This is a topic I've been learning a lot about lately. Frankly, it's blowing my mind and increasing my resolve to live right: all the time. In this post I just want to expose people to the emerging science of genetic expression. I've never claimed to be a scientist, but these understandings have helped me in unspeakable ways and I want to pass them along. This is just an intro, and I'll be going into more depth in future posts. I would like to thank Mark Sisson for introducing me to this rabbit hole.

We hear a lot about genes, genetic dispositions, nature vs. nuture, etc. Limited understanding around genetics can create ALOT of limiting beliefs for yourself. I hear things like this quite often "I just don't have the genetics for it, I have fat genes," and on and on. Well the REALITY is that our genes are NOT set in stone. As more and more science has emerged around genetics, it is reinforcing the reality that WE ARE IN CHARGE. We really do control what happens in our lives. This isn't some mumbo jumbo anymore, this is a scientific reality.

So specifically, "Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product." Interpretation: simply the science of genetic expression confirms that the day-to-day choices we make have incredible impact on which genes get 'turned on' or 'turned off.' Furthermore, we can influence gene expression to a far greater degree than anyone ever thought possible.

Here's a quick synopsis of astudy that illustrates what I'm talking about.
In this study researchers followed 30 men with low-risk, early prostate, cancer. They gave the men "intensive" lifestyle intervention program where

The changes included a plant-based diet (predominant fruits, vegetables, legumes, soy products, and whole grains low in refined carbohydrates), moderate exercise (walking 30 minutes per day), stress management techniques (yoga-based stretching, breathing techniques, meditation, and guided imagery for one hour per day), and participating in a weekly one-hour support group. The diet was supplemented with soy, fish oil (three grams/day), vitamin E (100 units/day), selenium (200 mg/day), and vitamin C (2 grams/day).



After three months of the intervention regimen, the researchers conducted several tests on the subjects, including new biopsies, and examined normal prostate tissue samples. The results were striking. The men showed signs of improved health, including lower blood pressure and weight loss. However, the activity measured in the genes themselves showed the most profound change. Of the more than 500 genes traced, 48 disease-fighting genes had “up-regulated” and 453 disease-promoting genes had “down-regulated” since the lifestyle intervention as show by the graph below. Within these changes, researchers found “significant modulation of biological processes that have critical roles” in the formation of tumors.






A good way to look at this is seeing it as a recipe:

Everyone the DNA “recipe” to build a human being. The DNA itself is not really so much a “blueprint” (as many people assume) as it is a recipe. As with all recipes, it allows for a little variation to spice things up and even room for improvement. That means that some ingredients can change a little and you still wind up with the intended result. A little more sugar, a little less salt, an added spice, a lower cooking temperature: the end result still resembles the picture in the cookbook.



So what causes your genes to 'express' themselves in different ways? What causes your certain parts of your genes to 'turn on' and 'turn off'? THE ENVIRONMENT that YOU PRESENT THEM.

Similarly, while your genes are “fixed”, the expression of those genes – the amount of proteins they cause to be made, whether or not they are even switched on or off at all – depends on the “environment,” the circumstances surrounding those genes. Diet, exercise, exposure to toxic chemicals (or fresh air), medicines, even the thoughts you think (which generate actual chemical signals) all influence gene expression – positively and/or negatively, depending on the choice. Eat a diet that is high in sugar, and gene expression moves in a direction that produces more insulin, that shuts off insulin receptors, that down-regulates lipase and other enzymes involved in fat-burning, that increases pro-inflammatory cytokines, etc. When you change to a diet low in sugars and rich in healthy fats, those or other genes are directed to reduce inflammatory expression, down-regulate insulin-producing metabolic machinery, up-regulate insulin receptors and rebuild cell membranes to reflect the presence of better building materials (omega 3 fatty acids, etc.)



So what does all this mean?

It means that the outcome of our bodies and fitness levels aren't the result of a fixed genetic destiny. Instead, they are the result of the way our genes have expressed themselves due the environmental factors directly under our own control. The next time someone tells you they’re fat because of their genetics, know that they are dead wrong.

I'll be going into more depth on how we can optimize our diet, exercise, thoughts, etc. to optimize our gene's expressions and therefore improve the quality of our lives.

Thanks for reading.

Sam

PS. In a future post I'll be breaking down how exercising in various ways literally alters our genetic expressions. Here's a picture of identical twins who exercised in different ways and therefore had their genes express themselves differently. I just want you to have a little preview of the implications of these understandings.