Are you worried about cancer, diabetes, or heart disease that runs in your family? Were you told by someone that you cannot avoid these illnesses because they are in your genes? Well, don’t believe it! While it has been believed for so long that your genes dictate your health; your diet and lifestyle choices have a great effect on your health.
For instance, a recent study showed that curcumin, a nutrient found in turmeric (and what gives it the colour yellow), may be able to keep you safe from diseases by regulating epigenetic expression.
The field of epigenetics deals with a lot of factors that affect your DNA. Those factors can tell whether a certain gene or a cluster of genes is switched on or off, and whether a disease will develop or health is maintained and protected.
There are certain genes and gene clusters that can indicate a genetic predisposition for getting such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and more. But having those genes does not necessarily mean you’ll develop those diseases. Only when those genes are “switched on”, will you be affected by them.
The good news is, certain phytochemicals like curcumin can help ward off disease and improve your overall health. Yes, there are other influencers like the air you breathe, the food you eat, exercise and even the emotions you cultivate, that can influence genetic expression. Of course, if you make better choices, you’ll enjoy better health! Choose a more sedentary lifestyle and you will experience negative effects like hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, toxins in the body, and recurring stress, among others.
Curcumin’s positive effect on gene expression appears capable of preventing and even treating various kinds of cancer, as well as other age-related diseases. Turmeric, with curcumin as an active ingredient, is considered the “King of Spices”. It can hack your genetic code to improve it. One way it does this is by influencing a process called methylation which occurs when a single carbon links up with three hydrogen atoms. Methylation contributes to the progress of various diseases like colon, lung, and prostate cancer, as well as autoimmune disorders, diabetes, neurocognitive diseases and inflammatory disorders.
Curcumin in turmeric can turn off the switch in those genes, leading to the development of those illnesses. It can help keep your body healthy and free from harmful diseases, even those hereditary conditions that you might be worrying about.
Aside from including turmeric in your diet, it is important that you improve your lifestyle for the better. We, at Sloan Natural Center can help you with that! Give us a call today to find out how!
