Epigenetics and Changing Your Genes (Time)

Credit: (Time) Lars Tunbjork / VU

Here's a fascinating Time article about Epigenetics, DNA, and how you can change your genes. It mentions a study where B vitamins attached to a gene that gives the propensity for diabetes in utero and altered the gene's expression without altering the genomic structure of DNA and the result was normal weight and no propensity for diabetes. Another published study in 2006 in the European Journal of Human Genetics stated that of the 14,024 fathers in the study, 166 said they had started smoking before age 11. When the researchers looked at the sons of the 166 early smokers, the boys had significantly higher body mass indexes than other boys by age 9. "That means the sons of men who smoke in prepuberty will be at higher risk for obesity and other health problems well into adulthood." More interesting examples are in the article.

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