Epigenetics

What is it about our lifestyle and environment that can result in epigenetic changes?

• Inflammation: the adverse effects of the inflammatory state include insulin resistance in our adipose tissue (body fat), which in turn may induce epigenetic changes that perpetuate the inflammation [8]
• Nutrition/diet: ⇓

  You are what you eat, quite literally!! Most articles about epigenetics recommend the Mediterranean diet, rich in organic fruits and vegetables. Avoid the "western" diet which is high in fat, sugar and processed foods, and evokes a state of chronic metabolic inflammation.

  •  Compounds that regulate gene expression:
    • EGCG: green tea
    • Resveratrol: grapes, peanuts, cranberries, blueberries
    • Curcumin: tumeric, curry
    • Genistein: soybeans
    • Sulforaphane: broccoli, cabbage, kale, watercress
    • Selenium: brazil nuts
    • Allyl mercaptan, organosulfur compounds: garlic
    • Folate (folic acid): beans, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, sunflower seeds
    • B12: fish
    • Polyphenols: cruciferous vegetables, green tea, soy beans, olives, colorful berries, nuts and seeds
  •  Processed red meats: Consumption of red meat has been shown to induce undesirable epigenetic changes. These changes occur specifically through altering the levels of HDAC-2, which can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
  •  Diet high in polyunsaturated fat: can generate oxidative stress, which has been directly linked to epigenetic alterations [4]
• Psychological well-being: ⇓

  Psychological well-being is all about avoiding stress, anxiety, self-doubt and emotional trauma.

  •  Stress: During stressful situations, we produce steroid hormones called glucocorticoids that affect many systems throughout the body, and alters gene expression in the brain [2]
  •  Trauma: This refers specifically to unresolved trauma that was experienced in early childhood, during which there is a period in development where we are highly sensitive to epigenetic changes. Once you acknowledge it, there is a lot of help out there!
  •  Emotional trauma, stress and other psychological factors can be mitigated by exposure to a positive environment and positive outlook on life.
• Sleep: ⇓
  •  Poor sleep: Although not yet fully understood, it is known that sleep deprivation does indeed alter numerous signaling pathways, which can trigger epigenetic changes.
  •  Night shifts: Studies suggest that night shift work is associated with epigenetic changes in core circadian genes.
• Smoking: Enzymes that regulate epigenetic changes can be activated by smoking, which in turn results in the expression of multiple inflammatory genes.
• Excessive Alcohol: ⇓

  Chronic alcohol consumption leads to significant reductions in SAM levels (S‐adenosylmethionine), a key factor in regulating the epigenetic process. Similarly, ethanol metabolism promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species, which also impacts the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms.

• Obesity: triggers increased epigenetic changes associated with inflammation, immunosenescence (immune function degeneration) and development of Type 2 diabetes [3, 7, 8].
• Physical activity: ⇓
  •  Physical exercise leads to epigenetic modifications that can have beneficial effects in cancer patients.
  •  Physical exercise has been shown to increase expression levels of tumor-suppressing genes and decrease expression levels of cancer genes.
• Environmental pollutants: ⇓
  •  Air pollution: exposure to air pollutants (particulate matter, black carbon, airborne benzene) can trigger epigenetic changes, which may in turn cause inflammation, oxidative stress, disease development and cardiovascular issues.
  •   BPA exposure: primarily from the resin coatings of canned foods, polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, and water bottles
  •  Metals: exposure to certain metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, chromium, mercury) can trigger epigenetic mechanisms involved in metal exposure-related diseases
  •  Viral infections: a virus inhibits the host's immune response by interfering with the epigenetic function, resulting in an environment that allows virus replication and spread