For those interested in learning more about epigenetics, Time Magazine has published a detailed introduction to the field in its January 18th, 2010 issue. This excellent article is a fascinating glimpse at the quickly expanding field of genetic expression, how it works and what the implications are for health and medicine. I truly believe epigenetics represents a paradigm shift in the way we think about our genes, and what effects our choices have on the generations that follow us. For instance, we all know that smoking while pregnant can be detrimental to the health of the fetus. But epigenetics warns us that a smoking habit any time in one’s life, even if quit years before pregnancy, can cause unhealthy genetic expression not just in one’s children, but potentially in grandchildren and subsequent generations.

I will be including an article on epigenetics and nutiriton in the upcoming issue of my newsletter. If you would like to receive this newsletter, be sure to join my mailing list by entering your e-mail address here.

Studies continue to indicate that 30 to 50% of cases of the most common cancers could be avoided through a healthy diet and exercise.

This is great news! Many people hesitate to learn about their genetic makeup out of a sense of hopelessness; "There’s nothing I can do about it, so why bother finding out," is the kind of thing I’ve heard frequently. But epigenetics is the key to doing something about it. While you can’t change your genetic code, by refining your diet you can take steps to reduce the effects of bad genes and increase the effects of good genes. Perhaps most importantly, these improvements can be passed down for many generations, so a young woman who eats well now may be helping to keep her great, great grandchildren healthy. One study suggested that if everyone were to eat properly starting now, dietary-dependent genetic conditions like diabetes could be nearly eradicated within four generations! What a gift, and a reason to encourage everyone to employ good nutrition.

The new study not only found the taste receptors on the cilia, but also showed that when exposed to bitter-tasting compounds, the cilia actually beat faster, indicating a link between the sensory reception and the cleansing function of the cells. "These findings suggest that we have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to guard ourselves from harmful environmental stimuli," according to co-first author Yehuda Ben-Shahar, Ph.D.

Perhaps most importantly, according to Ben-Shahar this research provides even more evidence of the importance of maintaining a toxin-free environment. "Our work also suggests that losing cilia in the lungs, due to smoking or disease, would result in a reduced general ability to detect harmful inhaled chemicals, increasing the likelihood of further damaging an injured lung."

The importance of this information can not be overstated. While the importance of considering blood type as one of the crucial elements of individualized nutrition is something I’ve espoused for years, this information takes its importance to a new level. Not only does eating foods tailored to your blood type directly influence blood health, but widespread organ health as well. Those of you who choose foods with your blood type in mind should find this information entirely reassuring!

The first study found that by following just one of six healthy lifestyle choices, men considerably lowered their risk of heart failure as compared to men who adopted none of the healthy choices. These choices included never smoking, regular exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining normal body weight, eating whole cereals, and eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Moreover, men who employed more than one healthy lifestyle choice saw increasing benefits. For men who didn’t follow any of the lifestyle choices, the lifetime risk for heart failure was about 1 in 5 (21.2%). But men who followed four of the choices reduced their risk to about 1 in 10 (10.1%).

The second study, similar to the first, followed women for 14 years according to their adoption of six healthy lifestyle choices, including keeping to a normal BMI, daily exercise, following a heart-healthy diet, moderating alcohol intake, using non-narcotic pain relievers no more than once a week, and taking a folic acid supplement. Women who followed all six lifestyle choices reduced their risk for high blood pressure by an astounding 80%.

The European Society of Cardiology singled out both studies as having important implications for public health.

Every patient in the cardiac care unit at the San Filippo Neri Hospital who survives a heart attack goes home with a prescription for purified fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acids. “It is clearly recommended in international guidelines,” said Dr. Massimo Santini, the hospital’s chief of cardiology, who added that it would be considered tantamount to malpractice in Italy to omit the drug.

The positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids have been documented by numerous studies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The American Heart Association, and MedicineNet all have the results of such studies available online. The benefits of omega-3 acids are clear, and it would seem that their prescription has become standard practice throughout Europe. Why do Americans not get the same advice?

But in the United States, heart attack victims are not generally given omega-3 fatty acids, even as they are routinely offered more expensive and invasive treatments, like pills to lower cholesterol or implantable defibrillators. Prescription fish oil, sold under the brand name Omacor, is not even approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in heart patients…

…Because prescription fish oil is not licensed to prevent heart disease in the United States, drug companies may not legally promote it for that purpose at conferences, in doctors’ offices, to patients or even on the Internet.

Unfortunately, most Americans remain unaware of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. This is especially troubling given the magnitude of benefits indicated by studies. In the Lyon Diet Study, which studied a Mediteranean-style diet rich in omega-3 acids, patients had a 50–70 percent lower risk of recurrent heart disease after an average 46-month follow-up. The GISSI-Prevention trial randomly assigned more than 11,000 patients with recent heart attacks to four treatment groups; omega-3 fatty acids (850 mg capsule daily), vitamin E, both, or neither (control). The study subjects in all four groups were followed for 3.5 years. Subjects given omega-3 fatty acids had a 20% lower death rate from coronary heart disease than subjects in the other groups.

The good news is that Americans can still decide to increase their omega-3 intake. An important step is to increase the amount of fish in the diet. Replacing meats, especially red meats, with fish on a regular basis is a delicious way to get more fish oil in one’s diet. Based on current studies, I recommend three servings of fish per week.

There are also many high-quality supplements available that are perfect for boosting omega-3 acid levels. Based on their quality standards and dedication to filtering out toxins and heavy metals, I recommends products by Carlson Laboratories, Metagenics, Nordic Naturals, Pharmanex, and Premier Research labs. Recommended dosage is one to five grams, with at least two grams for any form of inflammation.

Because Lyme is passed to humans, through tick bites, from infected deer and rodents, it is often accompanied by other bacteria, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis (quite similar to malaria), and bartonella, which causes cat scratch fever. This highly variable ‘bacteria cocktail’ is likely responsible for the diverse symptom sets experienced by sufferers of Lyme. Only about half of those infected get the telltale ‘bullseye’ rash, and many may get no symptoms at all, while others will experience excruciating symptoms almost immediately. But many of these symptoms may be misinterpreted. Recent research indicates that Lyme can artfully imitate rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and even multiple sclerosis and neuropathies. It is especially important that young adults who are diagnosed with these conditions be tested for Lyme. The best lab in the country for Lyme testing is IGeneX, Inc. in Palo Alto, California.

By being vigilant and understanding the highly variable nature of Lyme, you can help protect yourself and those you love from suffering unnecessarily. Lyme is very treatable when properly diagnosed. Don’t be part of the 90% of cases that go unreported.