We are used to thinking that heredity is a set of genes that passes from generation to generation without changes. It’s as if the winnings in the genetic lottery are determined even before we are born, and all we have to do is accept this result. But science has already proven that this is not the case. Not only do we pass on our DNA, we also directly influence how it will work in our children. Epigenetics shows that our habits, lifestyle, stressors and environment can alter gene activity, programming the future of generations to come. Sleepless nights, toxic environment, bad habits, improper nutrition – all this becomes not only our problem, but also the inheritance that our children will receive. The question is no longer what genes we will leave them, but what mechanisms we will activate. And this process is already happening now, regardless of whether we realize it or not.
What is epigenetics and why is it important?
Genes determine our potential, but do not guarantee the outcome. You can be born with the longevity gene, but the wrong lifestyle will block its work. And vice versa – the tendency to diabetes may not be activated if you eat right. This is what epigenetics is all about, the science that explains how environment and habits affect heredity.
Unlike genetics, which works with an unchanging set of genes, epigenetics controls which ones will be “turned on” and which will remain inactive. These changes don’t just affect one person – they can be passed on to the next generation.
Previously, all non-coding DNA was thought to be genetic “junk” that played no role. But today, science has proven that these mechanisms control many processes in the body and can even determine the risk of developing diseases in future generations. So our decisions – how we live, what we eat, how much we stress – can change not only our health, but also the future of our children.
Many complex processes take place in our body, and we, without realizing it, control each of them, influencing their activity with our own habits. If you currently lead an unhealthy lifestyle, your children may be born with “broken” genes. And if you look at today’s trends, it becomes scary. Modern lifestyle leads to epigenetic mutations that provoke:
- obesity and metabolic disorders. High-calorie food, rich in sugar and trans fats, is not simply deposited in the form of extra pounds. It changes the mechanism of work of genes responsible for metabolism. This means that future children may be born with a built-in predisposition to diabetes, heart disease and obesity;
- depression and mental disorders. Chronic stress, overload of the nervous system due to social networks and gadgets, lack of sleep – all this affects the epigenetics of the brain. Scientists are already observing that children of parents with depression are more likely to have emotional disorders, even if they grow up in better conditions;
- infertility Alcohol consumption, smoking, chronic stress and obesity affect genes responsible for reproductive health. Men pass on sperm mutations to their children, and women pass on altered egg maturation mechanisms;
- the risk of cancer. Even if a person does not have a genetic predisposition to cancer, a certain lifestyle can “trigger” oncogenes. Scientists are currently studying how poor nutrition, environmental pollution and stress affect the appearance of cancer cells in future generations.
Epigenetics shows that we do not just live for ourselves – we program the future of our children. The next generation does not deserve to inherit broken genes just because today’s youth live at an uncontrollable pace, sacrificing their health for quick gratification.
History of epigenetics
At school, we were taught that genes are something like instructions for the body. Blue eyes, height, susceptibility to certain diseases – all this is written in DNA, and it cannot be changed. But science does not stand still, and today we know that genes are only part of the story. Epigenetics has proven the importance of not only the information written in DNA, but also how exactly these genes work. Living conditions, nutrition, stress, toxins affect mechanisms that change a person’s future without any rewriting of his DNA. But epigenetics did not appear suddenly. Scientists observed strange biological phenomena long before they could explain them.
Back in the 19th century, beekeepers noticed that all bees in a hive have the same set of genes, but among them are workers and a queen. Some bees lived only a few weeks, and the queen – a few years. It turned out that the difference is not in DNA, but in nutrition. The larva, which is fed royal jelly, becomes a queen. If it receives ordinary food, it remains a simple worker bee. It was one of the first proofs that the environment can radically change the fate of an organism.
In the 1950s, British scientist Conrad Weddington conducted an experiment in which he forced frog embryos to develop under different conditions. It turned out that certain environmental factors change the development of the organism, and these changes can be transmitted to subsequent generations. Weddington called this phenomenon the “epigenetic landscape,” and it was he who coined the term “epigenetics,” although at the time no one understood the mechanisms behind it.
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for heritable epigenetics came in 2013. American scientists gave mice the smell of cherry blossoms and at the same time shocked them with a weak electric current. After a while, the mice began to panic from the smell alone, even without an electric shock. But the most interesting thing happened later. A new generation of mice that had never been subjected to such experiments were also afraid of this smell. This meant that fear was transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms.
However, the idea that external factors can change heredity existed before the era of epigenetics. French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in the 18th century assumed that organisms can pass on acquired traits to their offspring. His theory has long been considered false, because with the development of genetics it became clear that DNA does not change as a result of life experiences. However, discoveries in the 20th century showed that both Lamarck and his opponents were right. The DNA itself remains the same, but the way it works does not. And it gave a new understanding of evolution.
Throughout history, we observe various manifestations of heredity. For example, the terrible Holocaust left memories of itself not only in historical documents and memories of witnesses, but also in the genes of descendants. Studies have shown that children of Holocaust survivors have changes in the epigenome associated with the stress response. They are more prone to anxiety, depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder.
Similar changes were found in the descendants of those who survived the Holodomor. They have an increased tendency to diabetes and metabolic disorders. This is explained by the fact that the organisms of their ancestors were reorganized into survival mode, and these changes were fixed in subsequent generations. Experts have also proven that the age of the father affects the intelligence of the child. The older a man is, the more epigenetic changes accumulate in his sperm. This can affect children’s cognitive abilities and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
One of the most striking examples of how parents’ nutrition affects future children was shown in experiments on mice, when a diet rich in folic acid changed the color of the fur of mouse offspring.
Every day, epigenetics is rapidly gaining the attention of the scientific community around the world, opening new horizons in understanding how our lifestyle affects genetic inheritance. Thus, in 2006, the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to Andrew Fire and Craig Mello for the discovery of RNA interference, a mechanism that allows cells to regulate gene activity. This discovery was a breakthrough in the understanding of epigenetic processes.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School confirmed, that DNA methylation can serve as a biomarker for determining biological age. Thanks to the use of various molecular methods, including the epigenetic clock created by Steve Horvath in 2013, it has become possible to measure the rate of aging of each person.
In the course of the study, about 350 areas of DNA that change with age were identified. It turns out that breast cells in women age faster, while stem cells remain biologically young with age, having a biological age of zero. At the same time, cells of tumor origin on average exceeded the patient’s biological age by 36 years. It was found that with age, the epigenome gradually loses methylation: some genes become more active, while the activity of others decreases.
In 2023, Harvard University scientists were able to prove that epigenetic modifications can be one of the main causes of general aging of the body. A decrease in epigenome methylation with age correlates with an increased risk of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery stimulates further research in the field of epigenetic therapy, which gives hope for new approaches to combat aging.
Recently, Professor Trevor Graham, director of the Center for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, noted, that scientists have discovered a new level of regulation of cancer behavior, which he called the “dark matter” of cancer. In an interview with the BBC, he explained that in each cell, DNA strands can curl into a kind of tangle, which affects the reading of genes. According to him, the location of these tangles can have a significant impact on the development and behavior of cancer.
The results of the study were published in two journal articles “Nature». The first analyzes more than 1,300 samples from 30 types of colon cancer and demonstrates that epigenetic changes are widespread in cancer cells and promote their growth. The second paper looks at samples from different areas of the same tumor and finds that cancer development often depends not only on DNA mutations, but also on other factors. Although this discovery will not change treatment approaches immediately, it may help develop new therapeutic methods in the future.
Genetic tests for mutations, such as BRCA, that increase the risk of breast cancer, give only a partial idea of the likelihood of developing cancer. However, according to Professor Graham, the simultaneous analysis of genetic and epigenetic changes may allow more accurate prediction of which therapy will be most effective for a particular patient.
In Ukraine, epigenetics is also gaining popularity. Scientists are investigating the role of epigenetic factors in the development of diseases such as bronchial asthma. In particular, it was found that epigenetic mechanisms can determine different phenotypes of this disease, which opens up new possibilities for its diagnosis and treatment.
Despite significant achievements, epigenetic research in Ukraine faces challenges related to the complexity and cost of analyses. However, the potential of this science in understanding disease mechanisms and developing personalized treatment methods is extremely promising. Epigenetics continues to evolve, offering new approaches to understanding the impact of environment and lifestyle on our health and the health of future generations.
As we can see, it will no longer be possible to attribute everything to genetics and blame nature. We ourselves lay a lot of things – with our habits, lifestyle, choice between health and comfort. What seems innocent today – sleepless nights, fast food, stress, bad habits – tomorrow will become the epigenetic code that our children will carry in their cells.
This is not an abstract theory, but a scientific fact: the way we live now programs the future of generations to come. Diseases that were once considered hereditary are increasingly being found to be the result not of genes, but of the lifestyle of previous generations. And, conversely, healthy habits can become the key to a strong future for our children. Even if no one gave them to us. It is worth understanding that we are actually writing the script of illness and suffering for our children. Epigenetics gives us a choice whether to pass on strong, healthy genes to the next generation or turn them into a ticking time bomb.
