Nature versus NurtureWhen it comes to nature versus nurture, scientists used to believe that nature had the upper hand. Thanks to the genome project and the study of epigenetics, it now appears that while both nature and nurture are important, nurture plays a big role when it comes to your health.It appears that nature and nurture play different roles in shaping your personality, your talents, and your health. Your physical traits are genetically passed down from your ancestors. So are the traits and behaviors that make you human. For example, your brain is wired to initiate specific mental and physical developmental milestones at different stages of life. What has turned conventional beliefs about predestined mental and physical health upside down is the science of epigenetics and new understandings about the brain. For a long time it was believed that our brains developed for a few decades and then pretty much stayed the same. Then it begins its decline into old age. Now we know that the brain never stops changing. We acquire about half of our neural networks through heredity. The rest we build as we learn new things and have new experiences. We can influence these networks through our free will right up until the day we die. How our brains are wired are as unique as our fingerprints. Nature versus Nurture and EpigeneticsThe science of epigenetics shows that, except in the case of genetic defects, it isn't the DNA that runs the show, but the cell membranes.Basically, receptors respond to signals in its environment. This doesn't change the genetic code, but it does affect the thousands of ways genes inside the cell express themselves. They can be turned on or off or instructed to behave in a certain way. This can change in a matter of minutes or be passed down to future generations. When it comes to nature and nurture, it appears that your genetic code impacts health and longevity less than half as much as the environment. The genetic code you received from your parents may predispose you to certain conditions, but other factors have more influence. These include the foods you eat, hormones and toxins in the body, stress levels, lifestyle choices, and your thoughts and emotions.
This graphic from the National Institute of Health illustrates how epigenetics turns genes off and on. If the gene wraps too tightly to the DNA it becomes inaccessible and can't be used. Then degenerative diseases can develop. For example, if the gene that suppresses cancer is turned off, your chances of getting this disease increase. Thankfully, you can take steps to create a healthy cell environment that encourages health promoting genes to turn on and undesirable gene responses to turn off. Continue reading Nurture vs Nature and Your Health Return from Nature versus Nurture to the Holistic Healing Primer Return to Holistic Mindbody Healing |
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