We often hear that our genetics determines our health, so we are condemned to suffer from certain diseases. But this is not so! Our genes do not determine our destiny in terms of health. Today we tell you how the environment and the choices we make throughout life are the main determinants of a healthy life.
What you'll see in this article
Healthy living: genetics or lifestyle?
Traditionally, science has given a vital role to genes and genetics as the fundamental cause of diseases, and we have learned this from our doctors. It is common to hear in the consultation that patients say phrases like: “I suffer from hypothyroidism, and this is inherited because my mother does too,” or “I suffer from obesity, and I think it is a family issue because my brothers are also obese”.
On the other hand, we find the opposite situation, in which it is the doctor and not the patient who attributes the disease to genetics. Thus, when the patient asks: “Doctor, why did I get this cancer?” or “Why did I get high blood pressure?”, the answer is often that the exact cause is not known and that it is most likely genetic.
Although genes influence our health, we have more and more information that tells us that our genes are not our destiny and that there are other more important factors that we must consider when discussing a healthy life.
The Genome Project
Is a clear example of this situation. This enormous initiative, which ended in 2003, had the purpose of sequencing all the genes of the human species, that is, the genome. Scientists hoped that with this information they could change the course of many diseases in humans; However, the reality was very different. Despite knowing this genetic information, people continue to get sick and die from the same diseases.
The exposome: the variable missing from the equation.
After discovering that the genome does not explain the development of disease and that genes are not our destiny, scientists wondered what other factors influence the development of diseases. This is how the term exposome was born: a term that is increasingly common in scientific literature. In essence, the exposome is the sum of all the stimuli to which a person is exposed throughout their life.
As stated in the article “The Exposome and Health: Where Chemistry Meets Biology”, published in 2020 by Science magazine, we can classify the stimuli that make up the exposome into four large groups, which not only include already known aspects such as diet. and exercise, but also things like air quality, stress, relationships, and even exposure to electromagnetic fields. These four groups are:
Ecosystems
- Buildings, houses, living space
- Population density
- Land use
- Green spaces and air quality
Lifestyle
- Physical activity
- Sleep habits
- Diet
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
Social
- Economic income
- Social and family support
- Cultural norms
- Psychological and mental stress
Physical – Chemical
- Economic income
- Social and family support
- Cultural norms
- Psychological and mental stress
The exposome: The main driver of the disease
The exposome is recognized today by the World Health Organization as the main factor in preventing and reversing chronic disease. Its most recent report shows that 71% of global deaths.
annually are due to factors such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, which are preventable and modifiable. Therefore, we can affirm that:
Genes load the gun, but lifestyle does the shooting!
Epigenetics: The relationship between genes and the environment
Scientists discovered that although we cannot change the genes we inherit, we can turn them on or off. That’s how it is! Not all genes are always active, but rather they are activated depending on the stimuli we provide to our body, such as food, movement, toxins, etc. In this way, we can turn off the genes that produce diseases and turn on those that produce desirable health states.
Functional medicine activates your best genes.
Functional medicine emphasizes the adoption of lifestyles that allow you to deactivate the genes that cause diseases and activate those that promote health, well-being, and longevity. This is why each functional medicine session begins with an analysis of the toxic, social, and lifestyle factors that influence a person’s health, and then continues with the design of a personalized plan that includes lifestyle changes. We invite you to get to know it to achieve your maximum health potential!.
Written by:
Sebastian Castrillón Restrepo
Functional doctor – Centro EOS,
Expert in detoxification therapies