can also reverse this process as well. With certain lifestyle and environmental changes, you can reduce your stress and reset your genetics for a healthier expression.

Are you ready to change your genes?

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COMING SOON TO AMAZON

In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death. A man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either. A man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.SmartMensHealth.com 

What Is Epigenetics And Why Do You Care


Epigenetics is making a splash in science and healthcare as the medical community is deepening understanding of the link between gene expression and lifestyle factors. Epigenetics is the study of those processes or variables that activate or deactivate the expression of certain genes. These genes make up our entire lives—from the way we look to the way we act to the way our bodies respond to disease.

Epigenetics is showing that we can “turn off” and “turn on” our genes through certain lifestyle variables, like diet, environment, exercise, stress, and sleep. If we have control over the activation of our genes, we may also have control over the way our bodies behave and respond to illness.

What are genes?


To understand epigenetics, we first have to understand the basics of genetics. Our “genes,” or DNA, are what make us who we are. Over 3 billion nucleotide bases that appear in a specific and unique sequence make up our DNA. This sequence of genes provides the cells of the body with information. There are four fundamental types of DNA bases, adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T).

DNA directs the activity of the cells (which are the fundamental units of human life). The genes tell the cells how to build proteins and how to interact with one another. From hair and eye color to risk for disease and immune response, our DNA controls what we look, act, sound, and live like.

Every person has a unique DNA sequence. Only half of our genetics pass on to our children, while the other half comes from our spouse. No two people have the same genetic makeup—it’s what makes you unique!

But our DNA is just the sequence and this sequence remains unchanged unless afflicted by a rare (and sometimes damaging) mutation.

Our DNA is the instruction manual, but the cells are the builders and doers.

The body’s cells read this sequence. How the cells read the DNA will determine our genetic expression.

Genetic Expression:

Genotype: the genetic makeup or sequence of your cells

Phenotype: the observable characteristics that stem from the genotype

The genotype is the actual sequence of your DNA. The phenotype is how that genotype is manifested in your body in observable traits, like development, physiology, or behavior.

For example, your genotype would be the sequence of DNA bases that determine your eye color. The phenotype is the observable color, like blue.

Eye color doesn’t usually change, but not all genotypes and phenotypes are as cut and dry as eye color. Most DNA genotypes can be read in multiple ways.

The phenotype is the interpretation of the genotype… and there can be multiple interpretations.

Where do the different interpretations come from?

They stem from those parts of the genes that are “turned on” (active) or “turned off” (inactive).

This is where epigenetics comes into play.

What are epigenetics?

Epigenetics looks at how external and lifestyle factors can active or deactivate certain gene expressions.

For decades, we thought that our genetics were our genetics. They were unchangeable—or at least changeable very, very slowly. We thought that mutations in genes took multiple generations to be expressed, and these mutations were usually by random.

Recent years of research is disproving this. We’re finding now that our genes can be modified in our lifetime and then passed down to our children. This means your gene expression can literally be different as a child versus as an adult.

For example, you may not be at risk for cancer as a child but you’re at risk for cancer when you turn 30 because that cancer gene has suddenly been “turned on” from years of exposure to environmental factors, like smoking and pollution.  

Factors that affect genes

Epigenetics looks at how certain genes can be silenced (dormant) or expressed (active) over time and what factors influence this. Research is proving that what you eat, where you live, when you sleep, how you exercise, and even with whom you interact can all modify your genes.

Genes don’t just create an order in the womb and stay the same forever. The expression of those genes can change over the course of your life based on your lifestyle and other environmental factors.

Epigenetics doesn’t change the genotype or actual sequence of DNA, but it affects how the cells in the gene are read (the phenotype).

If we could understand exactly which factors turn off and turn on certain genes, we could, in essence, eradicate a number of diseases and cancers.

These changes in genetic expression can occur at any point in your life. They can also occur in previous generations and be passed down through decedents. For example, one study proved the influence of environmental factors on developing infants both in the prenatal and early postnatal stages. In one specific example, children born to mothers who suffered the Dutch famine (1944-145) had increased rates of coronary heart disease and obesity compared to those not exposed to the famine.

Living healthier not only impacts you and your genes. It impacts your children and your children’s children as well.

DNA Methylation

The most studied and understood factor of epigenetics is DNA methylation. DNA methylation controls gene expression. Basically, high methylation turns genes into the “off” position.

Methylation refers to the addition of a methyl (CH3) to the DNA strand. This addition, in essence, turns the DNA strand into the “off” position, as if the methyl addition were flipping a switch.

Whether methylation is a default state or a target on certain genes is still being studied.

DNA methylation is important to ensuring that dangerous sequences of DNA are “turned off.” For example, you want an increase in methylation on sequences that control cancerous cells. In most studies, the genomes in cancer cells are hypomethylated (low in methyls).

Certain lifestyle factors will cause DNA methylation of certain types of cells.

What factors affect health?

Diet, lifestyle choices, stress, and behaviors can all impact the expression of your genes. For example, smoking is proven to mutate your cells and impact the DNA expression of those cells. The chemicals found in cigarettes literally morph your cells, activating the “cancer” genes that were otherwise turned off.

Environment

Your environment directly impacts your health and wellness.

Air pollution especially has a direct link to epigenetics. Studies show that pollution might alter the methyl tags on DNA, which can increase the risk for neurodegenerative disease. Moreover, air pollution can cause or exacerbate asthma, which can be passed down to children.

This pollution also gets into the bloodstream, leading to chronic inflammation in the body. This inflammation has been associated with heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and other diseases.

But changing your environment can also change your genes. Removing yourself from a harmful or polluted environment is the first step. If you need to stay in that environment, regular detoxes and healthy eating is crucial. Certain supplements can also counteract the effects of the environment. For example, B vitamins may protect against epigenetic changes due to pollution.

The environment and air your cells take in has a direct impact on your health and genetic expression.

Diet

What you put into your body also directly feeds into your cells. For example, polyunsaturated fatty acids can promote free radicals and oxidative stress, which can cause your genes to be expressed in a different (mutated) way.

On the other hand, “antioxidants” can help deactivate cancer cell expression. Antioxidants help fight off oxidative damage and free radicals caused by environmental factors like UV ray damage or pollution. Foods like blueberries and kale are known antioxidants.

So, if you undergo some sort of environmental stress, your diet can actually help reverse the damage to your cells.


Some dietary compounds are now accepted to defend against tumors and act as “epigenetic modulators.” These consist of teas, garlic, herbs, grapes, and cruciferous vegetables. For example, one study showed that the diallyl-disulfide in garlic may help minimize colon tumor cells.

Polyphenols are a compound that also impacts an epigenetic expression. Some studies have shown that polyphenols can actually reverse malignant transformation of cancer cells. Soybeans are especially rich in polyphenols that inhibit DNA methylation of cancer cells. In fact, some data suggests that soy consumption is associated with a reduced risk of hormone-related cancers because of the impact of polyphenols on epigenetic expression.

The supplements you add to your diet also have an impact on your cells. Vitamin deficiencies can activate certain cell expressions.

Read: Why You Should Never Eat A High-Protein Diet If You Want To Build Muscle

Keep an eye on the Dr. Gapin blog for more about diet, supplements, and epigenetic expression coming soon!

Drugs & Alcohol

Addiction is hereditary, but how?

There may be a gene for addiction, but the reading or phenotypic expression is what actually manifests in addiction.

This means that addiction can be “turned off” and “turned on.” This is why addicts are often considered addicts “for life”—because it’s in their genes. But it’s also why these “for life” addicts can go 20 years without using.

An addict has the gene for addiction, but certain lifestyle changes can deactivate its manifestation.

Researchers are still studying to see whether genetics creates a predisposing factor to addiction or the expression of the addiction is a response to the use of drugs and alcohols. Ultimately, though, most scientists agree that if you don’t use drugs and alcohol, you are less likely to “turn on” that addiction gene, even if it runs in your family. They also believe that if you are already showing the phenotype (you already have an addiction problem), certain healthy lifestyle changes can deactivate this expression.

Exercise

Some research suggests that exercise can influence gene expression by manipulating the chromatin structure. Basically, exercise can minimize inflammation in the body by impacting DNA methylation. When exercise minimizes chronic inflammation, it helps “turn off” the bad cells and promote good cells.

Other studies have found a link between exercise and genes through the chemical beta-hydroxybutryate (DBHB). DBHB is a ketone that increases the BDNF gene—which is used for healthy production of protein. DBHB builds up in the brain due to exercise, creating an alternative source of energy and “turning on” strong genes in the sequence. It has also been shown to act as a class I HDAC inhibitor in other parts of the body. Basically, exercise increases DBHB, which helps keep the brain and body healthy.


Need more proof? One study had participants bicycle using only with one leg. That leg was obviously more powerful in the muscles, but the cells’ DNA showed an even more interesting finding. Researchers discovered that the genome of those muscle cells had new methylation patterns compared to the unexercised leg. Gene expression noticeably increased in the muscle-cell genes; this can impact energy metabolism, insulin response, and muscle inflammation.

The link of exercise and epigenetics is still being studied, but more and more research is proving that even light or moderate exercise can improve gene expression.

Stress

Your working environment and stress levels can also impact your cells and genetic expression. When we’re stressed, we release hormones called glucocorticoids. These travel throughout the body and impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—which affects the brain, the hormones, and the adrenals. This is what makes you feel physiologically anxious.

Some studies have found that glucocorticoids can actually change DNA expression. Chronic exposure to corticosterone and glucocorticoids actually changes genetic variations, creating a “permanent” state of anxiety or even PTSD.

The reason this happens is interesting—and makes a lot of sense. If you have chronic stress, your body thinks that it’s living in a stressful situation.

Think back to original biological processes. Living in the wild, you’d likely experience chronic stress if you were living in bad weather, in a bear den, or you were low on food. Your body acknowledges that you’re in a stressful situation. So it literally changes its genetic expression so you are more equipped to handle stress. So if you live in a bear cave, you’re likely met with stress on a daily basis. Your body changes so that it becomes more adept at the fight or flight response to meet those daily struggles with the bear.

Now, though, we don’t have this same sort immediate need for fight or flight (on an everyday basis). Thus, it’s not useful or productive for our bodies to genetically express stress.

In fact, this genetic expression of stress can actually “turn off” healthy cells. This leaves room for disease-ridden or cancer-ridden cells to grow, because your body is so focused on the stress response.

Sleep


Studies have shown that sleep can increase DNA methylation levels. This can increase immunity and reduce risk of cancer. Moreover, sleep is necessary for our cells to have time to rest, relax, and rebuild. You need sleep in order for your RNA process to function; RNA methylation determines the speed of your circadian clock.

Basically, studies are finding that an imbalanced or desynchronized circadian clock leads to cancer progression because of the relationship between sleep and DNA methylation.

We’ll discuss this more in upcoming articles in the Epigenetic Series!

Read: 11 Ways To Increase Your Energy After Age 50

Aging

Even how you age can impact your genetic expression. Diseases become more prevalent with age, but why? It’s not because of the number of candles on your birthday cake… it’s because your cells start to change. Some studies are looking at how age can alter DNA methylation and RNA expression. As cells age, the chromatin landscape and DNA accessibility change, which can stop the natural progression of the cell cycle.

But epigenetic mechanisms like changes in lifestyle and environment may actually be able to restore or reverse genetic phenotypes to a more youthful expression.

That’s right—you might be able to reverse the process of aging with epigenetics!

Good news! We will be discussing these environmental factors at length in the Epigenetic Series! Stay tuned with the DRG blog for more info!

The Bottom Line

Epigenetics is showing us that genetic changes happen much faster than we expect. The type of lifestyle and health we choose today doesn’t have some distant, far-off consequences. Our choices impact our near future and the health and wellness of our children.

he way our genes are expressed determines our health and wellness.


Epigenetic factors, like lifestyle habits and environment, influence the way our genetic expression. Certain variables can alter the marks on DNA, determining certain health outcomes.

But if environmental factors can “turn on” the disease and cancer portion of cells… these same factors can “turn off” disease and cancer.

Epigenetics tells us that disease can be reversed with certain lifestyle choices and behaviors.

What if you could make a decision to change one thing about your life and drastically reduce your risk for cancer?

What if you could change one thing and never again worry about the Alzheimer’s or addiction that runs in your family?

In my Epigenetic Series, we will explore the different epigenetic factors that may activate or deactivate cells and certain genetic expressions.

Stay tuned on the DRG blog for more on epigenetic health and wellness! Learn more about how Epigenetics affects YOU with The G1 Performance Health Consult, a genetic-based report and private consultation that will give you the tools you need to achieve your maximum potential. Sign up today!