The term epigenetics, created by Waddington in 1942, derives from the Greek word “epigenesis,” genesis meaning the origin or formation of something. to describe the influence of genetic processes on development.
- Epigenetics refers to the way your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.
- Epigenetics turns genes “on” and “off.”
- Your epigenetics change as you age, both as part of normal development and aging and because of exposure to environmental factors that happen over the course of your life.
- Epigenetic changes can affect your health in different ways.
In English, this means that your environment and what you do influences how your genes express.
- Think of epigenetics as turning genes “on” or “off”. What does this mean? One example would be do you make a certain protein? More of it? Less of it?
- DNA methylation works by adding a chemical (known as a methyl group) to DNA and demethylation removes it.
- methylation turns genes off
- demethylation turns genes on.
- Scientists measured DNA methylation at millions of sites in a newborn, 26-year-old, and 103-year-old, showing DNA methylation decreased with age.
- These are not genetic mutations. Epigenetic changes are reversible. They change HOW your body reads a DNA sequence, not the actual DNA.
We already know environment affects you from studies of women in pregnancy. If a mom doesn’t have folic acid or Vitamin D or has gestational diabetes it can affect the genetic showing of the future child. One study showed mother’s exposure to pollution impacts her child’s asthma susceptibility. Other studies showed that children born during famine have increased rates of heart disease and obesity. There is a study which links a child’s mental fitness to their dad’s diet. The studies are endless showing environmental links.
Epigenetics does not stop after birth. What you do and how you live has an incredible impact on how you age and heal. As a plastic surgeon who is focused on healthspan, I find this fascinating and impactful.
What are the epigenetics that affect you now?
- Pollution
- Diet Eating a nutrient-dense diet can provide essential vitamins (e.g., folate and Vitamin B12) that support proper DNA methylation and other epigenetic processes. balanced diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds can lead to beneficial epigenetic modifications that support healing.
- Exercise Physical activity is shown to induce positive epigenetic changes that enhance healing by improving blood flow and nutrient delivery to tissues.
- Stress
- Sleep Quality sleep is crucial for maintaining epigenetic homeostasis. Sleep deprivation can lead to detrimental epigenetic changes that impair cognitive function and healing capability.
- Smoking Smoking can result in epigenetic changes. One study showed smokers tend to have less DNA methylation than nonsmokers in the AHRR gene, with the difference correlating to how heavy a smoker they are. After quitting, DNA methylation at this gene increased again.
- Infections One study showed TB causes epigenetic changes to immune cells to turn off the IL-12B gene, which weakens the immune system to help the Tb survive.
I found one interesting article that talked about how DNA methylation is related to cancer risk. In fact Cologuard, the colon cancer detection test, uses this. Colorectal cancers have abnormal DNA methylation near certain genes, which affects expression of these genes.
So why do I care as a plastic surgeon?
First, I see many women come in at a time where they are reassessing themselves. They are done with children, or they hit menopause, or they just lost a bunch of weight. I think this is a great time to focus on your whole body. Yes, there are many things as a plastic surgeon I can recommend- from topical medical grade bio-effective treatments, to microneedling with exosomes, to surgeries.
But if you are healthy? Not only do you look better, but your body IS better. That also is going to help you optimize your surgery and help you heal. There was a study years ago showing how eating a high protein diet before a tummy tuck statistically significantly improved scars and lowered infection rates. DIET made that change. So I am a believer in epigenetics and have been advocating for that with my surgical patients for years.
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Tissue Regeneration: Epigenetic changes can dictate how cells differentiate and develop during tissue repair. For example, stem cells can be epigenetically reprogrammed to differentiate into specific cell types needed for healing.
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Response to Stress and Injury: After an injury, the body releases signaling molecules that can induce epigenetic changes in nearby cells, promoting repair processes. For example, beneficial epigenetic changes can enhance the expression of genes involved in inflammation resolution and tissue repair.
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Lifestyle Influence: Factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep have profound effects on epigenetic mechanisms. A balanced diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds can lead to beneficial epigenetic modifications that support healing. Regular physical activity can also induce epigenetic changes that promote gene expression related to muscle repair and regeneration.
So when you meet with me for your initial consultation, expect that I will go deep into many areas. I think whole body health is important, for healthspan, optimizing your surgery and recovery, and to look good. Healthy bodies are beautiful bodies.
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