8 top tips for looking after your genes

Today's post is by Sophie Tully BSc MSc, a Nutrition Scientist at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition with some sound advice about how you can take care of your genes for better health.

Our genes contain the complex code that programmes every single function of our cells and body but, despite what you may have been led to believe, our genetic instructions are not set in stone. Throughout our lives, the way our genes are ‘read’ can change as a result of environmental, emotional and nutritional ‘edits’ made to how our genes are accessed and translated.

Along our strings of genetic code are a number of tags that act as signposts, guiding the cellular processes responsible for reading our genes to focus their efforts on the right sections. Much like you might highlight or add a coloured post-it note to a page of a book, these tags allow for quick and easy access to the right sections of our genetic code, so that they can be easily read and activated.

Until relatively recently, it was assumed that we were all born with our genes fixed, with all the right tags in the right places; however, over the past decade or so, Epigenetic research (Epi meaning upon or above)- the study of changes to cellular and physical traits caused by external or environmental factors that lead to switching genes ‘on’ and ‘off’ and how cells read genes - has increased exponentially. Today we know that everything - how stressed you are during pregnancy, whether you were bullied as a child, what’s in the air you breathe, how often and in what way you move, the foods you choose to eat - has the power to alter these genetic tags and subsequently the way our genes are activated. Far from our fate being ‘written in our genes’, epigenetic changes with the potential to alter our genetic expression, occur throughout our lives and can even be passed down through the generations.

It is now understood that the risk of diseases such as cancer, mental illness, neurodegeneration and even cardiovascular disease all increase with certain epigenetic changes and so, more than ever, we need to understand which factors in our environment have the power to alter these genetic tags, for better or worse, and what can be done to manipulate this for personal gain.

If you want to find out more about epigenetic mechanisms this is a good place to start. 

What can we do to safeguard our genes and reduce the potential for negative health outcomes associated with epigenetic changes? 

Here are my top tips for supporting healthy genes and preventing activation of unwanted, rogue tags:

1. Avoid stress and deal with historical trauma

Recent advances in the field of epigenetics show that stress, throughout our lives, can lead to significant epigenetic changes and increase our risk for numerous negative health outcomes. Daily stress management such as mindfulness, spending time in nature and deep breathing exercises can be really helpful to combat stress and overwrite detrimental epigenetic changes with beneficial ones that seek to promote and improve our long-term health. Addressing and dealing with historical emotional and physical trauma is also important to reduce the impact this can have on our genetic tags, as well as our likelihood of passing these on to our children.

Check out these links for more information and support:
Head Space
Stop Breathe & Think App
The Abundant Energy Expert

2. Check your fatty acid levels and consume healthy fats

The foods we eat have a huge impact on how our genes are tagged and, when it comes to fats, it’s important to include enough of the right fats in our diets. Research consistently links high total fat and saturated fat intake with adverse genetic alterations. Consuming healthy fats such as those from nuts, seeds, coconut, oily fish, olives and their oil and free range organic eggs, whilst avoiding vegetable oils, margarine, intensively farmed animal fat and dairy, is the best way to ensure you have a healthy balance. Ideally, fats should be consumed with most meals and snacks in moderate quantities (approx. 10-20g at a time). Testing cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as red blood cell fatty acids, can help you determine if you have a good level of healthy fats in your body.

The Igennus Opti-O-3 is a convenient home test kit and comes with a free consultation to help you interpret your results.

3. Measure homocysteine and supplement with B Vitamins

Homocysteine is the by-product of our methylation cycle, a process vital for looking after our DNA and where the tags are placed. If we over or under methylate, this can be problematic and leaves us susceptible to a range of health issues such as fatigue, poor cognitive function, reduced detoxification and diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions. The B vitamins, in particular folate, vitamins B12 and 6, with the help of B2 and 3, are the most important when it comes to a healthy methylation cycle and high homocysteine levels may indicate low levels of these nutrients, or a block somewhere in the process. Eating a range of leafy greens, beans, pulses and good quality animal proteins will help keep these nutrient levels topped up. If you feel you need a little extra support, choosing a good B vitamin complex that does not contain very high levels of each ingredient can help provide gentle support for healthy DNA methylation.

4. STOP taking folic acid – opt for 5-MTHF instead

Those of us with issues throughout our methylation pathways often struggle to use folic acid, the most commonly used form of folate in supplements. Recent research now links folic acid use with a range of adverse effects from increased cancer risk to autism. Folic acidis the synthetic form of folate and people with certain alterations in their genetic code tags are less able to absorb and process folic acid, which can lead to accumulation, causing toxicity. Without testing, switching your folic acid for folate-rich foods and supplements containing Quatrefolic (such as the products mentioned above) is the safest way to avoid the risks of folic acid use and provide gentle support for healthy methylation.

5. Support your SIRT genes

Our sirtuins, controlled by SIRT genes, are superstars when it comes to epigenetic regulation and play an important role in promoting the health of not only our DNA but of the whole body. Many plant-based whole foods are packed with polyphenols that help activate SIRTgenes, so these foods are a safe and exciting addition to any gene nourishing diet. Commonly available and delicious, adding just a few ‘SIRT foods’ to your meals and snacks can help support optimal genetic tagging and healthy cell activities. Examples you might like to try include: cocoa, kale, buckwheat, red onions, parsley, red grapes and matcha green tea. Find out more here. 

6. Remove toxins

When we are thinking about healthy genes it’s important to also consider what can contribute to unhealthy tagging. We are regularly exposed to dietary and environmental factors that have the potential to change our epigenetic markers and even encourage DNA breaks. Certain chemicals can also mimic or block natural compounds that would otherwise promote health. Removing chemicals and toxins from your environment is an important step in protecting your genetic health. Swapping to natural cleaning and cosmetic brands (such as Method and Green People) can help reduce your exposure to numerous DNA damaging chemical. It’s also important to keep fatty food away from plastics and aluminium foil, especially when hot. Choosing organic products, or growing your own where possible, will also help reduce the amount of toxins in your food.

7. Control inflammation

High levels of inflammation can not only lead to epigenetic changes but also increase the risk of subsequent disease developing. It can be hard to tell if you are ‘inflamed’ as many of us walk around with no symptoms. Whilst swelling, pain and allergies suggest a higher than normal inflammatory load, any form of mental or physical stress, cell damage or infection can lead to inflammation being triggered. Without adequate cellular capacity to resolve inflammation, or in the presence of persistent inflammatory triggers such as regular exposure to foods you might be sensitive to, your body may fail to switch inflammation off and this can lead to long-term health issues as well as unwanted DNA tagging. Consuming lots of anti-inflammatory foods such as omega-3 fats, herbs and spices including turmeric, brightly coloured vegetables, fresh berries, pineapple and green tea can be really helpful in controlling inflammation.

8. MOVE

Exercise is a very powerful therapy and even better when conducted outside in nature. Studies show that exercise elicits many of its health-enhancing benefits (beyond getting fitter and leaner) via epigenetic mechanisms, many of which are linked to improved cellular processes, enhanced metabolism and longevity. A lifestyle that incorporates movement as often as possible is associated with better health, longevity and quality of life. Find out more about how to get active here. 


If you would like to know more about any of the above, please feel free to call Nina, Sophie or Kyla, all of whom will be very happy to answer your questions.

They can be reached at 0845 1300424 (not a premium rate number) or you can email them at education@igennus.com. You can also find out more on the Igennus website.

Don’t forget all Yes to Life blog readers are entitled to 15% discount with Igennus and for every purchase made using the coupon code ‘Yestolife’ Igennus will donate a portion back to Yes To Life to help fund our ongoing support for you.

Read more top tips from Igennus here.

Antioxidants – is it a case of too much of a good thing? - by Sophie Tully BSc, MSc, DipPT

Antioxidants are everywhere – all you have to do is pick up some real food (i.e. something natural and unprocessed) and you’ll literally be staring a wealth of these health-enhancing, wellness-promoting, disease-preventing nutrients in the face and yet, somehow, we are living in a pandemic of oxidative stress-related diseases and health complications.

Antioxidants have long been promoted as the panacea of health, with their potential to protect against a range of illnesses and aliments, but, as with so many things, too much of a good thing is, often, no longer a good thing. Despite their seemingly infallible health-enhancing potential, antioxidants have a dark side and can, when intake is too high, have negative consequences on our health. To understand which antioxidants might be safe and beneficial to you, and at what doses you should consume them, we need to consider the environment to which they are being added (i.e. your body and biology) and the systems that need support (i.e. what health concerns or risks you have), the benefits you are hoping for by taking them (e.g. improved energy, reduced ageing, less muscle soreness) and whether you are taking a form that can actually be absorbed (i.e. is it effective). So over this two part series we are going to unpick the pieces of this puzzle so you can decide if and which extra antioxidant support you might need.

What is an antioxidant and what do they do in the body?

Exactly as the name suggests, anti-oxidants inhibit oxidation (a chemical reaction that produces highly reactive compounds, called free radicals, which have the potential to cause damage to our cells, DNA and functional proteins, if left unmanaged). Antioxidants act to stabilise free radicals usually by donating an electron, hydrogen or other chemical group that, essentially, calms the free radical down and stops it going on the rampage.

Antioxidants can also act to stop the production of free radicals in the first place, by increasing our natural oxidative-stress coping capacity (e.g. upregulating super oxide dismutase transcription), or by running around after free radicals cleaning up the mess they’ve made.

Free radicals are produced by a range of internal and external factors including:

• Cellular respiration (yes that’s right – breathing & using oxygen!)
• Inflammation
• Exercise
• Stress
• Cigarette smoke
• Environmental pollutants
• Radiation
• Certain drugs
• Pesticides
• Industrial solvents
• The ozone layer

As the above list shows, we are exposed to 

free radicals all day, every day, so you would not be judged harshly for thinking that ingesting ample antioxidants to appease these otherwise volatile and aggressive molecules would be a good idea. Unfortunately, to date, research is pretty lacking in terms of proving the benefits of antioxidants to health, above and beyond showing that a diet rich in them is health positive.  When we look at the consensus science, the use of antioxidants for disease management, or to treat specific conditions, suggests that in most cases they are quite unhelpful. ‘How can this be?!’ I hear you cry. Looking at the role of oxidation, free radicals and antioxidants in the body, it all starts to become clear.

Understanding free radicals and reactive oxygen species

Oxygen is vital to sustain life, and yet it is this very life-giving molecule that causes oxidative stress. Oxygen is used to generate energy in our cells, by the mitochondria, and this process generates free radicals, including reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to prevent this from being a problem, our bodies, as well as almost all organisms on earth, have developed complex endogenous antioxidant systems to cope with this and make sure it does not pose a significant threat.

Plant foods that are rich in antioxidants contain these for the very same reasons we do, to protect them from free radical damage, caused by various stresses they face during their lifespan, including heat, light and, more recently, agricultural chemicals. By adapting these highly effective internal processes, all forms of life can maintain the delicate balance between carrying out essential, albeit ROS-generating, processes and preventing any resultant damage to cells and DNA.

Antioxidants protect us against harmful free radical – or do they?

Whilst it may seem like avoiding sources of oxidative stress and eating lots of antioxidant-rich foods would be a good idea, in many cases free radical production is actually a beneficial process that triggers a positive adaptation process that allows us to grow and thrive in harsh environments, under stressful situations and in times of increased demand on the body. Human beings, being the clever creatures we are, have also begun to manipulate the benefits of free radical damage for medical purposes, such as cancer treatments. It is because of the need for ROS in adaptation that it is not always a good idea to flood the body with excessive amounts of a few specific antioxidants, unless you have a recognised need for them.

For example, exercise is a process that, on the whole, is considered a very healthy thing; as a result of needing to quickly and significantly increase the rate of energy produced and subsequently supplied to the muscles, however, a large additional free radical load is also generated. These free radicals then cause damage to the surrounding tissues, which subsequently require repair (this is why we get sore, aching muscles when we train hard). The process of repairing the damage allows us to adapt to the stress that was placed on the muscles, and come back stronger (improved strength and fitness). Whilst we do need adequate antioxidant levels to prevent the generated free radicals from getting too enthusiastic or wandering off and causing problems elsewhere in the body, having too much antioxidants could suppress the natural adaptation process and therefore reduce the benefits you see from your training. Indeed, studies have shown that chronic supplementation of vitamin C (1000mg) and vitamin E (400IU) can blunt the beneficial adaptation process otherwise triggered in response to exercise, thus negating the positive effects of exercise.

Scientific research shows that those exposed to UV radiation in small but consistent doses do not experience the same level of skin damage as those exposed infrequently and in high doses. This is because, over time, the body’s defence mechanisms can adapt to help protect against any damage being caused, as long as it remains manageable. In short sharp bursts (such as a week’s holiday in sunny southern Spain) UV radiation causes excessive free radical damage and this can lead to genetic mutation in skin cells, and subsequently cancer.

When is an antioxidant not an antioxidant?

Another factor we have to consider when looking at the protective role of antioxidants is that they can also become pro-oxidants in certain situations, such as when they are found at high levels without the backup and support of other antioxidants. Once an antioxidant has worked its calming magic on a free radical it has now made itself unstable. The antioxidant systems in the body have, however, adapted to ensure these are also dealt with and many antioxidants work together to consistently recycle one another and ensure they are also quickly stabilised. When there is not enough ‘backup’ available, this can lead to the accumulation of unstable pro-oxidants being formed from the antioxidants, adding to the very oxidative stress load they are meant to help reduce.

Maximising the health benefits of antioxidants

In light of the above, we have to consider that artificially altering the delicate balance and coping strategies, which we have adapted over millennia, can have grave consequences and if given at the wrong time to the wrong person, certain antioxidants can make things worse.

Now whilst this all sounds very scary there are a range of benefits to be had from optimising antioxidant status, predominantly through dietary intake. Epidemiological studies show that plant food consumption (fruit and veg) directly correlates with long-term health and much of this benefit is attributed to the antioxidants and phytonutrients contained in these foods. 

Since most of us do not eat enough plant foods (recent research suggests less than 60% of the UK population eats the modest 5-a-day) and we are all subject to far more oxidative stress on a day to day basis than is ideal, ensuring your diet is rich in a broad range of natural food-derived antioxidants is a really big step in the right direction. We can run into trouble, however, when we start to look to optimise health via high intake of specifically one or two foods or nutrients. When we eat food (rather than nutrients) we are in fact eating a broad range of chemicals and plant components that work together to provide complementary, synergistic support to the overall health of our cells and body. Recent research shows that when we consume nutrients as whole foods within a healthy and varied diet (rather than isolated supplements) our body processes and absorbs them differently, allowing us to pick and choose what it does and doesn’t need at any one time. This helps to naturally regulate the nutrient levels in our body to ensure optimal balance at any one time; eating a diet rich in health-supportive nutrients will therefore ensure that you are exposed to a wide range of nutrients throughout the day and your body can extract what it needs.

When we focus on the consumption of any one specific food or nutrient, we can overwhelm the mechanisms in the body by which they would otherwise elicit their health benefits, leading to potential imbalance and subsequent problems (as mentioned above). As such, most of the research currently points to antioxidants as only consistently offering benefits when consumed via the diet and, ideally, natural plant foods. Therefore, in an ideal world, eating a rainbow of different vegetables plus some fruit, aiming to exceed your 5-a-day where possible, without relying on high doses of individual antioxidant nutrients, is the safest and most beneficial way to optimise your antioxidant status and overall health.

Targeted antioxidant support can be a good thing

Aside from the overwhelming need for us all to eat more vegetables (ideally local, seasonal, organic ones) there is a growing body of evidence to show that in certain conditions, at specific times, in some genetic backgrounds and when a malabsorption issue is present, the use of targeted and specific nutritional interventions can be beneficial.

In part two of this article we’ll be covering how to identify whether your antioxidant status might be sub optimal and which nutrients, if any, might be of benefit for your specific health concerns.

References:

Devasagayam, T. P. A., Tilak, J. C., Boloor, K. K., Sane, K. S., Ghaskadbi, S. S., & Lele, R. D. (2004). Free radicals and antioxidants in human health: current status and future prospects. Japi, 52(10), 794-804.

Kanti Bhooshan Pandey and Syed Ibrahim Rizvi, Plant Polyphenols as Dietary Antioxidants in Human Health and Disease. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2009, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 270-278.

Sies H. Hydrogen peroxide as a central redox signaling molecule in physiological oxidative stress: Oxidative eustress. Redox Biology. 2017;11:613-619.

Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy Reviews. 2010;4(8):118-126.

Pacholczyk M1, Czernicki J2, Ferenc T3. The effect of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on induction of skin cancers. Med Pr. 2016;67(2):255-66.

Brenner, M., & Hearing, V. J. (2008). The Protective Role of Melanin Against UV Damage in Human Skin. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 84(3), 539–549.

Paulsen G, Cumming KT, Holden G, et al. Vitamin C and E supplementation hampers cellular adaptation to endurance training in humans: a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. The Journal of Physiology. 2014;592(Pt 8):1887-1901.

Bouayed J, Bohn T. Exogenous antioxidants—Double-edged swords in cellular redox state: Health beneficial effects at physiologic doses versus deleterious effects at high doses. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2010;3(4):228-237.

Sies H. Hydrogen peroxide as a central redox signaling molecule in physiological oxidative stress: Oxidative eustress. Redox Biology. 2017;11:613-619.

Forman HJ1. Redox signaling: An evolution from free radicals to aging. Free Radic Biol Med. 2016 Aug;97:398-407.

Rui Hai Liu Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals Am J Clin Nutr. 2003; 78(3):517S-520S.

8 top tips for looking after your genes

Today's post is by Sophie Tully BSc MSc, a Nutrition Scientist at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition with some sound advice about how you can take care of your genes for better health.

Our genes contain the complex code that programmes every single function of our cells and body but, despite what you may have been led to believe, our genetic instructions are not set in stone. Throughout our lives, the way our genes are ‘read’ can change as a result of environmental, emotional and nutritional ‘edits’ made to how our genes are accessed and translated.

Along our strings of genetic code are a number of tags that act as signposts, guiding the cellular processes responsible for reading our genes to focus their efforts on the right sections. Much like you might highlight or add a coloured post-it note to a page of a book, these tags allow for quick and easy access to the right sections of our genetic code, so that they can be easily read and activated.

Until relatively recently, it was assumed that we were all born with our genes fixed, with all the right tags in the right places; however, over the past decade or so, Epigenetic research (Epi meaning upon or above)- the study of changes to cellular and physical traits caused by external or environmental factors that lead to switching genes ‘on’ and ‘off’ and how cells read genes - has increased exponentially. Today we know that everything - how stressed you are during pregnancy, whether you were bullied as a child, what’s in the air you breathe, how often and in what way you move, the foods you choose to eat - has the power to alter these genetic tags and subsequently the way our genes are activated. Far from our fate being ‘written in our genes’, epigenetic changes with the potential to alter our genetic expression, occur throughout our lives and can even be passed down through the generations.

Top 10 Tips for a Personal Spring Clean

In today's post, the Igennus team give us their top ten tips for giving your body a Spring cleanse.

Now that spring has well and truly sprung, many of us are starting to get that nagging sensation that it’s time to get down to some serious spring cleaning, and this doesn't just apply to our homes!

With the improving weather and longer daylight hours, the desire to be outside and generally be more sociable and active is growing. Unfortunately, many ailments and illnesses and comfort-food eating, all too common during the cold dark winter months, can heavily impact our energy levels and can make the thought of venturing too far from home or engaging in active outdoor fun quite daunting.

The organ responsible for processing and purifying/removing toxins in the body is the liver, so any strategy to clean from the inside out should focus on foods that support liver function and the detoxification processes that occur in the liver.

Top 10 Q&A's on the Importance of Essential Fats

In today's post, the Igennus team share their top 10 questions (and answers) for understanding the importance of essential fats in preventing cancer recurrence and enhancing recovery.

The right type and amount of fats in our diet is of vital importance for the health of every cell in the body. When we consume too much or not enough of any specific fat, this causes numerous problems in how our cells function and affects every organ of the body.

Specific fats, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, are top of the list of nutrients needed for healthy cells and therefore for fighting and protecting against cancer. But why are they so important to our cells, how can they increase our risk or protect against cancer and how can you make sure you’ve got the right fats, in the right amounts in your cells, to keep them happy and healthy. The team of expert nutrition scientists from Igennus Healthcare Nutrition answer your top 10 fat based questions below.

Top 10 benefits of omega-3 EPA for cancer patients

Today's post is written by Sophie Tully and Dr Nina Bailey from Igennus Healthcare Nutrition, which focuses on providing natural means of improving health based on scientific research.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a long-chain omega-3 fat which is associated with considerable health benefits. Much research has been carried out to understand the role of EPA in heart, brain and mental health; a huge body of evidence is emerging to show that EPA plays a significant role in the prevention, control and recovery from cancer. Here are the top actions of EPA in cancer prevention and recovery, according to the latest published research. 

Top Ten Nutrients and Lifestyle Tips to Support Mental Wellbeing

Today's post is written by Sophie Tully, the Nutrition Education Manager at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition. Igennus Healthcare Nutrition focus on providing natural means of improving health based on scientific research. 

Top Ten Nutrients and Lifestyle Tips to Support Mental Wellbeing

During cancer treatment and recovery, it can be extremely difficult to stay mentally positive and happy. Stress, anxiety and even depression are understandably common in cancer patients, yet we all know the benefits of a positive mental attitude when it comes to being healthy and able to fight illness.  Stress and low mood can deplete the body’s resources while it’s repairing the damage caused by increased stress hormones and inflammatory stimulation. As a result, it becomes much harder to focus on fighting cancer and getting better. But, fear not, there are a number of stress-busting foods and nutrients that can not only help to calm anxiety, reduce stress and lift your mood but can actually boost your immune system too.

Top 10 Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips For Optimal Recovery

Today's post is written by Faye Butler and Sophie Tully who are Nutrition Scientists at Igennus Healthcare Nutrition. Igennus Healthcare Nutrition focus on providing natural means of improving health based on scientific research.

Top 10 Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips For Optimal Recovery

1. Reduce refined carbohydrates 
Sugar, including foods containing it, such as cakes and sweets, causes blood glucose levels to rise significantly and regularly eating these foods has been linked to increased risk of certain cancers. Keeping intake low is therefore important for cancer recovery as high intake of sugars can suppress the immune system which will, in turn, inhibit the healing process.