This science is a field of biology that studies the causal interactions between genes and their products responsible for the production of the phenotype. In other words, Epigenetics is the study of the modification of the inheritable genome during cell division, which does not involve the change in the DNA sequence.
According to this study, we learn that not everything is programmed in our biotype, since acts such as diet, exercise and lifestyle can influence the way genes organize themselves, changing patterns of our phenotype, which will be transmitted to our descendants.
By biotype, it is understood that our characteristics are genetically inherited, those that make each of us unique beings.
In 1909 the Danish researcher Wilhelm Johannsen defined that the term phenotype would serve to attribute morphological, physiological or even aspects of behavior of a living being, such as biochemical factors of their own or blood type, skin color, eyes, type of hair, height, physical constitution, or the shape of the eyes of each human being
The first reports of sequential human genome design were published in 2001 in “Nature and Science” journal
The research involved the assessment of tens of thousands of targets in physiological or pathological processes, on which the part related to nutrition, genetics and genome were being increasingly evidenced.
As the Genome is the set of all molecules of DNA of a particular living being, it is in these molecules that we find the genes that store the information for the production of all the proteins that characterize the living beings.
These studies relate genetic data from healthy or sick individuals to their diet to reach conclusions about dietary interferences in gene expression and structure.
This leads us to the fields of nutrigenomics, functional nutrition and nutraceuticals.
This new approach about nutrition opens the way to a new reality, food can be the most powerful “medicine” to reduce the risk of disease.
We cannot change our genes, but we can modify its expression through our diet.
Recently the General Management of Health published an article, which shows that half of the causes of illness and death in Portugal are directly related to food, pointing to excessive intake of salt and sugar as risk factors of various diseases (Lusa, 20/09/2016 – CIÊNCIA & SAÚDE).
In order to be able to change the patterns of behavior that shape our structure, we need to look within ourselves. The development of the individual requires a series of interactions between his cells, especially between his genes with internal and external components of the organism, because our body is a living crystalline system with oscillating mineral structures filled with energy.
This brings me to a approach of evaluation foccused on the DNA in the living cells of our hair.
The hair follicle contains enzymes that play an important role in the neuro-endocrine regulation of our body and in the constitution of mineral elements that make up the state of bones, muscles, brain, liver and bone marrow.
So the hair can be considered as a bio-marker informative of our metabolic state.
The hair takes up to 80 days to reach the surface, which allows it to store information emanating from the micro and macro environment of each human being.
Throughout its evolution, since Dr.Hippocrates, Science has shown us that our body self-regenerates through appropriate stimuli and finds the right way to achieve vital energy.
The difference is in the way we manage our lives. I even dare to assert that the speed of aging can be reversible.
So I believe it’s never too late to make changes. Any change takes about three months to be felt and maintained by the physical, mental and emotional body, so it must be done with responsibility and always focused on a personalized and judicious assessment
To maintain your metabolic balance in perfect condition, it is critical to create healthy lifestyle habits with the right nutrients.
We are indeed what we eat and this is reflected in all our appearance, joy, wellbeing and health.
Dra. Paula Mouta – Naturopathy and Functional Nutrition