Living healthy not only affects you, it affects your
potential offspring…and yes, fellas, this applies to
us too. But isn’t this something we already knew? It
is true that we inherit our genes from our ancestors
(parents, grandparents, and so on) and our genes impact how
you develop and influence your vulnerability to
disease….but there is more to the story.
A recent episode of NOVA titled, “Ghost in Your
Genes”, gave a fantastic overview of some research
investigating the influence that our
‘epigenome’ has on our lives, and in turn, the
influence that our lives have on our epigenome.
You have more control of your genes than you think.
Your genome is the total set of genes that you inherited
from your parents and your epigenome (literally translating
as “on top of” or “in addition to”
the genome) is partially inherited and partially created by
your experiences. Your epigenome is a collection of
physical modifications of your genes.
How is epigenetic control different from genetic control
over our lives? Well, both the genome and the epigenome
control how genes turn “on” or
“off” to influence the health of our brains and
bodies. One of the main differences is that your epigenome
changes throughout life, while your genome is relatively
unchanging from the time your were conceived.
This means that the genetic factor is more influential
early in life, assuming that everyone has reasonably
nurturing parents. But once we get past the early stages of
development we gain some control over our genetic destiny.
Think about it kind of like driving a car. Early on, you
are safe if your parents are good drivers, but once you get
your own license your safety is in your own hands.
One of the most striking examples of epigenetics comes from
studies in identical twins. Even though identical twins
come from the same egg and start with the same genes and
initial epigenome, their experiences throughout life alter
their epigenetic makeup. This ultimately affects how their
genes turn on and off and how this controls their health
and longevity.
When are you absolved of your responsibility?
Now, keep in mind that these epigenetic changes are
inheritable…..meaning you can pass the changes that
you make to your offspring. So, how many generations can
these effects last for, you ask? So far, researchers have
data suggesting that epigenetic alterations can have
effects on several generations down the line.
Since the epigenome can also be influenced by lifestyle
choices (i.e. diet, smoking, exercise) and environmental
factors (i.e. pollution) the choices we make today can
influence several generations to come.
So aside from the birthday cards, hand-knit sweaters, and
rolls of pennies, your grandparents may have also given you
epigenetic predispositions for increased or decreased odds
of getting diabetes and several other diseases. What kind
of grandparent do you want to be?
The silver lining in all of this is that even though we
start with a set of genes and an epigenetic fingerprint, we
have the ability to influence our epigenome by the
lifestyle choices that we make. And, since the epigenome
can turn genes on or off, we ultimately have some control
over our genes. So even if you don’t care about your
health, think about how you might be influencing the health
of your grandchildren.
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