Understanding Nutrition, Genetics and Methylation!
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Your genes are triggered by biochemicals -- the basic elements your body breaks down from what you eat and drink, other supplemental nutrients and your environment.
Change these and you can change the way your genes perform. And that can change your life forever.
Understanding the effect of our diet and lifestyle on your genes is the key to understanding why you are the way you are. We can now identify if your health risks are rooted in your genes…and the specific diet, nutrition and lifestyle adjustments that can address them.
In fact, it is possible to better cope with stress, be more mentally alert and focused and be satisfied and happy with your life naturally by making some of these simple adjustments.
Nutrition, Genetics and Methylation
Methylation refers to a group of biochemical pathways in your body that regulate energy production, inflammation responses, neurotransmitter formation and a host of other processes. These biochemical steps are regulated by proteins called enzymes. Our genes regulate the manufacture of our enzymes.
The Human Genome Project has mapped the majority of our genes and determined many of their functions. Sometimes we are born with, or inherit a faulty gene or mutation; sometimes we acquire mutations from cell division, or exposure to the environment or an episode with an infection. A mutation may cause an enzyme to work improperly or at a reduced capacity. If the faulty enzyme plays a critical role in metabolism, health conditions and growth and development may be affected.
Based on over a decade of work by Amy Yaskow, PhD, and others, mutations in the methylation pathway can interfere with the body's ability to handle infections, toxins and stress. Methylation can be disturbed by a lack of co-factors, heavy metal burden, environmental toxins and mental tension.
Common Impairment in Methylation include the following symptoms:
- Concentration difficulties, brain fog
- Chronic fatigue, lack of energy
- Depression, mood swings, panic attacks
- Chronic musculo-skeletal complaints including muscle aches, joint pain and stiffness, especially upon awaking
- Chronic sinus congestion often diagnosed as allergies
- Chronic cough that mimics asthma
- Impaired digestion, chronic constipation which may be accompanied by bloating, gas
- Long standing generalized anxiety
- Nausea and/or loss of appetite
- Sleeping disturbances, difficulty getting or staying asleep
How Can We Assess Our Methylation Status?
While some aspects of our methylation reveal in our symptoms, we can check our blood and urine for effectiveness of our biochemical reactions. However, blood values are desired by the homeostatic mechanisms of our body to shift very little, and our body often compensates to maintain these values. Dr. T at the BODYCARE Clinic now utilizes kinesiology to assess your bodies' enzyme capabilities. This kinesiologic testing is painless, non-invasive and specific. The testing procedure checks over 30 SNiPs, or single nucleotide polymorphisms, the implicating factors that impair genes. If needed, saliva tests to ascertain your genetic individuation may be requested through Ancestry, 23 and Me, or MyHappyGenes.
