In this final part of the series, we ask the question, “Where is evolution taking us?” Scientists have always thought that evolution was strictly a random change to our DNA that changed us forever. Are we changing only by random changes to our DNA? I don’t think so. I believe our epigenetic program can also be changed. Our minds are changing us much faster than evolution ever did. Look at all the artificial parts we make for humans, legs, arms, hearts, etc. If our bodies became more machine, how would that change us? That is the question philosophers ask all the time. I think we are much more than the mere flesh that makes up our bodies. Epigenetics is an amazing part of us. What do we know?
We are made of a community of cells (we have more cells in our bodies than there are animals on the Earth). Each cell is a living organism that makes decisions, reproduces, eats, gets rid of waste and communicates with other cells. This community makes you unique. Where we are going is for the science fiction writers to dream up and the scientists to discover. For sure we have evolved from no cellular organisms to cells, to multicellular creatures, all the way up to humans. This is NOT the end. We are still evolving in new ways. In 1,000 years we won’t recognise ourselves at that time. Evolution is not over, we are not the end product of evolution. We are just a step to the future of mankind. After all Early man could not have imagined modern man.
OK we have this DNA which is used to build different protein structures. These are used to build cells, mechanisms inside each cell and to communicate between cells. Epigenetics tells the cell when and which DNA to use or to stop using. This is a very complex programming structure. Proteins can affect other cells and the methyl groups can turn one set of DNA ON while turning OFF another. This is why drug interactions is so complex. A drug can help in one area while creating serious problems in another. Somethings the resulting problems are worse than the original problem. Drug companies are fast at work researching how to change our epigenetics in new drugs. I believe this is very dangerous. I don’t believe anyone today understands the extent of this programming. Playing with one small area can affect others unrelated areas.
Plants are the basis of modern medicine. Scientists know that plants have incredible healing powers. Drug companies find which substance in the plant affects a symptom, then they synthesize it into a drug. The problem is our bodies are more complex than this. Different substances play a role TOGETHER to help our cells. Playing with one at a time is very dangerous. Why are fruits (which contain sugar) good for us but sweets are so bad? It is because in a fruit the sugar is wrapped in fiber. The fiber acts like a time capsule, releasing a little sugar at a time over a long period of time. Sweets dump sugar on our system all at once.
Nature is a symbiotic relationship between animals and plants. We can not survive without plants. The missing amino acids that our DNA uses to build need proteins only come from plants! Yes they are in meat but because that animal ate plants. So they are there indirectly. If you or your family are eating a diet of little of no plants, you are running a huge risk of chronic illness. Change your diet today.
Healing illnesses and preventing new ones is as old as humans! There have been many different methods used. The Therapy Book says Our current practice of health care is based upon what is called allopathic medicine. The premise of allopathic medicine is the use of “opposites” to heal the body.” We don’t really address the cause of the disease but try to prevent the symptoms. Take for example a common fever. Our bodies cause a fever to kill invading viruses. It is the bodies main defense. The root problem is the virus. By taking aspirin we lower our temperature (the symptom) and allow the virus to survive. Obviously if our fever is high enough we need to take actions to lower it.
The ancient Egyptians recognized the importance of a healthy diet unlike their modern counterparts. This BLOG has been about just that! How do we eat really healthy and avoid disease. If we are sick what role does diet play in healing it? Modern biology has the study of epigenetics which turns our genes ON or OFF. One combination can give us cancer while another can make us totally healthy. Diet plays a major role in triggering epigenetic reactions. Does your diet make you sick or healthy?
This is a bit philosophical but bear with me. What makes us human? Are we really smarter than other animals? What is our purpose in life? These may seem like religious questions but the great Greek Philosophers ponder these often. If we look at our DNA and compare it to other mammals we see that it is very similar. Not enough difference to account for what we have become. It is like a piano with an extra key. What then caused our brains to differ, for us to stand upright, for us to build things and for us to invent technology? I believe it is our epigenetics!
Epigenetics compared to DNA is like music compared to a piano. The piano has limited keys and DNA has limited codes. Music plays these keys in an infinite set of different ways creating all the music we have today. Epigenetics “plays” our DNA in an infinite set of ways that controls our body functions, brain development and personalities. It makes us who we are as a species and an individual.
Where are we going? We have invented marvelous technology that lets us leave the Earth. We still can’t go far but in time we will. Will we meet other intelligent creatures? Will they have similar DNA but different epigenetics? How did epigenetics (programming) come about? Many would say from a very intelligent creature (call it God, nature or an alien race). I don’t believe epigenetics just randomly came about any more than a computer game (which is technically a bunch of ones and zeros) just came about. It was programmed by an intelligent human.
Are we still evolving? What will we look like and be able to do in a thousand years? …a million years? Will we even be around? Something worth pondering….
I sometimes wonder how smart we really are. Yes we have technology that no other animals has but all life seeks out health, procreation and finds food that is nursing to its species except humans! We know soda, fried foods, salty foods, sugary foods are bad for us but we still consume them in droves. More so than any other country. Many of us know how bad animal protein is for us but we are consuming larger quantities of it than ever before. What do we have to show for it? More cancer than ever and more than other countries. Heart decease is still the number one killer of Americans. Animal protein with its saturated fat and cholesterol is the main cause. Sugary and salty foods lead to it as well. We eat far less vegetables than our parents did. Why? I think it is because we have convinced ourselves that vegetables and fruits are not good tasting. We don’t see commercials for them but we do for fast food items and sugary treats. If we were so smart, you would think that most of us would catch on and change our lives. Doing so would increase American health, decrease hospitals, nursing homes and medical offices, decrease health care costs nd raise the standard of living in America. If we keep to our current path, we are doomed! Drugs have not helped the rise of decease and won’t at any time. From a drug company prospective, it is better to keep America sick and sell them a lot of drugs for their symptoms.
On Monday I BLOGged on How Much Exercise we Need. Exercise is very important for many reasons. If you eat a very bad diet, you can not exercise your way to a slim body. If you are already slim, you may be able to maintain it. Exercising without a good diet will not save you from diseases. Look at how many athletes get cancer or die of a heart attack. We must find a combination of exercise and diet if we want to maintain our health.
The plant kingdom evolved with us over millions of years. All the nutrients we need that are missing from our bodies is contained in plants (fruits & vegetables). Modern medicines are based on nutrients found in plants. They are synthesized not actually taken from plants. We need plants to survive in this world.
Now fast forward to current time! The SAD (Standard American Diet) is a sad diet. Most Americans are eating less and less plants and more and more meat, sugars and salt. This type of diet will kill most people eating it. If you really want to protect your family, start improving your diet and start a family exercise program. It can be as simple as walking together.
Dr Greger says, “In 2013 2/3 of our nation was over weight and by 2030 about 1/2 our population will be clinically obese!” We are a nation of obese people. Obesity leads to many serious deseases that weigh heavy on our economy. He also says,”The US may have its first generation ever that has a shorter life expectancy than the previous generation. Think about that! When we look at eating vs exercise we see that the US is exercising more than it did years ago but we are consuming many more calories as well. These calories are typically in processed foods, fried foods, salty foods and sugary foods. We are eating less vegetables which is the only food group that can save our health. Read my book or older BLOGs here. Dr Greger also says tat a myth exists about sexual activity burning about 100 to 300 calories. That sounds great but when actually measured it’s more like 21 calories. It turns out to exercise enough to burn off the sodas and fast food we are eating may take hours each day. We don’t have the time. The answer is simply, CHANGE YOUR DIET!
“Salmonella infection occurs when the bacteria are ingested, typically from food derived from infected food-animals, but it can also occur by ingesting the feces of an infected animal or person. Food sources include raw or undercooked eggs/egg products, raw milk or raw milk products, contaminated water, meat and meat products, and poultry. Raw fruits and vegetables contaminated during slicing have been implicated in several salmonella outbreaks.”
Vegans have little worry since they do not eat animal related products and can’t contaminate their vegetables from a cutting board used to cut meat. You do have to be careful when eating out.
I write this BLOG on health and how the science of epigenetics affects all of us. I have written a book on epigenetics and how everyday items like diet, positive/negative thinking, beliefs, environment and attitude can affect our health and well-being. It is called Food for Thought – An Epigenetic Guide to Wellness. It appears that we are NOT hard-wired by our DNA but have a “software” like system above the hardware called epigenetics. Epigenetics “expresses” or turns ON our genes. It can also block or turn OFF certain genes. The effect of these changes can be health or sickness.
My background is Physics and Math in college. I then spent most of my career in the computer business. I have a strong scientific and computer background. I was a public speaker for Microsoft as a Regional Director in charge of New York City. This allowed me to speak to as many as 2,000 participants at a conference on the latest and greatest in computing. I see epigenetics more from a computer point of view than do most scientists. This is an advantage given the current understanding of this subject.
I have always had a healthy interest in why things happen and what influences them. Biology of the body and DNA always was an interest to me. I became fascinated by the fact that this DNA somehow made each of us and created our intelligent brains. Scientists began to determine that there just wasn’t enough DNA to do the job. I began to see it like a computer. Computers have a relatively few simple instructions that when arranged in different orders produce all the programs in the world. They range from Windows to word processors to spreadsheets to digital programs to corporate programs and on and on.
What in our bodies was like software sitting on top of the hardware instructions? This fascinated me for years. Then I read an article about epigenetics and it became clear that epigenetics sits on top of DNA like software sits on top of hardware. It was the missing link that allows simple instructions to be arranged in infinite ways to creat complex outcomes. I began to read everything I could on epigenetics and a hundred plus books later and some online doctorial courses later, I have some knowledge of this subject.
We are about to enter a new age of better understanding how our bodies work. We will also gain knowledge on what affects our bodies both in good and bad ways. The field of epigenetics coupled with nutrigenomics has promising potential to link diet to illnesses. It will be a long hard up hill road but the results will be well worth the wait.
I would love your comments, ideas and thoughts on this subject. Biologists and epigenetists please comment on the technology and science of epigenetics. Thanks for reading my BLOG!
We have become a drug nation. Pills will cure-all if you believe the commercials. Some of us need some pills to fight an infection or a disease but many pills are unnecessary. Many people end up taking pills to offset effects of other pills. Have you ever counted the number of drugstores in your neighborhood? They are fast becoming the most common type of store. While you are at it, count the number of hospitals, medical centers or doctor offices. Is there any doubt we are becoming a very sick nation.
I am not against all drugs or suggesting you stop any medication without a doctors help. I do believe we are inventing medicines for everything that goes wrong. Take a pill and be happy. The problem is America is taking millions of pills and are getting more and more sick and are not very happy. We have not cured a disease since Polio. Why? Cures cause the cash flow to drug companies to stop. Imagine if we cured AIDS or Cancer. The drug companies would lose billions.
Be your own investigator. Research and discover alternate ways to stay healthy. You can cure yourself.
Food For Thought – An Epigenetic Guide to Wellness
georgefebish
The Epigenetics Project Blog 