Dec 6, 2010 | By
Epigenetics is the view in how cancer and other genetic diseases are associated with your diet. Diet plays an important role in your genetic make-up that begins before you are born. What you eat during your lifetime, what your mother eats during her pregnancy -- even what your grandparents eat -- can all play a role in your health and lifespan.
Epigenetics
Following an epigenetics diet is believed to alter metabolic genes responsible for determining your risks for diseases such as cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. According to the University of Utah, nutrients extracted from food enter into metabolic pathways, where they are manipulated, modified and molded into molecules the body can use. The methyl groups are one of the pathways that silence genes responsible for metabolic diseases.
Nutrients
Nutrients that are necessary for altering metabolic pathways include folic acid, B vitamins, choline and methionine. Consuming a diet high in fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, dairy, lean meats and vegetables can help decrease disease risk. According to Oregon State University's Rod Dashwood, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology and head of LPI's Cancer Chemoprotection Program, "The traditional view of cancer is that genetic damage and DNA mutations occur, in ways that can turn off key genes and our natural defense mechanisms against cancer." For example, the epigenetic role for garlic is to increase histone acetylation, which is responsible for turning on anticancer genes.
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Fiber
A diet high in fiber increases the histone acetylation, which turns on the genes responsible for increasing lifespan, according the University of Utah. Butyrate is the compound produced in the intestines when fiber is fermented. Beneficial fiber sources may come from oatmeal, whole-grain rice, pasta or breads or fruits and vegetables.
Red Wine
Drinking red wine may reduce your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The antioxidant resveratrol in red wine may reduce bad cholesterol, prevent blood clots and reduce inflammation. Studies involving lab mice have shown the component in red wine, resveratrol, is responsible for removing acetyl groups from histones, which may improve your overall health when consumed in moderation, according to the University of Utah.
Diet Through Generations
While what you eat during your lifetime is important, so is what your mother ate during pregnancy as well as what your grandparents ate. A study published in "Diabetes" in November 2008, by Josep Jimenez-Chillaron, found low birth weight is associated with increased risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease during adult life, and may pass on such disease risk to future generations.
