“Epigenetics” is the study of biological and environmental factors that have the potential to turn genes on or off by placing chemical compounds on top of them. The most well-known mechanism of epigenetic change is called “methylation”, where a methyl-group (a molecule consisting of one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms) is attached to a particular gene.
It is known that environmental influences, such as, an unhealthy diet and environmental pollutants can determine which genes are turned on or off, and thus, cause illnesses, such as, mental illness, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. In recent years, there has been ongoing research about how social influences and life experiences can also affect which genes are turned on and off, resulting in abnormal cellular function, and consequently disease and/or mental illness. One area of research that has particularly gained wide interest is the effects of trauma on health outcomes, especially trauma across generations.
What is particularly intriguing about this area of research is whether or not some communities and families experience higher rates of disease and negative health outcomes because of epigenetic factors, such as inherited, unresolved trauma and the abandonment of traditionally healthy, indigenous diets. What is also interesting about this field of study is the realization that we can reduce our risk, or even prevent and reverse disease, by altering our epigenome (again – not our DNA sequence, but the compounds that attach to the genes within our DNA). This is a revolutionary concept that can potentially lead us towards a new paradigm of healing, where genes do not always determine our destiny.
