Epigenetics is a powerful new science that explains how to steer your health and prevent diseases or premature ageing. If genetics is the recipe in a cookbook, epigenetics is the quality of ingredients and equipment, the hands that prepare the food, and the environment where it’s made.
Simple explanation of Genetics
It is estimated that humans have 30 trillion cells that are continuously renewed. One study estimated that 3.8 million new cells are reproduced every second.
In all the cells, there are DNAs which contain a sequence of your genes, the hereditary information. For example, genetics have been linked to wrinkles on the skin, as well as to your capacity to produce collagen.
But the genes in a DNA can get damaged or undergo a mutation. What can cause damage to our genes / DNA? Exposure to UV rays (ultraviolet) and certain genotoxic chemicals (like chemicals that can cause cancer) are examples that lead to genetic damage. Luckily, your body is equipped with repair mechanisms to counter these modifications. But sometimes the repair mechanisms fail, and a disease is developed.
Simple explanation of Epigenetics
What is so amazing about epigenetics is its power to give you control. Although genetics makes you feel like your health is a lottery and that there isn’t much you could do about the blueprints you inherited, epigenetics shows you what you can actually do to counter!
Epigenetics allows for genetic control by external factors other than your DNA. These factors affect the genes to be turned on, turned off or dictate how fast they should ‘be read’ to produce the necessary molecules that help the body work. Main examples of these external molecules are nutrition, environmental chemicals, chronic stress, traumas, exercise.
Monozygotic twins are genetically identical but grow to be different due to DNA mutations and different epigenetic factors that come to play throughout their lifetime.
You may have inherited a skin that is predisposed to get more wrinkles, but you can curve its negative effect by limiting your exposure to UV, by choosing the right nutrition and making sure you manage your chronic stress.
Nutrition and Epigenetics
Nutrition is now the new science, with thousands of phytonutrients (nutrients from plants) being researched and several identified as having epigenetic roles. Dietary bioactive components such as sulforaphane from broccoli, genistein from soybean, curcumin from turmeric, resveratrol from grapes, polyphenol-catechins from green tea, apigenin from parsley, allyl mercaptan from garlic, lycopene from tomatoes, and many others are have been identified as epigenetic compounds.
Diets rich in fish, fibres, vegetables, fruits, and reduction of red meat have a therapeutic effect on the epigenome. This is because, other than epigenetic dietary compounds, certain vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and certain minerals assist the epigenetic mechanism.
Skin Diligent Epigenetic Technology
As explained, epigenetics is affected by lifestyle choices and environment, which in turn can encourage or discourage the replication of healthy cells or damaged cells. About 5% of human diseases today are estimated to be genetically linked. The whopping balance of 95% is believed to be linked to epigenetics, that is lifestyle choices, pollution, etc. The good news is that most of epigenetic changes in your cells can be reversed by choosing better lifestyles.
On the health of the skin, Skin Diligent’s Epigenetic Technology adopted the power of epigenetics to influence the skin cells before they replicate. The Skin Diligent technology combines very rare epigenetic ingredients and other supporting ingredients (antioxidants, anti-inflammation) to shape the skin cells before they divide, so more healthy skin cells are replicated. This technology doesn’t reverse skin ageing yet, but the formulations can prevent premature skin ageing and form the foundation to resolve skin problems. For a beautiful healthy skin, naturally!