Genetics: The Deciding Factor
Jan 09, 2010 by Bill Rawls, M.D.
Anyone who has seen the size of an average medical textbook would be obligated to wonder how so many diseases could come from such a short list of causes. The answer lies in our genes: Our individual genetic blueprints are so diversely different that an almost infinite number of diseases can come from a lifetime of exposure to a limited number of stress factors.
This means that people vary in their susceptibility to different diseases. One person may consume flour and sugar for a lifetime and never develop diabetes, while another with the same diet will be destined to be on insulin by age fifty. Some people develop heart disease from smoking cigarettes and others will develop emphysema. Still, the list of causes is the same.
We each inherit a unique set of genes, different from any other set of genes that have ever existed (unless you are an identical twin, of course!). Our genes, however, are not perfect. They carry a mix of variations that have been passed down through the ages from all of our ancestors. Some of these “defects” may have actually been adaptations that worked very well for our ancient ancestors, but are of disadvantage in our modern world today. For example, individuals who rapidly absorb glucose and turn it into fat may have had ancestors who also had this trait and were, during lean times, resistant to starvation. Good or bad, our genes are the hand we draw and how we play that hand is up to us.
Our genetic blueprint codes for all of the biochemical functions within the body. Because these functions are so remarkably complex, there is a significant amount of room for variability and error. Though we cannot change our genes, we can sometimes work around genetic defects. We all have adaptations in our genes that affect our risk of disease, but good habits can often overcome “bad genes.”
On a basic level, nutritional modifications can alleviate the risk of disease by addressing the biochemical restrictions introduced by these genes. For example, most Native Americans have innate intolerance to high glucose diets. For thousands of years their ancestors existed on food containing almost no sugar or grain; however, this population of people has very high rates of diabetes when exposed to the average diets of today. Respect for their genetic history would suggest that this population should always follow a very low-sugar diet similar to that of their ancestors.
Sometimes specific mutations occur in genes that affect the biochemistry of that individual. Some people are born with PKU disease, the inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. When exposed to dietary phenylalanine they develop neurological disturbances and epilepsy. Removal of dietary phenylalanine allows completely normal life. There are many other examples of similar types of genetic diseases that can be alleviated by understanding the genetic defect and others still that could be treated with nutritional changes if we better understood the underlying problem. Autism is a common affliction for which there is no known cure, but many patients respond positively to specific nutritional therapies.
The strategy of being able to turn on, turn off, or bypass completely certain genes through dietary changes, nutritional supplements or specifically designed drug therapy is very interesting science. This is the future of medicine. Newer and more targeted drugs that act at the level of the gene, as opposed to blocking biochemical reactions to impede symptoms, offer a whole new avenue in the treatment of disease.
In the future you may be able to walk into a clinic and have a blood test that defines your entire genetic profile; the risk for each disease laid out in black and white. Certainly knowing your personal risk of specific diseases would be beneficial, but if most diseases have the same origins, why wait until that information is available? No matter what our genetic background happens to be, the choices we make in life will determine how much we get out of life. We all have the choice of being healthy if we desire.
At this point you may be adding up a mental list of factors that may be contributing to your personal risk of chronic disease—if not, you should be! Everyone has a threshold for chronic disease, defined by exposure to the forces of disease and genetic makeup. Symptoms do not occur until that threshold is crossed. You may go for years without symptoms while cumulative damage is adding up, then, almost suddenly, symptoms occur—different symptoms, seemingly unrelated symptoms. You may find yourself searching for a diagnosis, but your ultimate health will depend on whether you search for causes.
The above excerpt was taken from the "A New Style of Healthcare" chapter in my book, Health First!. This book was created as a resource for my patients and First Do No Harm Health readers who are eager to learn more about simple lifestyle changes that can improve their quality of life and dramatically reduce their risk of disease. It is my hope that you will consider this book as a resource for better understanding your health and take control of your own health today!
Categories: Disease Prevention, Nutrition,
Previous Comments
Steve Evans- Jan 12, 2010
Right on-- its not about the cards we are dealt, its how we play them! And isn't that true about so many things in life.. Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts on reducing the causes of disease!
Bill Rawls, MD- Jan 14, 2010
Reducing the causes of disease is truly within America's grasp-- just waiting to be taken advantage of. Spreading the word is going to be a grassroots effort, but I believe in it. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, Steve! Please let me know if you ever have questions-- I am here to help!
