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We are all aware of inherited physical characteristics, allergic conditions and even the propensity to develop similar illnesses to our parents, but how many of us realise that those genetic traits can be switched off?
Epigenetics literally means the ‘control above genetics’ and it is one of the most exciting and promising frontiers of modern scientific research.
The adage of nature (genetic makeup) versus nurture (human behaviour) assumes that only one side of the argument is correct. What if both nature and nurture combined, are responsible for the multitude of differences exhibited by our family members and indeed, the whole of mankind? Our bodies spend every moment of every day, reading sequences of codes within the DNA inside our cells, to produce new proteins.
We are protein factories.
The scheduling and frequency with which each of those proteins is produced rely on the presence or absence of collaborating cellular chemicals. If a controlling chemical is changed, then the production of the corresponding protein can be sped up, doubled in quantity or even halted altogether.
In other words, we can change the way our genetic code is used by altering our nutrition, emotional behaviour and our exposure to environmental toxins.