From epigenetics to lifestyle medicine

Imagine that your genes are like a book with many pages, and each page represents a characteristic or function in your body. Epigenetics act as markers on those pages, indicating which ones should be read more often and which ones should be ignored.

These markers, called epigenetic modifications, can be influenced by environmental factors, such as diet, exercise or stress. They change the way genetic information is “read”, affecting development and health. Epigenetics also plays an important role in embryonic development, cell differentiation and adaptation to changes in the environment. It is a fascinating way in which our body adjusts gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Although we all have the same genetic information, epigenetics decides when and how strongly certain genes are switched on or off, thus affecting how our bodies develop and function. It is like an additional layer of instructions that modulates the expression of our genes without changing the genetic sequence itself.

The two main epigenetic mechanisms are DNA methylation and modifications to histones, proteins that help package DNA in the cell.

Methylation involves the addition of methyl groups to certain regions of DNA, affecting the ability of genes to become active.

Histone modifications, on the other hand, alter the way DNA wraps around these proteins. This can affect the accessibility of genes, regulating their expression. Research suggests that lived experiences, such as trauma or the surrounding environment, can leave epigenetic marks that affect health throughout life.

What is really interesting to consider is that epigenetics may influence the reversal of chronic diseases by providing new opportunities to change gene expression. Some treatments and lifestyle changes can affect epigenetic modifications, altering the activity of disease-associated genes.

For example, in certain cases, epigenetics has been shown to play a role in turning on or off genes associated with diseases such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. By understanding and manipulating these epigenetic modifications, researchers are exploring approaches to reverse or mitigate the impact of chronic diseases.

All this makes us rethink the key to living a healthy life for many years, and the evidence from the results of epigenetic studies undoubtedly shifts the focus of attention to the lifestyle we lead.

Lifestyle Medicine, a new field of evidence-based medicine that changes the paradigm of traditional medical practice, has been promoted for years by organisations such as the European Lifestyle Medicine Organisation (ELMO), British Society Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM), American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), Latin American Lifestyle Medicine Association (LALMA) and more recently, the Spanish Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (www.iemev.com), to ensure that this is understood and learnt well.

Attention is focused preferentially and directly on the person, considered as a unique individual, to help them find the most appropriate diet, the physical activity best suited to their condition, sleep hygiene and restful sleep, the elimination of bad social habits and harmful behaviours, and the reduction of the consumption of toxic substances such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

Lifestyle measures are key to preventing chronic diseases, delaying their chronic complications or even reversing them, where nutrition, together with the other habits mentioned above, plays a very important role. 

Without doubt, we now have more knowledge and more tools than ever before to be able to take control of our health destiny.

For this reason, at Benefit Brokers, being aware of everything that surrounds us, and allied with the advances in the health sector, it is clear to us that investing time and resources in adapting the lifestyle of the employees and the organisations to which they belong, is the differentiating factor of our work as specialised health brokers.

María Kindelán

Associate Director Physical and 

Emotional Wellbeing Benefit Brokers

Project Director IEMEV