Healthy Lifestyle For All

Turning Off Your Genetic Risk

As you get older, certain diseases often follow. Diseases typically associated with aging include heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, obesity, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and joint problems. It's a long list, but don't be discouraged. Optimal health is all about delaying and helping to prevent your experiences with these diseases of aging.

All of these conditions are caused by interactions between our genes and the environment in which we live. Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and stroke, is one example. We know that our lifestyle – including smoking, physical activity, and diet – are major factors in our cardiovascular health. We also know that genetics play an important role, because a family history of heart attacks before the age of 60 is a significant risk factor for heart disease.

The good news is that you can make changes to reduce your genetic risk for these diseases of aging. Although you cannot change the genes you inherited from your parents, you can change the way your genes work to make your body healthier.

Nutrition is one of the strongest determinants of how your genes behave. Scientists now know that some of your genes have variations that alter their behavior. For example, a gene can be influenced to produce more or less of a certain chemical over time. The goal is to reduce the output of genes that produce chemicals that can be harmful, such as plaque-producing genes that can clog your heart's arteries.

This is where the exciting new science of nutrigenomics takes center stage. In nutrigenomics, we are working to discover which genes in your body are affected by certain nutrients. For example, what do the bad saturated fats do to the machinery of your body – your genes? This does not mean that you should have a customized diet, since the science is nowhere near making that a reality. But there are ways today to classify people into a few genetic patterns, and you can learn to make better use of certain nutrients and supplements.

What we can learn now from nutrigenomics is that you may be able to modify even the genetic risk factors for diseases associated with aging, with a healthy diet – risk factors we once thought were irreversible. Nutrigenomics gives you yet another compelling reason to strive for a healthy diet in order to live your life in optimal health.

Kenneth Kornman, D.D.S, Ph.D.
President and Chief Scientific Officer, Interleukin Genetics