WHAT’S IN MY GENES, ANYWAY?
Tests that reveal genetic alterations that increase the risk of certain cancers and inherited disorders are available to high-risk families. Direct-to-consumer tests are also available, but experts are concerned about their credibility and safety.
A simple way to assess whether you have potentially inherited a higher risk of certain diseases is to look at your family’s health history. Here are five health issues that your genes may put you more at risk of, but where lifestyle habits can spark protective epigenetic changes. Type 2 diabetes
If one of your parents has it, your risk doubles, and if both parents have the condition, you’re about six times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
TAKE ACTION BY
calculating your waist-to-height ratio, by dividing your waist circumference by your height (both in centimetres). A ratio of 0,5 or higher indicates an increased diabetes risk, partly because being overweight triggers changes to diabetes-related genes. If your ratio is higher than that, aim to lose five percent of your body weight – that’s enough to reduce your risk of diabetes.
Rheumatoid arthritis
If a first-degree relative is diagnosed with it, you’re three times more likely to develop it.
TAKE ACTION BY
downloading the Smiling Mind app and using it to help you meditate for a few minutes each day. You can dim the action of genes thought to play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Meditation effectively combats stress, which has been shown to increase the risk of this condition.
High blood pressure
Look out for a blood relative, like a parent or sibling, who develops high blood pressure before the age of 60 – that could mean you’re twice as likely to have high blood pressure too.
TAKE ACTION BY
eating kimchi and sauerkraut. Not only do they encourage positive changes in the expression of genes linked to blood pressure, both these foods contain potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure by balancing the body’s fluid levels. Maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly and limiting your salt and alcohol intake will also help to keep your blood pressure in check.
Bowel cancer
If a first-degree relative is diagnosed with it before age 55, or two first- or second-degree relatives from the same side of the family are diagnosed at any age, your bowel-cancer risk is up to six times higher.
TAKE ACTION BY
eating wholegrains and/ or legumes with each meal as both contain fibre and resistant starch. The risk of bowel cancer falls by 10 percent with every 10g of fibre you eat a day, and resistant starch sparks healthy epigenetic changes, which may help counteract the increased bowel cancer risk associated with eating red meat.
Heart disease
If your dad was diagnosed with it before age 55 or your mom developed it before she turned 65, your risk of heart disease is three times higher than average.
TAKE ACTION BY
doing at least 150 minutes of exercise a week to switch off certain genes and improve the way your body stores fat, which helps prevent weight gain. Along with keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels within the healthy range, maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of heart disease.