Genetics and AF

We often see posts indicating that afibbers are told the cause of their afib is genetic.

As stated in a Dec. ‘11 post, the missing portion of that statement is: “While some individuals may have a genetic or familial tendency toward developing atrial fibrillation, the world now knows that by understanding Epigenetics, we are no longer held hostage to a genetic link since we are able to control or influence genetic expression. Expression is the operative word. A flaw may be the inability of that body to perform a specific metabolic function … such as absorb and metabolize magnesium efficiently or methlate properly which sets the stage for afib. These flaws are modifiable once recognized. Influencing factors include lifestyle, diet and environment.

Through nutritional and other interventions, we have have strong influence over the Expression The concept isn’t new but is a major breakthrough from conventional thinking that “our genes are our destiny.” Success stories abound. Crusading actively to enlighten patients and doctors is Garry Gordon, MD, who is living proof that one can over-ride gene flaws. No longer are we victims of our genetics, thanks to Epigenetics.

In a book written specifically for non-scientists to understand the principles of our ability to modify inherited traits, biochemist and leader in the field of functional medicine, Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD wrote Genetic Nutritioneering back in 1999. He explains how food and nutrients improve gene expression and how we can reprogram our genes…just as Garry Gordon demonstrates his own personal success story.

Correcting gene flaws isn’t just a concept for afib….there are many familial tendencies that can be reversed or prevented from occurring in the first place. The most important thought for everyone is when “genetics as a cause” is mentioned, is to start thinking, "what can I learn about reversing the tendency for that gene flaw expression?" We don’t have to throw up our hands and give in to “the sentence” of just living with it. We can actively participate to reverse or alter the course ahead.

As exemplified by the many success stories in CR 61 where afibbers have successfully reversed their AF trend, we are living proof that diligence and attentiveness can pay big dividends.

Hold in your mind the following comments on Epigenetics by Dr. Gordon. This is specific to cancer, but emphasizes the concept of Epigenetics.

Jackie

Dear Readers:
Please read this carefully; Epigenetics is understandable. Those who advise patients with BRCA 1 or 2 issues are one day going to wake up and realize that removing breasts and ovaries because of BRCA test results is not state of the art medicine, it is medieval medicine.

The role of Epigenetics in health and disease is becoming ever clearer, and I firmly believe this field of study will eventually supplant the current medical paradigm. The conventional belief has been that genes controlled their own expression and were therefore the direct cause of certain diseases. This laid the groundwork for the idea that your genes predetermined your health.

But genes are in fact NOT self-regulating. Having "bad genes," does not at all mean you're doomed to suffer some inevitable fate like cancer!

Genes are merely blueprints, and these blueprints are activated and controlled by something else entirely, namely their environment. This environmental information, which includes diet, toxic exposures, as well as thoughts and emotions, and more, can create more than 30,000 different variations from each blueprint, allowing for an astounding amount of leeway in modifying the expression or "read-out" of each gene. As a result of these findings, we're now finally seeing science alter its course to investigate the power of optimal nutrition to improve health and prevent chronic disease from occurring in the first place

I hope all of you become more interested in OPTIMIZING ENVIRONMENT. For example, since that means diet and exercise, learn about my M.I.C.E. (magnetically induced cellular Exercise) concept that lowers cancer risk through autophagy.

Also the 72 gene panel I am doing on my patients in Australia with a company called SMART DNA finds the genes that nutrition can optimize to really offer advanced dietary supplement assistance to anyone looking for optimizing their environment so that the genes for their parents are not expressed in their bodies.

The information in this link will make you understand why Kobayashi’s program eliminated clinical (we all have subclinical all the time) cancer for 10 years for nearly 10,000 patients no matter what the family history was or the gene tests showed.

Sincerely,
Dr. Garry F. Gordon, MD, DO, MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Gene Expression and Epigenetics have been discussed frequently in other posts with mention observations by Bruce Lipton (Biology of Belief) and Dawson Church (Genie in Your Genes), two important books of many reading resources.

Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD, FACN, CNS
Genetic Nutritioneering
© 1999

Video clip on epigenomics….A Tale of Two Mice
[www.pbs.org]

Conference Room 61 [www.afibbers.org]

Jackie -- You're a fabulous resource!

Thanks for sharing all the info you post and for your amazing intellectual curiosity.

Sincerely,

/L

I agree we may not be doomed to acquire the same disease as our parents, due to a good diet etc. However, my father had Graves disease in his early thirties, the doctors operated to remove his thyroid and my father died, (this was in the 1930s ), he wouldn't have died today, doctors would have performed a tracteomy, seems like they should have known to do it then, but didn't. Anyway, I have pretty much eaten well, we always had a garden, so we had fresh vegetables, but I got Graves disease in my 50s, the same disease as my father. I also sometimes get aura migraines, which my mother and grandmother got as well, I get Afib, my mother went into permanent Afib in her 80s, my aunt and cousin also have Afib. I get Afib once in a while, probably due to my uptake of Magnesium, also my cooking everything from scratch and from what I grow. Nevertheless, I have gotten the same maladies as my father and mother. Also, my grandaughter gets migraines once in a while and my daughter just got an aura migraine, she has been free of them all of her life, but it happened just a week ago, she eats very well, she eats a lot of salads, vegs., fruit and lots of seafood. I have seen all kinds of theories come and go throughout my life, so, I am sceptical.

Let me add my 1995 article Faulty Genes: What You Can Do to this discussion. You can find it here: [www.yourhealthbase.com]

Hans

Hans, your article is way out of date. True, the human genome project anticipated over 120,000 genes, but found fewer than 25,000, throwing out the dogma that 1 gene codes for 1 protein, as there are more than 100.000 proteins comprising the human body*. Epigenetics (control above the genes) accounts for the vast number of variations, and that control is by the cell membrane via the cells' environment, not the nuclear chromosomes.

Erling.

*e.g. Penisi, E "A Low Number Wins the GeneSweep Pool" Science 300: 1484, and "Gene Counters Struggle to Get the Right Answer" Science 301: 1040-1041

Erling,

Of course it is out of date. It was written in 1995!! I posted it to show that the idea that we can control our gene expression through diet and supplements is nothing new.


Hans

Hans,

My point - and I presume Jackie's - which has been presented many times, is that our control over "gene expression" goes far beyond diet and supplements, and includes the totality of "energy medicine".

Erling

See Introduction to 'epigenetics' and 'methylation' [www.afibbers.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2012 10:46PM by Erling.

Liz - Probably nothing I can offer will help you be less skeptical about the fact that it has long been known and accepted that we can modify or control many common genetic expressions that can cause disease or ill health. Dr. Bland is one of the early pioneers but by no means the only one who observes success with modifying gene expression to change health or disease patterns with food and lifestyle modifications. There are now legions of well-known and respected practitioners of Functional Medicine reporting successes which not only validates the theory but allows people to live longer, healthier lives as a result. Most likely, though, afibbers treated by conventional medicine will not be guided in this direction by their physicians.


From In Dr. Bland’s chapter, How Your Diet Communicates with Your Genes, written 14 years ago, he says,
“In the past, we did not understand our genes and how the expressions of their characteristics
could be influenced by environment and diet. This is no longer the case. Now we know that
eventually, thousands of substances in foods impact the genes in such a way as to either promote
or suppress specific expressions. Your phenotype, therefore, is the result of your dietary history and
the experiences you have had throughout your life.

Once again, it is important to point out that not all genetic characteristics are inducible and capable
of modifications in the phenotype by your dietary habits. As stated earlier, certain genetic characteristics
are constitutionalized or hard-wired and their expression cannot be modified. Many genetic characteristics
are inducible, however, and their expression can be modified by the way genes are treated with dietary factors,
lifestyle and environmental experiences. These characteristics are the foundation of the Genetic Nutritioneering program.
Fortunately, most of the characteristics that determine health and vitality after mid-life are related to the inducible or
modifiable genetic factors and not the hard-wired or constitutional factors. In fact, gerontologist now state that 75 percent
of an individual’s health after age 40 is dependent upon what the person has done to his or her genes, and not to the genes themselves."

In a more recent publication (2009), TRANSCEND, Nine steps to Living Well Forever, authors Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman, MD observe:
"In the past few years, the new field of epigenetics has evolved. Epigenetics looks at how environmental factors such as
Your lifestyle can change how your genes are expressed… whether these genes or tendencies, become manifest as health or
disease. In fact, it is now believed that your lifestyle choices are 80 percent of the reason you’ll get a given disease, while your
genes contribute only 20 percent of the risk.

We can use the lifestyle choices we make every day—the food we eat and the supplements we choose to take, for example – to affect and modulate these tendencies. Making proper lifestyle choices plays a fundamental role in your personal wellness program and we refer to doing so as “reprogramming your biochemistry.”

Jackie

Sorry:

Our genes determine how we look, probably our intelligence. I have eaten much, much better than my mother, she didn't take any vitamins, ate potatoes everyday, ate white bread, very little fruits and vegetbles. I have never eaten that way, I don't eat potatoes, white breads, eat lots of vegetables and fruit, yet I still got AF and the aura migraines. I have lived it, not reading about it in textbooks, so you bet I am skeptical. Aura migraines usually happen because of a trigger, funny thing, I have found that certain vitamins will trigger them, I havn't found food to trigger my AF nor does eating or not eating certain foods lead to Graves disease, now that could happen because of some kind of an emotional happening as I did get my Graves disease about 2 years after the death of my son. The fact remains we have a bent for certain diseases because of our genetic makeup, sometimes we can escape it because of a better lifestyle but that is not a given.

Liz