It’s no secret that some people seem to be able to ‘get away with’ more detrimental habits than others…. We all have that friend who eats whatever they want and never puts on a pound.
It’s likely that they do have ‘good genes’, particularly if their health markers also look great (eg blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc).
So does this mean that some of us are just doomed for poor health??
This is where the evolving field of EPIGENETICS comes in.
This refers to how our nutrition and lifestyle habits can impact our gene expression. It literally translates to ‘above genetics’, meaning that just because you may be predisposed to a certain disease or condition, doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.
Through healthy living we can literally manipulate how our genes turn off and on…. Pretty cool huh??!
Now this is a HUGE topic, but I’ll give you some examples of what this looks like in relation to diabetes:
One of the best studied genes for the risk of type 2 diabetes is the TCF7L2 gene. Genetic variants can result in overexpression of TCF7L2 in pancreatic beta cells (where insulin is produced) leading to decreased insulin secretion and increased glucose levels, therefore increasing the predisposition to type 2 diabetes.
Not all is lost though….. studies have found that a mediterranean diet can decrease the adverse effects of TCF7L2 overexpression, reducing fasting blood glucose levels. I mean if you look at the basics, it’s not rocket science that a diet low in refined sugar would decrease your risk of diabetes :)
There are many other genes that play a role in our potential for diabetes including the SLC30A8 gene which facilitates the movement of zinc into the pancreas so that insulin can be excreted efficiently.
So guess what, if you have the variant of this gene which hinders this transport of zinc, you best get some more zinc into your diet! There are many great food sources such as pumpkin seeds, oysters, chicken, beef, pine nuts, almonds, legumes etc.
I could write about genes all day, but for now if this is something you are interested in let’s work together, get your genes tested and work out a nutrition and lifestyle plan that works for you.
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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.