It’s true that we are born with a certain gene sequence: a unique set of identifiers that make us uniquely us. And we wouldn’t want it any other way—it’s a joy to have your father’s eyes and your mother’s hair and some mix of both for your still-undefined curl pattern. These things are genetic: we’re born with them, and can’t change them. But there’s another layer to what makes us uniquely us. And that’s our epigenetics, or the way our behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way our genes work.
Listen to Dr. Lucia Aronica, Professor of Nutritional Genomics and Epigenetics at Stanford University, describe epigenetics:
Yes, you heard her right: lifestyle can affect the very way your genes function. It is also true that during gestation, your developing body can be exposed to factors that will stay with you throughout the life course (for example: if your mother did not consume the proper nutrients to support herself and the growing baby, you could be at higher risk for developing certain diseases later in life). Nutrition is one of the most important ways we can affect our genetic expression, and we can make these changes at any point in the life course to great impact.
As Dr. Aronica mentioned, foods high in healthy fat are great building blocks to help our “epigenetic software” run smoothly. Fatty fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, liver, plant foods, colorful fruit and veggies, spices, and even tea, chocolate and olive oil can serve as “epi nutrients,” according to Dr. Aronica. Diets like the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic diet and a handful of others have been studied for their reliance on such nutrients, and the beneficial effects they have on individuals throughout the lifecourse.
So as if you needed another reminder that leading a healthy lifestyle can serve you in the long run, let this be it. Eating well doesn’t just affect your mood, or your day-to-day energy levels: it goes right down to the expression of your genes.
Here’s what Dr. Aronica recommends:
Methyl Donors: These nutrients, found in foods such as green leafy vegetables (rich in folate), eggs and liver (choline), and fish (B12), provide the building blocks for methylation, which is a key epigenetic modification that helps regulate gene expression.
Epi-Bioactives: These compounds regulate the activity of enzymes that write or erase epigenetic marks. Examples include polyphenols found in colorful fruits and vegetables, spices, coffee, green tea, olive oil, and butyrate from fermented foods. These nutrients promote healthy aging by reducing inflammation. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale contain sulforaphane, a powerful epi-bioactive that activates antioxidant pathways and suppresses inflammation.
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