What you Ate today may affect your DNA
Really? Do we really have the power to control our genes? It may be hard to believe but research is now showing that lifestyle changes can change our DNA is less than 2 weeks.
One of my college alumni departments sends quarterly newsletters, which I briefly peruse and toss but this one article stopped me dead in my tracks and I could not put it down.? Here’s what I read, with my two cents of course added in of course.
Berkeley Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology professor Andreas Stahl shares 5 key lessons he teaches on recent developments for the causes and treatment options of metabolic disorders. Here they are:
- The body senses nutrients:Â the body senses which nutrients you need and if they are not present it will try to compensate. If you are craving a certain food (and sorry – not sugar or processed foods) like oranges you may need more Vitamin C in your body. Many times pregnant women will crave meat during pregnancy due to increased iron needs. If your body is telling you it needs a certain food pay attention!
- Nutrient sensing gone wrong can cause disease:Â this can be the key to those who develop diabetes. Those with insulin resistance can continually crave and consume carbohydrates. Increased carb intake over time can lead to increased blood sugar, setting the stage for type two or adult onset diabetes.
- There are different kinds of diabetes –Â inherited and acquired: too much food interferes with the body’s normal response to insulin. This “over nutrition” can predispose one to adult onset or type 2 diabetes.
- The brain regulates your urges to eat and expend energy: can you believe your brain receives signals from different organs telling it whether your stomach is full, if the food you are digesting is tasty, how full your fat stores are, etc. The brain processes all these signals and generates feelings of hungry versus fullness.
- Your cells remember:Â changes in diet can affect the susceptibility of disease for future generations. A mother’s diet during gestation can impact the development of disease and weight issues in her children.
Take home message: our bodies are pretty intricate. What we eat will influence our cells even on a DNA level – and not only us but future generations as well. Â If you are craving a certain healthy food your body needs it.
Every decision you make to eat in a healthful manner and move your body is way more important than you think so maintain that healthy lifestyle through the holidays – your grandchildren and their grandkids will thank you someday!
