How would you feel if I told you the expression of your genes and the chance of developing certain health conditions are not set in stone? Imagine the possibilities to your health if that were true! Good news: it is true thanks to a subcategory of genetics called epigenetics.
Epigenetics developed about 20 years ago, just as the human genome project was wrapping up. The human genome project was a huge scientific effort to try sequencing human genomes, which had scientists studying the expression of genes. Scientists were left scratching their heads because the code or sequence of DNA was not necessarily the determining factor on how genes were expressed.
Epigenetics: What really influences our genes?
In human beings, cells are the fundamental working units. Some scientists say there are close to 37 trillion cells in the body, and inside every cell is a nucleus which contains the majority of genetic material and chromosomes. A chromosome is made up of DNA, and the DNA sequence is important because it makes us all unique.
DNA is made up of approximately 3 billion nucleotides and the sequence of the code is what determines our life instructions. Interestingly enough, our DNA sequence is quite similar to that of a chimpanzee. The codes are 98% the same, so it’s only a fraction of distinctly different sequences within the nucleotides making humans unique.
Within the 3 billion bases, there are about 20,000 genes and epigenetics acts like a switch that tells your DNA which genes to switch on or off. Epigenetics is influenced by almost everything, like what you eat, where you live, who you interact with, how you sleep, how you exercise, your development stages in utero, environmental chemicals, prescription drugs, supplements, and even how you think and what you believe. All of these eventually cause chemical modifications around your genes, turning them on or off over time. This is exciting news because it gives you’re the power to control the expression of your genes. It’s a game-changer!
In certain diseases, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, various genes will be switched away from a normal healthy state but knowing that genes are not set in stone offers incredible potential for wellness. Phenotype is the expression of genes whereas genotype is the genes you’re born with, and how your genes are expressed is determined by your lifestyle. This research came to light about 20 years ago from studies on identical twins with the same genetic code and DNA sequence. Expression of genetics is different based on choices and environment. Epigenetics puts the power of health in your hands and empowers your choices.
Epigenetics is all about histone tails, which are the switches to activate the expression of your DNA. You can think of histone tails as remodelers, or even like the director of a movie. Every cell plays a part, but the histones are the directors that make a profound difference.
30 or 40 years ago, we believed that behavioral choices made a difference in life but scientists at the time said it was pseudo-science that didn’t matter. Now a deeper understanding of epigenetics is changing medicine, how you look at your health, and your lifestyle choices. There are now 6,000 studies a year on epigenetics showing how powerful it is, changing how doctors practice and how patients live.
At Zenith Labs, we’ve created a supplement called Longevity Activator which helps the histone tails activate healthy genes. We want you to learn more and feel empowered about your health and wellness. When you understand how powerful your behavioral and lifestyle changes are, you can change how your DNA is expressed and change your future.
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