Epigenetics… what is it & why should you care?

Ok so this topic can be a bit technical and for those without a biology degree downright confusing, but I will try, with the help from extracts of Malcomson, & Mathers, (2017) article “Nutrition, epigenetics and health through life.” to explain why epigenetics and our diet are both so linked and so important

Almost all cells (nucleated) in a human contain essentially the same DNA but each cell carries out characteristically different tasks. An example of this is a, a cell within a tastebud on the tongue &nan adipocyte (fat cell) are each derived from the same fertilized egg and share the same DNA sequence but the functions and gene expression in each cell types differ enormously. Hard as it is to believe cells need to sense their environments (especially their nutritional environment) on a continuous basis so they can respond appropriately by altering gene expression. This is called regulation as it “regulates” use of the information packaged within DNA which is accomplished by multiple layers of interacting controls, including epigenetic marks and molecules which we can think of as little switches.

Epigenetics itself describe heritable (as in can be hereditary/inherited) changes to the genome without changing to the DNA sequence itself.

Epigenetic mechanisms modulate the expression of our genes and so regulate many cellular processes such as cell growth (proliferation) and cell death. As a consequence, changes to the epigenome may have consequences for the function of cells, tissues and organs and can modify the risk of developing disease. Epigenetic marks and molecules change during development and as we age DNA methylation declines whilst some specific genes become hypermethylated, meaning that imbalances in specific cells can occur. Unlike your DNA (genome) the epigenome is not fixed, and the epigenetic “switches” are influenced by environmental exposures, including: diet, stress, enviromental toxins, carcinogens & radiation. Therefore, epigenetics provides a mechanism though which nutrition modulates health and wellbeing throughout the life course and, importantly, is a important mechanism for the long-term effects of early life nutritional exposures.

There is growing evidence of the specific nutrients influence the epigenome & the epigenetic patterns are promising candidates for diet-related biomarkers of ageing and of disease risk and, therefore, may be useful in nutritional epidemiology and in dietary interventions.

References

Malcomson, F. C., & Mathers, J. C. (2017). Nutrition, epigenetics and health through life. Nutrition Bulletin, 42(3), 254–265. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12281

Tokunaga, M., Takahashi, T., Singh, R. B., De Meester, F., & Wilson, D. W. (2013). Nutrition and Epigenetics. Medical Epigenetics, 1(1), 70–77. https://doi.org/10.1159/000355220