You are what you eat.
One of the best ways to achieve a healthier life is good nutrition. What you choose to put into your body plays a big part in your overall health. Food is powerful. It can fight off depression, boost your mood and even help prevent cancer and other illnesses. Food is medicine, and when you use food this way, you commit to a beneficial lifestyle change.
Healthy nutrition is an essential tool in your fight against disease and obesity. It’s arguably a Health Hero’s most potent ally in the quest for a long and healthy life because what you eat can change your genes and transform your biology.
How Does DNA Impact Diet?
Our genetics play a role in everything from the color of our eyes to our likelihood of developing certain diseases. Therefore, they also play a role in our dietary requirements. DNA plays a significant role in determining what nutrients our bodies need and how we process the food we eat. For example, some people have genes that allow them to absorb certain nutrients from their food better. Others have genes that make them susceptible to specific food allergies or intolerances. By understanding our genetics, we can make better choices about the foods we eat and ensure that we get the nutrients we need. We can also use DNA testing to identify diet-related health risks and take steps to avoid them. In other words, DNA testing can help us tailor our diets to our individual needs and improve our overall health.
DNA, Diet, and Weight
A combination of factors, including genetics, determines weight. Indirectly, genes may impact weight by influencing dietary choices and consumption levels. Your DNA can affect your food selections, consumption amounts, and the activity of various hormones and enzymes involved in metabolism. Your reaction to dieting, propensity for obesity, and metabolism can all be affected by your DNA through these pathways.
A few vital substances contribute to satiety or hunger, depending on which genes we inherit from our parents. A 2008 study singled out one enzyme essential to the synthesis and function of ghrelin, a human hormone that provokes appetite and food intake. Mice studies have discovered a genetic marker, the obese (ob) gene, that causes a leptin-making inability in mice when altered. Researchers have found that overweight people have an overexpressed ob gene.
Your DNA determines the nutrients you consume and how they are metabolized in your body. Gene expression contributes to metabolic pathways that differentiate muscle and fat – two crucial components in the body’s balancing act with macronutrients.
The Interaction of Food and Genes
The genetics of food are essential to consider when thinking about nutrition. After all, our genes determine what we can and can’t eat and how our bodies process different nutrients. For example, some people may be able to eat certain foods that others can’t due to their genetics. And specific genes may allow us to undo the damage caused by unhealthy foods. However, genetics is only part of the equation regarding food and nutrition. Our environment, lifestyle, and other factors all play a role in determining our overall health. So, while genetics are important to consider, they are not the only factor determining our relationship with food.
New Research is Changing the Game
Nutrigenomics: Harnessing the power of food to change your gene expression.
Each day brings new evidence that your life affects you right down to your genetic level. Your stress levels, social surroundings, physical activity, and overall lifestyle contribute to your gene expression β or how your cells respond to their changing environment.
Eating isn’t an exception. Genes are changed by what you eat. This interaction is what nutrigenomics is all about. In the wake of this, everything is changing differently. Where we once thought we were powerless is now an area over which we have at least some control.
Using nutrition to affect our genes means we’re no longer at the mercy of our DNA. It is fascinating when it comes to fighting and preventing disease.
You Are Not Your Genes
Let’s mention the obvious. You can’t control everything that happens to you. You’re going to face health challenges and adversity. But when you take advantage of your power, you give yourself every opportunity to live your best and healthiest life.
Nutrigenomics creates a power shift, putting some newfound power into your hands. What does this mean? Think about inherited diseases like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
If these, or other inherited diseases, run in your family, you’re not doomed to suffer. The fate of your health is not set in stone. If your mother has diabetes, it’s not a given that you’ll eventually develop diabetes.
Again, we don’t have absolute control. If that were the case, we’d all eat healthily and never get sick. However, what you choose to eat can significantly increase or reduce your risk for future illness.
Use Your Power Wisely
Imagine how your life could change if you took advantage of every drop of power you have to transform your health β right down to the genetic level. Would you commit to making convenient and realistic nutritional changes? Would you feel less anxious or enjoy a greater sense of purpose knowing that you’re stepping up and taking action to improve your chances of a longer and healthier life? You might find yourself enjoying life more than ever before.
My Prescriptions for Better Nutrition
Commit to nourishing your body with good nutrition every day. Even small, manageable changes will get you on the right path. Your doctor can make recommendations based on your unique requirements. But, whole and natural foods, healthy fats, lean proteins, balance, and moderation are great places to start. The more you practice making good nutritional choices, the more significant impact you’ll have on your health.
I encourage you to use food as medicine and utilize the power to alter your genes for improved wellness. The fate of your health is not set in stone. Nutrigenomics has changed the game. You can transform your biology and change your health journey. Be your own Health Hero by taking advantage of this power and prioritizing your commitment to more excellent health and longevity.
Namaste,
Dr. Partha Nandi
