Casticin, a type of flavonoid, could adjust chemical tags on DNA to stave off gastric cancer, a recent study suggests. Found in wormwood and various fruits, including chasteberry and oil from the chaste tree, casticin is able to epigenetically impact the expression of a gene that inhibits stomach cancer. Although additional research and clinical studies are needed, … Continue reading Casticin Found Naturally in Fruits May Epigenetically Fight Off Stomach Cancer
Vitamins A and C Could Erase Epigenetic Marks on DNA
Vitamins may not only benefit your health, but also remove epigenetic memory or marks on your DNA. A new study conducted by an international group of researchers found that vitamins A and C work in different ways to erase methyl tags present on genes. These findings could help to progress new developments in regenerative medicine … Continue reading Vitamins A and C Could Erase Epigenetic Marks on DNA
Folate Deficiency in a Father’s Diet Could Cause Negative Pregnancy Outcomes by Changing Sperm Epigenome
Scientists at McGill University, Canada reported that folate deficiency in a father’s diet could increase birth defects in the offspring by altering sperm epigenome. These defects include craniofacial and musculoskeletal malformations. The scientists fed male mice either a folate-deficient or folate-sufficient diet throughout life and then performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis and subsequent functional analysis to identify … Continue reading Folate Deficiency in a Father’s Diet Could Cause Negative Pregnancy Outcomes by Changing Sperm Epigenome
Epigenetics Clues to Obesity and How Lifestyle Changes Could Modify Your Epigenetic Profile
Adiposity is a condition of being severely overweight or obese and it has numerous connections to epigenetics. Understanding more about the epigenetics underlying obesity could help to introduce preventions based on lifestyle changes which may be able to modify our epigenetic marks and improve health. A rough measure of obesity is body mass index, BMI, which … Continue reading Epigenetics Clues to Obesity and How Lifestyle Changes Could Modify Your Epigenetic Profile
DNA & Mitochondrial Time Bombs
Uranium, Mercury, Cancer & Diabetes Hyperinsulinemia may promote mammary carcinogenesis. Insulin resistance has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and is also characteristic of type 2 diabetes.[1] Diabetes and cancer, which are both are expanding dramatically in the world today, can in great part be traced to the increasing radiation, heavy metals … Continue reading DNA & Mitochondrial Time Bombs
Drinking Tea Can Turn Genes On or Off in Women
Green, black, white, oolong, and rooibos – these are all types of tea many of us have enjoyed for their power to soothe or energize. But did you know that sipping on some tea could lead to epigenetic changes in your genes, especially in those linked to cancer? A recent study supports the notion that … Continue reading Drinking Tea Can Turn Genes On or Off in Women
The Potential Epigenetic and Anticancer Power of Dietary Flavones
Eating more plant flavones could reduce your cancer risk, suggests a recent study. By inhibiting epigenetic marks that play a central role in the formation of cancer, some foods may be able to help stave off this widespread disease. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 1.6 million new cancer cases in … Continue reading The Potential Epigenetic and Anticancer Power of Dietary Flavones
Teen Drinking Could Epigenetically Hinder Brain Development
Alcohol is likely the most used and abused substance in the world. It’s fine to have a few cocktails or beers per week, but only for those that are of the legal drinking age. Underage drinking is a consistent issue faced in the United States today. According to the CDC, kids ages 12-20 consume about 11% … Continue reading Teen Drinking Could Epigenetically Hinder Brain Development
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Epigenetics
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a polygenic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood sugar levels due to pancreatic beta-cell functional impairment and insulin resistance in tissues such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and the liver[1]. Millions of people around the globe are diagnosed with diabetes, and its incidence is estimated to double by 2030. … Continue reading Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Epigenetics
Could the Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy Epigenetically Reduce a Child’s Disease Risk?
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Taking this a step further, research is now pointing to the epigenetic benefits abiding by a Mediterranean diet could have while pregnant. The main components of this healthy eating pattern might epigenetically protect the fetus from developing diseases … Continue reading Could the Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy Epigenetically Reduce a Child’s Disease Risk?
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 