Better Nutrition January 2019

the wrong gene (for example, a cancercausing
gene) can get turned on, or a
repair enzyme can be made defectively.
Epigenetic processes are natural and
essential to many functions, but if they
occur improperly, there can be major
adverse health and behavioral effects.
Causes of Genetic Changes
A wide variety of illnesses, behaviors, and
other health indicators are linked with
epigenetic mechanisms, including cancers
of almost all types, as well as cognitive,
respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive,
and autoimmune dysfunction. Known
drivers behind epigenetic processes
include heavy metals, pesticides, diesel
exhaust, tobacco smoke, flame retardants,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, hormone
disruptors (especially soft plastics),
pharmaceuticals, radioactivity, viruses,
bacteria, and basic nutrients.
What can be done to reduce the
potential for epigenetic changes that
can increase risk of disease? Looking at
the list of known drivers, living a clean
life should come to mind. It’s really that
simple. Of course in an increasingly
polluted world, it’s difficult to live a
completely clean life. But doing your
very best will make a huge difference,
especially if you plan on having children
or your children want to be parents.
Start with making a commitment to
stop buying food and drink in plastic
containers. We simply must reduce the
demand for plastic, which is choking up
our detox mechanisms on a personal
and planetary level. Buy a few stainless
steel water bottles and keep them in
your car, in your gym bag, at work, and
by your bedside. Recycle your old plastic
Tupperware and invest in reusable glass
containers. Always keep cloth shopping
bags in your car, and a small compressible
bag in your purse. Never take a new
plastic bag at the store. Just stop.
Top Gene-Supporting Nutrients
Certain supplements and nutrients can
amplify our detoxification capacity. In
order to clear toxins effectively, the bowels
have to work well (a subject of many
of these columns). You need to sweat
regularly (exercise or sauna—mix it up)
and also have functional urination. It’s
normal for urine to be a bit yellow in the
morning, but mostly it should be nearly
clear. If not, drink more water.
One of the major ways in which the
environment can epigenetically alter your
DNA is via a process called methylation.
Some people do not “methylate” well and
can be helped by taking methylated
vitamins, in particular B vitamins. More
is definitely not better. Look for a B multi
with methylcobalamin (the active form
of B 12
) in doses in the 1,000 mcg range,
and methylfolate (not “folic acid,” which is
synthetic) in the 500 mcg range.
Vitamin C is also helpful in locking
in good changes and repairing cell
replication mistakes. I prefer a buffered
powder “to bowel tolerance.” Cut back
the dose if stools get loose. Glutathione
is arguably the most potent antioxidant
produced endogenously, and is especially
potent for lung repair. The main peptide in
glutathione is NAC, which is a fantastic
and much more affordable option if you
aren’t ill, but simply want to maintain good
health. I recommend taking 600–1,200
mg of NAC at bedtime. Take the higher
dose if you’re trying to clear an infection,
especially if your mucous secretions
seem sticky or difficult to expectorate.
Many of us are also low on minerals
because of soil depletion, so a good
multimineral supplement can also
help cells function optimally. I prefer
liquid multiminerals because of their
excellent absorption.
What You Eat = Roughly
80 Percent of Your Health
Sufficient sleep, regular exercise,
and kindness can all favorably
change epigenetics. For younger
women, these epigenetic improvements
can be passed down to your children.
You might be familiar with the popular
epigenetic study showing that when
mother rats lick their pups, they leave
epigenetic marks on their babies’ DNA.
This, in turn, helps the pups grow up
to be calm adult rats. On the other
hand, pups who receive very little
licking, grooming, or nursing from
their moms tend to grow up more
Most animals make their own vitamin C. But our
ancestors lost this ability some 25 million years
ago, so we have to obtain it
through diet or supplements.
anxious. It wasn’t their genes that
dictated their stressed-out behavior,
but their epigenome, which was
shaped by the nurturing behavior of
their mother early in life. Could this
hold true for humans? New research
suggests that it might.
What goes into your mouth
determines about 80 percent of your
health profile. Some people have
“better genes” than others, but all of
us are at risk of pushing our genes in
the wrong direction if we persistently
ingest unnatural chemicals. If you
truly desire health, choose the cleanest
food and water possible every day.
It’s important to frame these choices
with a joyous desire to be the best
possible person you can during your
time on the earth. Don’t think of
making healthy food choices from a
perspective of “deprivation.” Instead,
make a commitment to self-care that is
gentle, authentic, and consistent.
Your unique self came to this life
to be as clear, openhearted, and healthy
as possible. If you’re reading this, you
are luckier than most. Do the best you
can for yourself. There’s nothing better
than living your best life.
Do you have a question for Dr. Kane? Email it to editorial@
betternutrition.com with “Ask the ND” in the subject line.
JANUARY 2019 • 21