The fascinating world of epigenetics
The other day, I was busy doing what every responsible adult pretends they’ve figured out…adulting..🙄
My phone buzzed.
It was an Instagram notification.
Dan had sent me another reel.
Now, if you know my husband, you’ll know he has this habit of sending me random science videos that completely blow his mind. This particular one was about epigenetics.
He was fascinated.
Me?
I was… surprisingly casual about it.
Not because it wasn’t interesting, but because somewhere between medical school, countless journal articles and one too many late-night Google rabbit holes, epigenetics had quietly become one of those things I knew so well that I’d forgotten not everyone else did.
Then something hit me.
There are so many things we, as doctors, assume everyone knows.
But they don’t.
And honestly…
Why should they?
Most people have never heard the word epigenetics.
Yet it could very well be one of the most important concepts in modern medicine.
Especially if you’re planning to have children.
Or you’re pregnant.
Or you simply want to understand why some diseases seem to “run in families.”
When most people think about pregnancy, the advice is almost always the same.
“Don’t smoke.”
“Don’t drink alcohol.”
“Take your folic acid.”
“Eat healthy.”
If you’re African, you’ve probably also heard advice from an auntie, grandmother or neighbour that has somehow survived for generations.
“Don’t lift your hands above your head.”
“Don’t go to funerals.”
“Don’t look at an eclipse.”
Some of these are harmless traditions.
Some have absolutely no scientific basis.
But hidden beneath all the myths is something we rarely talk about.
Pregnancy isn’t just about growing a baby after you get it from swallowing watermelon seeds..
It’s about programming one.
Every meal you eat.
Every stressful day at work.
Every cigarette.
Every good night’s sleep.
Every infection.
Every exposure to pollution.
Every workout.
Every vitamin.
Your body is constantly sending tiny biological messages to your baby’s developing genes.
Not changing the genes themselves…
But influencing how they behave.
And that…
…is epigenetics.
So… what exactly is epigenetics?
Let’s start with something we all remember from high school Biology.
DNA.
Most of us know DNA is what makes us who we are.
It determines things like our eye colour, hair type, height, blood group and even our risk of developing certain diseases.
Think of DNA as the world’s biggest recipe book.
Inside that book are thousands of recipes.
Those recipes are called genes.
Every single cell in your body carries almost exactly the same recipe book.
Which raises an interesting question.
If every cell has the same DNA…
Why doesn’t your liver start growing eyelashes?
Or your heart suddenly begin producing skin?
Simple.
Not every recipe is being used at the same time.
Imagine your genes have light switches…
This is probably my favourite way of explaining epigenetics.
Imagine every gene in your body has a tiny light switch.
Some switches are ON.
Some are OFF.
Epigenetics is the process that controls those switches.
The DNA hasn’t changed.
The gene hasn’t changed.
Only whether it’s being used.
Think of it like this…
Your DNA is the piano.
Your genes are the piano keys.
Epigenetics is the pianist deciding which notes to play.
Same piano.
Different song.
So can lifestyle really influence our genes?
Yes.
Not by changing the DNA itself…
But by influencing how active certain genes become.
So your life is an influencer…SLAY!!
Scientists have discovered that many everyday things affect these tiny switches.
The food we eat.
Exercise.
Sleep.
Stress.
Smoking.
Alcohol.
Air pollution.
Certain medications.
Exposure to toxins.
Our bodies are constantly responding to the environment around us.
And our genes are listening.
Here’s where pregnancy becomes fascinating…
For years we thought pregnancy was simply about growing a healthy baby.
Now we know it’s much more than that.
The environment inside the womb is giving your baby’s genes information.
Information about food.
Stress.
Inflammation.
Nutrition.
Safety.
Even before your baby is born, their body is learning about the world it expects to enter.
That’s incredible, isn’t it?
It also reminds us why prenatal care is so much more than attending clinic appointments.
It’s about creating the healthiest possible environment for a little human whose story is only just beginning.
What about Dad?
Here’s something many people don’t realise.
Epigenetics isn’t just about the mother.
A father’s health before conception also matters.
Smoking.
Obesity.
Poor nutrition.
Excessive alcohol.
Even chronic stress.
These may influence the quality of sperm and can affect biological processes that researchers are actively studying.
Healthy babies don’t begin with healthy pregnancies.
They begin with healthy parents.
But does this mean our future is already decided?
Absolutely not.
And this is probably my favourite part about epigenetics.
For years we believed our genes were our destiny.
Today we know the story is much more hopeful.
Many epigenetic changes are dynamic.
Healthy habits can encourage healthier patterns of gene activity.
Exercise.
Nutritious food.
Better sleep.
Managing stress.
Avoiding smoking.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
These don’t rewrite your DNA.
But they help your body use that DNA in healthier ways.
Think of your genes as the script.
Your lifestyle is the director.
The script stays the same.
But the performance can be completely different.
More than just pregnancy
Even if you’re never planning on having children, epigenetics still matters.
It helps explain why two identical twins with the same DNA can live completely different lives.
Why one develops diabetes.
The other doesn’t.
Why one develops heart disease.
The other reaches ninety-five in remarkable health.
Same genes.
Different environment.
Different choices.
Different biological conversations happening every single day.
The future of medicine
The more scientists learn about epigenetics, the more exciting medicine becomes.
Imagine a future where we don’t just treat disease…
We prevent it before it starts.
Where doctors understand not only what genes you carry…
But how they’re behaving.
We’re not quite there yet.
But we’re getting closer every year.
Final thoughts
Perhaps the biggest lesson epigenetics teaches us is this.
Our health isn’t written in permanent ink.
Yes, we inherit our DNA.
But every day, through our choices, our environment and the way we care for ourselves, we influence how that DNA is read.
You cannot choose the genes you were born with.
But you have far more influence over how they behave than scientists once believed.
And maybe…
Just maybe…
That’s one of the most hopeful discoveries modern medicine has ever made.
Our genes tell a story.
But they don’t necessarily write the ending.
So, the next time someone reduces preparing for a baby to, “The mother must just avoid drinking and smoking,” remember; it is far more layered than that.
A baby’s story does not begin with the mother alone.
The health, habits, environment and experiences of both parents can influence the biological story their child inherits, even before conception.
No pressure, future parents, but also… a little pressure. 😂
Because while DNA may hand your baby the script, both parents help shape how parts of that script are read.
And that, my friends, is epigenetics.
Till next time, Alexa, play Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC. 😂👋🏽
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