Huffington Post | May 16, 2011

Comment from Old-Thinker News: Gene patenting is a hot topic today. If you are found to be “predisposed” to potentially develop a certain disease, somewhere there likely exists a patent on the particular gene involved, as well as the “cure.” There is another level to genetics called Epigenetics that potentially shows that just because a gene is present does not mean that it will develop into something serious. Other factors are involved in the expression of genes. Whether or not you get proper nutrition, environmental exposures, and other factors all play a role in how your genes behave. Unprecedented exposure to toxins like fluoride, Bisphenol A, and mercury are all damaging our genes.

By Dr. Frank Lipman

Your mom had breast cancer, dad had high blood pressure. Seems inevitable that you’re headed for both — or are you? Are bad genes really destiny or are they flexible, modifiable, even changeable? The answers — and the roadmap to a longer, healthier life — may lie in the ground-breaking new field of “epigenetics.”

What’s Epigenetics?

Epigenetics is the study of molecular mechanisms by which our environment controls our gene activity. Epigeneticists examine the factors and patterns that influence whether genes are turned on or off, are active or dormant. These patterns of gene expression are governed by the epigenome, which acts as a mechanism that tells your genes to switch on or off. The epigenome changes in response to signals. Signals come from inside the cell, from neighboring cells or from the outside world.

It is through the epigenome that environmental factors like diet, stress and prenatal nutrition can make an imprint on genes that pass from one generation to the next. Bottom line: While each of us inherits our own unique, hardwired, unchangeable version of the genetic code, epigenetic factors such as lifestyle and diet can radically change what our genes do.

Read the entire article here