15 Mar Genetic Impact On Our Health: How Dietary Changes Can Help

Genetics are the fundamentals of how organisms behave and respond to environmental exposure. Not only do our genes have the tendency to control our body but can significantly affect our well-being too.

To put this into perspective, countless diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, etc. are usually passed down to the next generation. This brings us to the fact that heritable chemicals can mark specific parts of our DNA. Thus, adjusting the expression of our genes without affecting the sequence.

Today, professionals are adopting an all-new strategy to tackle genetic disorders- naturopathic dietary changes. This relatively new field of study is known as Epigenetics.

What is Epigenetics?

We all are familiar with the bases in the DNA sequence, including A, C, T, and G. These bases, also known as chemical tags or marks, whether removed or attached to our DNA can influence the phenotype, without affecting the genotype.

The study of these chemical tags or marks on specific parts of DNA is known as epigenetics.

Notably, several studies reveal that the right diet, along with proper exercise, can switch ‘on’ or ‘off’ these gene tags. However, these are not the only factors at play.

How Dietary Changes Can Help?

When it comes to treating inherited symptoms, other layering information such as diet, lifestyle, environmental exposure, family history, etc. also plays a crucial role. The experts call this a holistic approach to natural remedies. Addressing the underlying genetic variants can bring about drastic changes in our health.

Tolerance

More often than we know, certain foods can lead to bloating in some people, while the same food source may help get others a lean body. It is when the compounds in food trigger a reaction within the DNA chemical tags.

Lactose intolerance and gluten allergy are first-hand examples of such cases.

A professional would generally suggest alternatives for intolerant food items to meet the calorific needs of a patient.

Toxicity

While some food items may prove to build high immunity, it is not always true for everyone. For example, some people might suffer a fatal attack on consuming peanuts or mushrooms.

In most cases, the compounds present in these foods combine with the genetic triggers in our body to form toxins. This is the reason why people often find themselves in hostile situations from eating healthy foods.

On diagnosis of toxic allergies, it is possible to alter the chemical tags in the DNA. Usually, it would require dietary changes, in addition to a workout regime, and changes in environmental surroundings too.

Nutrition

With the right approach and a balanced diet, the nutritional requirements of our body are also fulfilled. This is, after all, the foremost requirement for a healthy body.

A dietician practicing epigenetics would usually recommend the foods that help with building overall health. All-round development of the body can thus be achieved effortlessly.

Studies reveal that genome alteration is possible with certain changes in nutrition, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposure. Just the way these changes can lead to possible diseases, the reverse is true for curing them too.