how to reprogram your dna for optimum health

Your DNA

How to

for Optimum Health

Spontaneous Healing and Other Health Miraclesthrough Epigenetics

ReprogramWhat if you could avoid the health

problems of your parents andgrandparents and instead create exactlythe level of ideal health you desire?

The fact is, you can. Most people mistakenly assume that their genes control their eventual

health and wellbeing, but exciting new science disprovesthis helpless stance. Your genes tell only part of thestory. The rest is written by epigenetics—alterations to the way that genetic traits are expressed.

Epigenetics is like a powerful secret in your genes that proves and explains how much control you have over your health and wellness, no matter thegenetic flaws you inherited. This book holds the answers you need to unlockthe incredible potential of epigenetics for shaping your own health nowand far into the future. Some of what you read may surprise you. Forinstance, within these pages you’ll discover:

� How one man used epigenetics to improve not only his health,but also his entire life.

�Why heart disease doesn’t haveto be your fate—even if it runs in your family.

� How shifting your perceptionscan rewrite your geneticreadout.

� The major mistake in CharlesDarwin’s theory of evolutionand how it affects your health.

� An experiment that turned mice yellow—and why youshould care.

� How prepubescent smokershelped researchers uncover the mechanisms of epigeneticinheritance.

�Why hypnotism is no hoax.� How you can override yourgenetic code to reduce yourhealth risks.

� The promising future ofepigenetic cancer drugs.

� How one woman cured hercancer using only her mind.

� The best supplement regimenfor protecting and rewiringyour genes.

Think of this book as a user’s guide to epigenetics as explained by topscientists and doctors, with real-life examples of epigenetics in actionand clear advice on altering your own genetic code in exactly the waysthat will benefit you the most.

How

to Reprogram

Your DN

A for O

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Health A

delle LaB

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Think-Outside-the-Book Publishing, LLCFirst Edition

Adelle LaBrec

Spontaneous Healing and Other Health Miracles

through Epigenetics

Adelle LaBrec

Your DNA

How to

for Optimum Health

Reprogram

Published by Think-Outside-the-Book Publishing, LLC

311 N. Robertson Boulevard, Suite 323Beverly Hills, California 90211www.UndergroundHealthReporter.com

Copyright © 2014 by Adelle LaBrec

First Edition 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the writtenpermission of the publisher.

The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author, and are based upon research conducted exclu -sively by the author, unless otherwise noted. The author does not dispense medical advice, and does not intendanything in this publication to constitute an attempt todiagnose, treat, mitigate, or cure any medical or psychologicalcondition. Neither the author nor the publisher has anyfinancial interest in the products described in this publication,nor do they intend to recommend any such products to treatspecific medical, psychological or other health conditions.The information presented in this publication is intended for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replacethe advice of a medical doctor or other qualified health careprofessional. Neither the publisher nor the author shall beliable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arisingfrom the use of any information, suggestion, or productdescribed in this publication.

Introduction .................................................................................................1

What is Epigenetics? ..................................................................................7

The Power of the Epigenome...................................................................9

The (Quantum) Physics of Perceptions, Emotions, and Beliefs..........10

Overriding Your Genetic Code ..............................................................14

The Science of Epigenetics … And How Darwin Got it Wrong...17

Darwin, Lamarck, and the New Truth About Evolution.....................18

The “How” of Epigenetics......................................................................21

Epigenetic Inheritance ............................................................................25

Feasts, Famines, and Future Health.......................................................28

Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Proven?................................................30

How Your Choices Change Your Genetic Code...............................33

Beyond the Borders of Conventional Medicine....................................35

Take Control of Your Genetic Program ................................................38

Perfection is Not Necessary – The Power is in Ongoing Effort.........39

Are You Sending the Right Signals?.......................................................40

Evading America’s #1 Killer ....................................................................41

Eat Well, Be Well.....................................................................................42

Rewriting Your Genetic Destiny...........................................................45

The Epigenetic Drift ...............................................................................47

Where Nature Meets Nurture ...............................................................48

Change Your Mind, Change Your Genes..............................................50

Techniques to “Turn On” Wellness .......................................................53

Change Your Genes in Just Minutes ......................................................55

How Moving Your Body Changes Your Cells.......................................55

A Possible Key to Longer Life................................................................56

The Cancer Connection .........................................................................59

Epigenetics and Genetics: Accomplices in Cancer Development.......60

Can Cancer Cells Be Reprogrammed?..................................................62

Cancer Cells Stopped Growing and Disappeared ................................63

Why the Health Revolution Will Begin in Your Home (And How One Woman Cured Cancer Using Only Her Mind)........65

DNA and Hypercommunication: Rewriting Your Genetic Code....67

“Magic” Words and Phrases Can Rewrite the Genetic Code .............68

Turning Frogs Into Salamanders – No Scalpel Needed ......................72

Trading the “Thought of Illness” for the “Thought of Cure”.............73

Have You Experienced Hypercommunication?....................................75

Autosuggestion and Your Genes...........................................................77

The Psychobiology of Gene Expression................................................78

A Master “Mental Chemist” ...................................................................80

We Are All in Kindergarten ....................................................................83

Hypnosis, Self-Help, and Gene Chips...................................................83

The (Serious) Science of Magic..............................................................85

The Future of Epigenetics .....................................................................87

Mapping the Epigenome.........................................................................89

Separating Fact from Fantasy .................................................................91

Epigenetics and Herbs – Explaining the Inexplicable ..........................93

New Assessments of Old Solutions ........................................................95

When East Meets West, Everyone Benefits..........................................98

Your Daily Dose of Optimal Wellness.................................................100

Polish Your Epigenome.........................................................................102

What Epigenetics Can Mean For You ...............................................103

Sources......................................................................................................107

Index ..........................................................................................................111

How to Reprogram Your DNA for Optimum Health

Introduction

“We were all brought up to think the genome was it.It's really been a

watershed in understanding that there is something beyond the genome.”

—C. David Allis, Rockefeller University molecular biologist.

The announcement of the Human Genome Project in 1990,which was intended to produce the first complete map of the

human genome, was met with unparalleled enthusiasm and highexpectations. Many scientists predicted that the success of theproject would radically reconfigure not only the world of medi -cine, but the world as we know it. Once the estimated 25,000genes that make up human DNA had been sequenced, we wouldhave unlocked the genetic key to how we look, feel, think, andbehave. With the human genome map in hand, many scientistsbelieved that there would quite literally be no more mysteriesabout human life. As Jean-Pierre Issa, professor of microbiologyat Temple University, puts it, “When the human genome wassequenced, some scientists were saying, ‘That’s the end. We’regoing to understand every disease. We’re going to understandevery behavior.’”

Adelle LaBrec 1

However, when the Human Genome Project finally concludedin March of 2000, it quickly became clear that these hopes hadbeen overly optimistic to some degree. While the $3 billionproject had indeed furnished a wealth of fascinating new factsabout genes and how they function, there were undeniable signsthat a piece of the puzzle was still missing. And it was a criticalpiece with respect to providing a full and complete view ofhuman health and the role of genes in the development of disease.“As it turns out,” Issa notes, the picture was incomplete because“the sequence of DNA isn’t enough to explain behavior. It isn’tenough to explain the diseases.”

In the decade since, scientists have discovered that genes tell only part of the story. The rest is written by epigenetics—alterations to the way that genetic traits are expressed. Theseepigenetic alterations do not change the DNA sequence itself, but they are extremely influential nevertheless. The HumanGenome Project “provided the blueprint for life,” says David

How to Reprogram Your DNA for Optimum Health2

Allis, professor at Rockefeller University in New York, “but theepigenome will tell us how this whole thing gets executed.” This“whole thing,” of course, includes the way that genetic traits areinvolved in the development (or not) of disease within anindividual.

Identical twins provide a powerful illustration of this point.Although their genes are identical, many aspects of their indi -vidual bodies, such as their health, wellbeing, and even (over time)their physical appearance, can vary dramatically. But even in theshort term, striking differences can be seen. “One might benormal, while the other is autistic,” says Dr. Allis. “We can’texplain that on the basis of pure genetics because the DNA isidentical. Something else must be at play.” That “something else”is epigenetics, which guides gene expression.

It is commonly thought that if you have the gene for conditionX, eventually and inevitably you will develop condition X, andthat is that. There are some genes for which this rule holds true.However, many other genes function more as pre-dispositionalfactors than ultimate deciders. For instance, if you don’t have thegene (or gene cluster) for certain types of breast cancer, you won’tdevelop it; however, if you do have the gene (or cluster), this meansthat you have a genetic predisposition to developing cancer. Apredisposition essentially means a “tendency toward” developinga particular disease. But in order for this tendency to become areality, so that you actually do develop the disease, the genesinvolved must “express” themselves, or become activated. Whetheryou do or don’t develop breast cancer, then, depends on whetherthe gene cluster is activated. In general, genes are expressed if andonly if all conditions are “right” for their activation.

Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergoa preventative double mastectomy received heavy press coverage.

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In an op-ed piece discussing her decision, Jolie writes: “The truthis I carry a ‘faulty’ gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my riskof developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.” Jolie is correctthat the BRCAI gene is implicated in breast cancer and can beconsidered a genetic red flag signaling the potential for the devel -opment of the disease. But in order for that to happen, the genemust be activated; if it is not, a carrier of the BRCAI gene will notdevelop breast cancer. It all depends on epigenetics.

And perhaps the most exciting aspect of epigenetics research is that scientific study has shown that the behavior of genes is notfixed and determined, nor completely out of our control. In fact,it is possible for individuals to influence the behavior of theirgenes. For instance, with respect to the BRCA1 gene, Karolyn A.Gazella, author of The Definitive Guide to Cancer, and member ofone of the largest and most studied families in North America tocarry the BRCA1 gene mutation, writes that “it is not possible tofix the mutations, but we know we can influence the expression ofother genes to help compensate.”

So, it is of profound importance to our health that we recognizethe distinction between mutated or faulty genes and the conceptof genetic predisposition—and that in order to be expressed (and,consequently, trigger the development of disease) a gene must be“turned on.” This is why despite having identical genes, twins canturn out so differently. If a gene is “turned on” in one, and “turnedoff” in the other, the trait contained within that gene will beexpressed in the first twin but not in the second. Another way tothink of the relationship between your genetic DNA and epigeneticsis to envision your DNA as a paragraph, and your genes as theindividual letters that make up the words in the paragraph.Epigenetics is the factor that controls spacing and punctuation.Although the “letters” don’t change, epigenetics can dramatically


alter the meaning andappearance of the“paragraph.” One way that we can influence thebehavior of our genes—and outsmart our geneticprogramming—is throughthe foods we choose to eat.In a Psychology Today articleexploring how Jolie’s choicecould potentially affectother women who carry the gene mutation, Gazellarefers to a 2009 studypublished in Breast CancerResearch and Treatment. Thatstudy showed that a high

consumption of fruits and vegetables decreased the likelihood thatwomen with the inherited BRCA mutation will develop cancer.Ultimately, we may have far more choices than we’ve ever imagined when it comes to influencing and even determiningour genetic futures.

Indeed, scientists are continually uncovering further evidence of just how prominent the role of epigenetics is in almost everyaspect of our health. And the links, although powerful, aren’t alwaysobvious. For instance, a recent study showed that your place insociety’s “pecking order” can result in epigenetic alterations thatmake you more (or less) likely to die of a heart attack.

This book has been carefully designed to help you unlock theincredible potential of epigenetics for shaping your own healthnow and far into the future. In it you will find information on the

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history and science of epigenetics laid out in a clear, straightforwardway so that you don’t need an advanced degree to understandthese powerful ideas. Some of what you read may surprise you.For instance, within these pages you’ll discover:

• How one man used epigenetics to improve not only hishealth, but also his entire life

• Why heart disease doesn’t have to be your fate—even if itruns in your family

• How shifting your perceptions can rewrite your geneticreadout

• The major mistake in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolutionand how it affects your health

• An experiment that turned mice yellow—and why you should care

• How prepubescent smokers helped researchers uncover themechanisms of epigenetic inheritance

• Why hypnotism is no hoax

• How you can override your genetic code to reduce yourhealth risks

• The promising future of epigenetic cancer drugs

• How one woman cured her cancer using only her mind

• The best supplement regimen for protecting and rewiringyour genes

Think of this book as a user’s guide to your epigenome. Eachchapter is loaded with wisdom from top scientists and doctors,real-life examples of epigenetics in action, and advice on alteringyour own genetic code in exactly the ways that will benefit youthe most.


Chapter One:

What is Epigenetics?

“When you think of nurture and nature, what epigenetics

represents is the interface between those two influences.”

—Frances Champagne, behavioral scientist at

Columbia University in New York

The word “epigenetics” literally means “on top of genetics.”When simplified to its core elements, epigenetics is the study

of changes to gene expression that alter how genes behave,without altering the underlying genetic code itself. This is possiblebecause the changes in gene expression are dictated by the epi -genome (the prefix “epi” means “above,” as in above the genes).So, just as the epidermis is the layer above the skin, epigenes arethe cellular layer above your genes.

The simplest explanation of epigenetics, for our purposes, is thatit is an emerging science that proves and explains how much controlyou have over your health and wellness, no matter the genes you

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inherited. However,to put epigenetics to use in your life,you will find itexceptionally usefulto understand atleast some of theextraordinary sciencethat has broughtthese powerfultruths to light.Otherwise, this newfield of medicinecould easily sound so

fantastical—so downright magical—that you’d scarcely be inclinedto believe it. But believe it you should, because the science thatreveals your innate power to change the way your genetic destiny is expressed is some of the most thrilling science happening today.

Before delving into the world of epigenetics, a quick review ofgenetics is in order. As the word “epigenetics” itself indicates, thetwo subjects are inextricably enmeshed. Each cell in your body isformed from 46 chromosomes, 23 from the mother’s egg and 23from the father’s sperm. These chromosomes contain 60,000 to100,000 genes in the form of deoxyribonucleic acid, a complexmolecule commonly known as DNA. As the primary hereditaryunit for all living things, DNA contains the information neededto build and maintain a living organism.

Your DNA provides the raw material for your physical appear -ance and personality. When your cells duplicate, they pass thisgenetic information on to the newly formed cells. These immaturecells are known as stem cells, and stem cells have the potential tobecome any type of fully differentiated adult cells. All of your


cells—from those making up the nail on your pinky finger tothose forming the innermost chamber of your heart—have anidentical DNA blueprint, regardless of how completely differentthe functions each cell serves may be.

Most people have heard about stem cells in the media. Stemcell research has garnered a great deal of attention and even con -troversy because with the present state of technology, stem cellresearch requires the destruction of a human embryo in order toextract the stem cell line. Yet, the interest in and push for stem cellresearch is not likely to decline any time soon, given the potentialthese cells offer to medical science. Stem cells offer near infinitepossibilities for researchers, because of the way they can developinto all the different kinds of tissues found in the human body.

Ultimately, your genes carry the instructions that not only firstallowed your body (and every organ, tissue, and cell) to develop, butthat also now allow your body to create all the things it needs tofunction. Those functions are set by your epigenes, which instructfetal cells to develop according to their intended roles. Until recentlyscientists believed that cellular function was “set” during gestation,but it has now been shown that epigenes are actively involved in cellfunction over the entire course of a person’s life.

The Power of the EpigenomeTo begin to break down the way epigenetics works, imagine a

white cat and a black cat producing a litter of kittens—three whiteones, and three black ones. Genetically speaking, the three blackkittens inherited a gene capable of producing melanin (naturallyoccurring dark pigments, such as is found in skin, hair, fur, andfeathers). The three white kittens inherited a defective gene, resultingin un-pigmented fur. Now imagine that same white cat and black cathave another litter, but this time two of the kittens are black, two are

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white, and the remaining two have black and white stripes. Clearly,the striped kittens inherited the melanin-producing gene, but themelanin was only expressed sporadically, producing stripes.

This—the varied expression of identical genes in real life—is what epigenetics is all about.

Epigenes determine whether a gene is switched on or off.They also control how outside factors such as diet and stressaffect your genes. But that’s not all; they can also influence thegenes of your descendants.

The (Quantum) Physics ofPerceptions, Emotions, and Beliefs

Dr. Bruce H. Lipton, a world-renowned leader in cellularbiology and quantum physics research, was one of the first scien -tists to recognize the importance of epigenes. Dr. Lipton is aninternationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit.Stem cell biologist, bestselling author of The Biology of Belief, andrecipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award, he has appeared as a guestspeaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as being thekeynote presenter for national and international confer ences. In1982, Lipton began integrating the principles of quantum physicsinto his understanding of the cell’s information processing systems.

To fully appreciate Dr. Lipton’s contributions, it will be helpfulto first describe the basic principles of quantum physics. Quantumphysics can be difficult to comprehend, especially when tackledfrom a technical standpoint. However, when the main ideas aretranslated from jargon to plain English, you may find the conceptshighly intuitive. Quantum physics deals with discrete, indivisibleunits of energy called “quanta.” A superficial examination couldcause you to dismiss it as arcane theorizing, but in truth quantumphysics contains vital clues about the fundamental nature of the


universe and all the creatures living in it.

According to the Oracle Education Foundation, there are fivemain ideas represented in Quantum Theory:

1. Energy is not continuous, but comes in small but discrete units.

2. The elementary particles behave both like particles and like waves.

3. The movement of these particles is inherently random.

4. It is physically impossible to know both the position and themomentum of a particle at the same time. The more preciselyone is known, the less precise the measurement of the other is.

5. The atomic world is nothing like the world we live in.

Quantum physics describes the entire nature of the universe as being far different from the world we see. In fact, the universefrom the quantum perspective can be so shockingly different, andso infinitely complex, that even seasoned scientists have difficultygrasping its implications. Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist who madehighly influential contributions to our modern understanding atomicstructure and quantum mechanics (for which he received theNobel Prize in Physics in 1922), put it this way: “Anyone who isnot shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.”

One of the most mind-boggling concepts to emerge fromquantum physics is that the mere act of observing a sub-atomicparticle changes it. This is clearly contrary to our “normal” wayof perceiving reality, in which objects simply are what they are,regardless of whether they are observed or not. As radical as thisidea may seem, it has had tremendous influence on the directionof research within the scientific community. And for good reason;in essence, what it means is that our perceptions can actuallyimpact and change external reality. And this in turn means thatyour reality is unique to you because it is the result of your ownunique perceptions. Likewise, everyone else’s reality is also unique

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to them. In other words, there is no one single, unified, anduniversally perceived reality. Or as Albert Einstein so aptly put it, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

This understanding of how our perceptions affect reality is anextraordinarily powerful concept, particularly when it comes toour health. One of the most empowering aspects of quantumphysics is that the universe is fluid and always changing. In fact,what quantum physics teaches us is that the universe is renewedon a sub-atomic level every few seconds.

The universe is constantly engaged in an infinite dance ofcreating and transforming itself. As sub-atomic particles aredestroyed, they are simultaneously recreated as new sub-atomicparticles. The average half-life of most sub-atomic particles isjust a few billionths of a second—which means that in the timeyou have taken to read this paragraph, the universe, which includesyou and your physical body, has recreated and renewed itself manytimes over. Imagine the implications this holds for our ability totransform our own health and, for that matter, our lives.

On a subatomic level, everything in our lives—external andinternal—is refreshed and renewed every trillionth of a second orso. Therefore, by the laws of quantum physics, every moment isliterally a new beginning.

Dr. Bruce Lipton’s work reflects a deep respect for and under -standing of these laws of quantum physics. His break throughstudies revealed that epigenes, located on the cell membrane,transmit electromagnetic signals to the interior of the cells. These signals are produced by our senses, thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Just as you mentally adjust to your environment,so, too, your cells respond to their environment.

Dr. Lipton compared the outer layer of the cell—the epigene—


to a computer chip. If your DNA is your genetic hardware, yourepigenes are your software. Research conducted by Dr. Liptonbetween 1987 and 1992 showed that the epigene conveys infor -mation about environmental factors that control the behavior andphysi ology of the cell. His discoveries flew in the face of thescientific dogma that claimed (and still does, in some instances)that your fate is laid out entirely in your genes. Ultimately, Dr.Lipton’s research was a watershed moment for the fledgling fieldof epigenetics. In his two major publications discussing hisdiscoveries, Dr. Lipton explained how molecular pathways connectthe mind and body, and more importantly, how retraining ourthinking can change our bodies. This is both inspiring and moti -vating, because if we can change our cells by changing our minds,our lives are not completely controlled by our DNA.

Today, Dr. Lipton is the foremost authority on the link betweenemotions and genetic expression. According to Lipton, your thoughts,attitudes and perceptions are the true keys to optimal wellness,

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because shifting your thought patterns can rewrite your geneticread out. Rather than seeing your genes as the ultimate—and only—source of your health or illness, Dr. Lipton’s research makes itreasonable to see why your environment, in the broadest sense,determines whether you thrive or wither. And by “environ ment” we mean everything from your thought patterns and belief systemsto your exercise habits, diet, exposure to sunlight, and virtuallyeverything that impacts on your life. A supportive, healthy all-roundenvironment in this strong sense can translate into either wellnessor disease, not just for you, but for your children and even yourgrandchildren. That’s the astonishing power of epigenetics.

Overriding Your Genetic CodeEvidence indicates that the lifestyle choices you make, such as

smoking and eating unhealthily, can intensify the expression ofgenes that lead to obesity and dampen the expression of genesthat extend your lifespan. It’s also becoming clear that thesegenetic modifications can predispose your children to disease.Scientists have long recognized that lifestyle choices take on aparticular importance for expectant mothers during pregnancy,and that her choices—from nutrition to whether or not to smokeand even the level of stress she experiences—can affect the healthof her unborn baby. However, scientists have now gone on toshow that a mother’s lifestyle choices are far from the only factorsthat can affect the health of the developing fetus. It may surpriseyou to know, for example, that a father’s dietary habits during hisown adolescence can directly impact the health of not only hischildren, but his grandchildren as well. Although this may initiallystrike some people as far-fetched and difficult to accept, it’s agood idea to keep in mind that just a few generations ago, medicalscientists were unaware that maternal drinking and smoking couldnegatively affect an unborn child’s future health.


Some researchers also believe that epigenetics may explainoccurrences that have puzzled the logic of traditional genetics,like why only one of a pair of genetically identical twins willdevelop asthma, bipolar disorder, autism, and even cancer.

As mentioned previously, a genetic predisposition for a certaincondition was once regarded as a virtual guarantee that a personwould succumb to that disease or health issue. However, scientistsnow say your choices can help prevent your genes from expressingthat condition. According Dr. David Rakel, director of integrativemedicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine andPublic Health, “Research is telling us even if your family has ahistory of cancer, there are things you can do to bathe that genein a way to keep it from expressing itself. That means your genesmay produce healthy tissue instead of tissue that is diseased orcancerous.” In other words, your lifestyle choices can overrideyour genetic code and effectively reduce or even eliminate yourchance of repeating your family’s history of poor health.

According to Dr. Rakel, changes in diet, exercise, and personalattitude can reduce your odds of health decline due to age or genetics.While this advice may sound like another iteration of “an apple a daykeeps the doctor away” and other medical truisms, the concept ofepigenetics is actually far more than chirpy folk wisdom. It is cutting-edge science that produces visible changes to genetic expression.“We have a choice to bathe our genes with joy, happiness, exercise,and nutritious foods,” Dr. Rakel says, “or we can bathe them withanger, lack of hope, junk food, and a sedentary lifestyle.” In eithercase, the choices we make show up at a cellular level.

In 2007, Dr. Steven Schroeder of the University of California-San Francisco, published a review concluding that the largest influ -ence on longevity in America is personal behavior. According to Dr.Schroeder’s review, even if top-shelf health care were available for all,

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only a small fraction—10 percent—of lives would be saved withhigh-tech interventions. However, embracing healthier habits(notably, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and reducingstress) reduced the death rate by a staggering 40 percent!

But it’s not just about our habits; it’s also about our attitudes.“Human attitude has a tremendous influence on health,” says Dr. Rakel. “If I’m seeing what’s bad in the world, I won’t have the hope that encourages positive lifestyle choices.” Conversely,seeing the good in the world sparks beneficial outcomes. “If I choose to eat fruits and vegetables versus high-fat foods, if Ichoose to fill my heart with compassion versus hate and hostility,that can leave a mark in my code that can be passed on,” Dr.Rakel continues. Unlike more traditional scientific breakthroughsfocused on the latest drug or technological wonder, epigeneticsadvances a simpler solution: self-healing.

“It could be a matter of forgiving that person who has made youangry for 30 years,” says Dr. Rakel. “If you can do that, maybe yourshoulders feel lighter or that ache in your gut doesn’t feel as bad.Maybe you stop getting headaches or neck pain. That’s an epigeneticexample of how that choice—forgiveness—results in tremendouschange in your overall outlook, well-being and physical health.”

The possibility of altering our genetic blueprint is bothterrifying and thrilling. Epigenetics places much of our health andwell-being directly into our own hands, which is, undeniably, aweighty responsibility—but it is also remarkably empowering.While poor choices may now seem more grave than ever, theworry of falling victim to genetic destiny is virtually lifted. “Thequestion is not who you are now,” Rakel says, “but who do youwant to become? And who do you want your kids and your kids’kids to become?” By changing your cells to eradicate disease, youcan pass on a legacy of health to your descendants. Nothing couldbe a better inheritance than that.


Chapter Two:

The Science of Epigenetics... And How Darwin Got it Wrong

“What if Darwin's theory of naturalselection is inaccurate? What if the wayyou live now affects the life expectancyof your descendants? Evolutionarythinking is having a revolution . . .Epigenetics is the most vivid reasonwhy the popular understanding ofevolution might need revising.”

–Oliver Burkman, science writer for The Guardian

You may be familiar with Aesop’s Fables, also known as theAesopica. This collection of fables originated in ancient

Greece and is credited to Aesop (620 – 560 BCE), a storytellerand slave. Many are aetiological fables, meaning they explain whysomething is the way it is. For instance, one fable describes howthe tortoise got its shell, and another how the crested lark came to

Adelle LaBrec 17

be crested. Early evolutionary scientists set out to answer muchthe same kinds of questions. And the dominant theory ofevolution, since the time of its publication, has been that ofCharles Darwin. However, the burgeoning study of epigeneticshas prompted the reinvestigation of alternate evolutionaryprinciples.

In other words, Darwin may have gotten a key point wrong.

Darwin, Lamarck, and the New Truth About Evolution

Over half a century before Charles Darwin wrote On the Originof Species, a French naturalist named Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoinede Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck proposed a very different theoryof evolution. Lamarckism, as his theory came to be known, centerson the idea that organisms can pass on traits acquired over thecourse of a single lifetime. The most popular (and since disproved)example was that giraffes’ long necks were the result of constantstretching to reach high, nutrient-rich leaves.

Lamarck began his career as a botanist, but ultimately hespecialized in the classification of worms, spiders, mollusks, andother boneless creatures. In 1793, he helped to found France’sMusee National d’Histoire Naturelle—or Museum of NaturalHistory. Struck by the similarities of many of the animals hestudied, Lamarck came to believe that organisms adapted toenvironmental changes. These adaptations led the physicalchanges—like the growth of giraffe necks—that could be inheritedby offspring. In other words, Lamarck’s theory suggested that if amother and father giraffe had to reach and crane their necks toreach the leaves in high branches, their baby giraffes would thenbe born with longer necks as a result of this parental experience.


Darwin, who was 84 years younger than Lamarck, argued thatadaptations happen over millennia, not the span of a generation.His theory of evolution holds that giraffes have long necks becauseof an adaptive process that took place very, very slowly overmultiple decades. What began as a random mutation in the formof a longer neck became, over eons, the norm. Because giraffeswith longer necks held a survival advantage over those withshorter necks, they were more successful at living long enough toreproduce. When they mated, some of their offspring also hadlonger necks, giving them in turn an advantage, and so on, untileventually the genes that programmed for short necks becamealmost obsolete.

“Darwin was 100 percent right” about the giraffe necks, saysSwiss bioengineer Renato Paro. However, the fact that he wascorrect in this case doesn’t mean that Lamarck’s theory was entirelywrong. Paro and other geneticists around the world have begunto quietly admit that in dismissing Lamarckian evolutionarytheory as a scientific blunder, their predecessors made a monumentalmistake. It is now becoming quite clear that parents sometimesdo pass traits that they have acquired during their lifetimes totheir offspring in just the way Lamarck suggested.

An example of such an acquired trait can be seen in water fleasliving in predator-heavy environments. Such water fleas developlarge defensive spines for protection in what is clearly an adaptiveresponse to the threats and dangers of a particular environment. IfDarwin’s theory were correct and acquired traits cannot be passedon, then subsequent generations of fleas should not grow spinesunless they lived in a similar predator-rich environment. Raised ina predator-free environment, on the other hand, the offspringwould have no need for such protection and should be spine-free.However, even when the offspring of the original water fleas were

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raised in predator-free settings, they developed spines as well. Allof which means that an adaptive trait acquired by one generationcan become an inheritable trait that can be passed on to the next.This process is called transgenerational epigenetic inheri tance, andfleas aren’t the only organisms that evolve this way.

An article published in The Quarterly Review of Biologyin 2009 listed over 100 well-documented cases of epigeneticinheritance. It’s become overwhelmingly apparent that non-DNAinheritance happens far more frequently than scientists oncethought, and that organisms can adapt much faster than Darwinbelieved. According to Eva Jabonka and Gal Raz, who compiledthe list, “epigenetic inheritance is ubiquitous.” In other words, ithappens all the time, far beyond what’s been currently docu -mented and proven. Jabonka and Raz noted cases of epigeneticinheritance in bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals, a set of findings that the authors claimed is “the tip of a very largeiceberg.”

Though widespread revival of Lamarckism is recent, thebeginning of modern epigenetics is most often marked as 1942.That’s the year when Conrad Waddington, an English develop -mental biologist, is said to have coined the term “epigenetics.”Waddington believed there was something working on top of theDNA sequence to modulate gene expression. His choice of theterm epigenetics was likely influenced by Aristotle’s ideas aboutepigenesis, the forming of specific, individual beings from unformedmatter. Waddington defined epigenetics as “the branch of biologywhich studies the casual interactions between genes and theirproducts, which brings the phenotype into being.” He was inter -ested in the extent to which humans are genetically programmedversus environmentally shaped. He and his followers investigatedwhether—and how— experiences trigger genetic changes.


The “How” of EpigeneticsScientists have already identified many mechanisms involved

in the “how” of epigenetics, including processes with such daun -ting names such as methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation,ubiquitylation, and sumolyation. Of these processes, DNA methy -lation is the most studied, in part because existing technology is bestsuited to do so. Though it may sound incomprehensible, DNAmethylation can be understood quite easily.

DNA is our master program, residing in the nucleus of everyone of our cells. Enzymes bind methyl groups (a basic unit inorganic chemistry made up of one carbon atom attached to threehydrogen atoms) to the DNA. Often, a methyl group is affixednear the beginning of a gene. The beginning of a gene is whereproteins fasten on to activate the gene. When the beginning of agene is blocked by a methyl group, proteins can’t connect to it,and the gene will most likely remain inactive.

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Nucleus (where DNA is located)

Cytoplasm

Cell Membrane

For this reason, you can imagine that the distribution ofmethyl groups significantly impacts the expression of your genes.Even though methyl groups don’t change the underlying DNA,they do alter patterns of gene expression. This in turn has animmediate effect on our health—and a long-term impact on ourchildren and grandchildren, because these altered gene expressionscan be inherited by subsequent generations. Depending onenvironmental influences, the arrangement of methyl groups can be static from embryo development to death, or can varydrastically over a person’s lifetime.

Researchers are still teasing apart the factors that influenceDNA methylation. A woman’s diet during pregnancy appears tosignificantly affect the epigenetic tags of her child. Prenatal dietslow in nutrients containing methyl groups—nutrients such asfolic acid and vitamin B12—have been linked to multiple prob -lems including an increased risk of asthma and defects of thespinal cord and brain. Studies have also found that exposure tothe chemical additive BPA in the early developmental phases cancause irregularities.

Additional research on sets of twins offers further clues. Forexample, in sets of twins where one but not the other has schizo -phrenia or bipolar disorder, scientists have uncovered differencesin the methylation of certain genes associated with these condi -tions between the healthy twin and the twin with the disease.Certain processes associated with the development and progressionof Alzheimer’s disease have also been linked to the presence andplacement of methyl groups. It seems clear that methylation playsa crucial role in determining whether or not certain diseases willbe genetically expressed.

While researchers have devoted the bulk of their work tomethylation, another important mechanism that controls


epigenetic inheritance is histone modification. Again, it’s a highlytechnical term that can be easily broken down. Histone modi -fication—sometimes called chromatin modification—is justanother process that modifies gene expression without changingthe underlying genetic structure. Histones are simply basicproteins. DNA coils around these basic proteins to form chromatin,which in turn forms your chromosomes. If methyl groups are likeswitches that turn genes on and off, histones are like knobs. Thetightness or looseness of the DNA spooled on the histone deter -mines how strongly a particular genetic trait will be expressed.Histone modifications tend to be less enduring than thosetriggered by methylation.

More work is needed to determine how the moleculessurrounding our DNA—including methyl groups and histones—affect gene activity. It’s clear that the foods we eat, the chemicalswe come in contact with, the viruses we contract, and our physicalactivity levels all affect these regulatory molecules.

For example, in regard to food, studies indicate that shortagesor excesses of food during childhood trigger epigenetic changesthat result in a whole host of conditions, from diabetes to obesityto early onset puberty. Other known or suspected drivers behindepigenetic processes include:

• Heavy metals• Pesticides• Diesel exhaust• Tobacco smoke• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons• Hormones• Radioactivity• Bacteria

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One of the most pertinent aspects of epigenetics is especiallyexciting, as it holds great promise for our health status. As far ascontemporary science can tell, in the absence of environmentaltriggers, epigenetic changes will be stripped away, and your DNAcode will revert to its original programming. Remember,epigenetics does not change DNA; it is a biological response toenvironmental pressure. If the pressure fades, the response willeventually fade as well. In other words, although the adaptiveresponse can be inherited, there is evidence that these changes to how our genes behave need not be permanent. Only naturalselection—as described by Darwin—can cause permanent geneticchange. This means that where potentially harmful adaptivechanges have occurred as a response to our overall environment(including unhealthy food, stress, toxins, sedentary lifestyle, etc.)we have good reason to believe that by removing those triggersthe potential for damage can also be lessened.


Chapter Three:

Epigenetic Inheritance

“Give mothers chemicals, and it canaffect offspring and the next generation.”

–Dr. Larry Feig, biochemist at Tufts University

One of the most impressive (and oft-cited) examples of thepower of epigenetics to alter gene expression in future gen -

erations comes from a 2003 study carried out by Duke Universityoncologist Dr. Randy Jirtle and one of his postdoctoral students,Robert Waterland. Dr. Jirtle and his team experimented withgenetically identical pairs of agouti mice. These agouti mice havea gene that, when expressed continuously, results in yellow coatsand a propensity for obesity and diabetes.

In order to discover whether pre-natal diet can impact ongene expression in offspring, one group of pregnant agouti micewas fed a diet supplemented with nutrients such as folic acid,choline, vitamin B12, and folate. The other group was fed an un-supplemented diet. The results were quite telling: motherswho benefited from prenatal supplementation gave birth tohealthy brown pups of normal weight that were not predisposed

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to diabetes. The researchers found that the nutrients acted asmethyl donors, causing methyl groups to attach more frequentlyto the agouti gene in utero. This suppressed the effects of theagouti gene so significantly that, although their DNA predictedidentical odds of growing up to be fat and yellow, the two littersof agouti mouse pups looked totally dissimilar and had divergentrisks for obesity and other diseases.

Frances Champagne, a behavioral scientist at ColumbiaUniversity in Manhattan, says that the most striking thing aboutJirtle’s study is that the results are unequivocally visible, even tothe naked eye. “We’ve got a yellow obese mouse, and a brownmouse,” Champagne says, adding that although the Jirtle studywas conducted with mice, “there’s reason to believe it happens inhumans, too.”

A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology andMetabolism in 2005 further supports Champagne and Jirtle’scontention that human mothers are also able to transmit epigeneticchanges to their children. This turns out to be true not only withrespect to maternal diet, but also with respect to external factors,such as the experiences of the mother. The study found that preg -nant women who witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the World Tradecenter passed on higher levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) totheir babies. Other research also indicates that intense traumaticexperiences can be passed down as post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) from one generation to the next.

Even modification to memory—an intricately complex andsophisticated biological and psychological procedure—can beinherited. In 2009, the Journal of Neuroscience published the resultsof a study done by Dr. Larry Feig, a biochemist at Tufts University.For two weeks during adolescence, Dr. Feig and his colleaguesplaced mice that had been genetically engineered to have impeded


memory functioning in an environment filled with toys, exerciseopportunities, and social interaction.

As expected based on previous work showing that enrichedenvironments boost brain function, the memory capacities of themice improved. The researchers carefully examined a molecularmechanism called long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP is a form ofneural transmission that is key to memory formation. To theirsurprise, the researchers found that environmental enrichmentrepaired genetically faulty LTP connections.

Not only did Dr. Feig’s team find that environmental stimuliboosted memory despite genetic disadvantages, but they alsofound that the improvements to memory could be passed on tofuture generations. “When you look at the offspring,” says Feig,“they still have the defect in the protein, but they also havenormal LTP.” Even when the pups were given no extra attention,and raised by memory-deficient mice, the findings held true.“The results are extremely surprising and unexpected,” says Li-Huei Tsai, a neuroscientist at MIT. “This study is probably the first study to show there are transgenerational effects not only on behavior but on brain plasticity.”

Dr. Feig’s study was a breakthrough in another way, too. It wasone of the very first experiments that pointed to a longer time -frame during which environmental influences can trigger epigeneticchanges. Contrary to the earlier belief that the “window” forepigenetic changes was limited to pregnancy and early develop -mental phases, Dr. Feig’s study suggests an extended timeframethat not only includes first generation offspring, but that can alsocarry forward into future generations. “Give mothers chemicals,and it can affect offspring and the next generation,” Dr. Feig says.“In this case, [these effects] happened way before the mice wereeven fertile.”

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Feasts, Famines, and Future Health Since the 1980s, a Swedish scientist named Dr. Lars Olov

Bygren has been investigating how parental experiences affect thehealth of their children. Dr. Bygren was working as a preventative-health specialist at the distinguished Karolinska Institute inStockholm when he read and was fascinated by ideas presented intwo groundbreaking papers published in the prestigious medicaljournal The Lancet. These two papers, dealing with how condi -tions in the womb could impact on the health of offspring notonly as children but also throughout adulthood, would ultimatelydefine Dr. Bygren’s career path.

The first of the two, published in 1986, linked nutritionaldeficits during a mother’s pregnancy to an increased risk of heartdisease for her child later in life. This data started Dr. Bygrenwondering whether it was also possible that parents’ experiences,and particularly those that occurred prior to pregnancy, could alsoinfluence the traits that were passed on.

As he was pon deringthis epigenetic tangle, Dr.Bygren was also analyzingpopulation data from 19thcentury Norrbotten,Sweden. The Norrbottenarea, located in northern -most Sweden, is verysparsely inhabited (with anaverage of only six peopleper square mile) and is alsoquite isolated. In fact,Norrbotten is so isolated


from the rest of the country that during the 1800s, if the localharvest was bad, people simply starved. Conversely, in years ofabundant harvest, the people of Norrbotten tended to feast formonths.

Dr. Bygren was interested in whether the “feast or famine”environment in the region affected the health of children, and if so,whether the effects were short-lived or continued to make themselvesfelt over the long term. In order to pursue these questions, hedesigned a study aimed at investigating potential links betweenenvironmental conditions and health across several generations.

Dr. Bygren’s first step was to collect data from a randomsample of 99 people born in 1905 in the Overkalix parish ofNorrbotten. He then used historical records to trace their parentsand grandparents. By analyzing agricultural records, Dr. Bygrenand two of his colleagues were able to see, in meticulous detail,how much food had been available to the parents and grand -parents during their childhoods.

Dr. Bygren’s findings showed that the sons and grandsons ofboys who, thanks to a plentiful harvest, went from normal eatingto feasting in a single season lived considerably shorter lives thanaverage. In the first of his papers on Norrbotton (published in2001 in the Dutch journal Acta Biotheoretica), Dr. Bygren reportedthat the grandsons of the boys who had overeaten died an averageof six years earlier than the grandsons of those who had sufferedthrough a starving winter. As disturbing as this six year differenceis, the actual longevity gap turns out to be even more shocking.After controlling for various socioeconomic factors, Dr. Bygrenand his team discovered the longevity gap jumped to a remarkable32 years.

In later papers, they found that a significant difference in life

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spans also applied along the female line. The data clearly suggestedthat, for both boys and girls, a single winter of glutinous eatingduring childhood could set off a chain reaction that would resultin one’s grandchildren dying decades before their peers. In otherwords, Dr. Bygren’s work helped establish an indisputable linkbetween environment and genetic expression. However, Dr.Bygren and his team faced a seemingly insurmountable scientificobstacle: duplicating the results. In his search for a solution, Dr.Bygren uncovered a near-forgotten paper by a British geneticistnamed Marcus Pembrey.

Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Proven?In 1996, Dr. Marcus Pembrey, a prominent geneticist at Uni -

versity College London and a committed Darwinist, published ahighly unusual paper. In the paper, a review of epigenetic scienceat the time, Dr. Pembrey hypothesized beyond Darwin’s theory ofevolution. What if, Dr. Pembrey asked, the ever-more-pressingdemands of modern life had caused our genes to react morequickly? Rather than changing at an extremely slow and gradualrate over many generations and millennia, what if our genes nowadapted much more quickly, possibly even within “a few, ormoderate number, of generations”? Granted, the genes encodedwithin DNA would be unable to alter within that short window oftime, but Dr. Pembrey wondered whether the epigenetic markersmight be able to change the way the genes themselves behave. Inother words, while the structure of DNA would remain stable andfixed over this time frame, could environmental pressures causecertain genes to remain unexpressed and others to become active?

Dr. Pembrey’s ideas were so radical that his paper was met withincredulity and heated controversy. The major scientific journalsfirmly refused to publish his work. Eventually, a small Italian


journal, Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemollogiae, accepted his paper.But with such a modest readership, the paper received scant seriousattention, and seemed destined to fall into dusty obscurity. Unsureof how to go about testing the theory he proposed, Dr. Pembreyeventually also put the idea aside. That is, until May of 2000, whenhe received an email from Dr. Lars Olov Bygren, which containedan explanation of the Overkalix life-expectancy data.

The two researchers, fueled by their common passionatecommitment to the same theoretical concepts, soon becamefriends and colleagues. Together, they tried to work out a researchmethod that would allow them to investigate “the Overkalixconnection” more deeply and thoroughly. Certain researchexperiments that may have provided them with additional insighthad to be discarded for various reasons. For instance, trying toreplicate the “feast or famine” circumstances would be unethical,to say the least, because it would require that some children bedenied adequate food while others were forced to overindulge.But even if the ethical issues were overcome, this experimentalmethod wouldn’t be feasible, because it would mean waiting 60years or more before any clear results were achieved—a time -frame that would outstrip both their lifetimes.

However, by a lucky twist of fate, Dr. Pembrey had access to another source of genetic information that would ultimatelyprove to be an even greater goldmine than the Overkalix records.Founded by Jean Golding, an epidemiologist at UniversityCollege, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children(ALSPAC), is a research project uniquely designed to determinehow genotype and environment influence health and development.Dr. Pembrey himself was a longtime board member of ALSPAC,which is based at the University of Bristol, and he was familiarwith Dr. Golding’s work. Golding and her staff were in the midst

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of an ongoing study, and had recruited 70 percent of all women in the area, including a total of 14,024 women who had given birthin 1991 and 1992. The study followed both parents and theirchildren (from birth), and its participants were given an extensivebattery of medical and psychological tests on an annual basis.

By the time Pembrey and Bygren began working together, theALSPAC data has already yielded a number of important insightsabout childhood health. For instance, the study suggested thatbaby lotions containing peanut oil could be a factor behindincreased rates of peanut allergies. In addition, there is a strongassociation between asthma in children and high levels of maternalanxiety during pregnancy. Further, and perhaps surprisingly,bathing children too frequently may put them at higher risk fordeveloping eczema. While all these findings are of value in and of themselves, by far the most momentous finding was one thatclosely mirrored the results of the Overkalix study. This findingemerged from data Golding had collected about a cohort of 166boys within her participant group.


Chapter Four:

How Your Choices Change Your Genetic Code

“What other things could we be doingto flip those switches and provide abetter blueprint for our kids to start

them off right in life?”– Dr. Beth Abramson, director of women’s cardiovascular

health at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto

Prior to puberty boys are “genetically isolated.” What we meanby this is simply that their sperm—which is the genetic material

that will impart their DNA to any future children—does not yetexist. Girls, on the other hand, are born with all their ova, oreggs, already stored within their bodies. So in that sense, girlsalready share a genetic link with their future children. If epigeneticchanges are truly inheritable in the sense we’ve been discussing,meaning the expression or activation of genes that do not yet exist (in the bodies of future children) can also be affected by theenvironment and experiences of parents, then prepubescent boysare ideal candidates for demonstrating this. Hypothetically, the

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years preceding puberty seem prime for epigenetic change. Whatbetter time for the environment to affix epigenetic markers to thegenetic code of the Y chromosome, which is carried only by boys,than when sperm production first begins?

If the environment and experiences of boys who have not yetbegun to produce sperm can be shown to affect the health statusof their offspring, this would provide additional and very signi -ficant support for the correctness of Pembrey and Bygren’stheory. And that is exactly what the ALSPAC study provided.According to the ALSPAC data, 166 of the 14,024 fathers in the study said they started smoking before age 11—just beforeentering puberty. When Dr. Pembrey, Dr. Bygren, and Dr.Golding scrutinized the data pertaining to the sons of those 166prepubescent smokers, they found that by age nine, these boys

had significantlyhigher body massindexes (BMIs) thanother boys. HigherBMIs can mean a considerablyincreased risk ofobesity, as well as of developing otherserious healthissues later in life.

In a trailblazingpaper published inthe European Journalof Human Genetics in2006, Drs. Pembrey,Bygren, and Golding


write that it is extremely likely that the sons of early smokers willhave shortened life spans. Noting the strikingly similar prognosisfor the sons of the overeaters in the Overkalix study, the doctorsconclude: “The coherence between the ALSPAC and Overkalixresults in terms of exposure-sensitive periods and sex specificitysupports the hypothesis that there is a general mechanism fortransmitting information about the ancestral environment downthe male line.” In demonstrating that the ALSPAC data paralleledOverkalix for both the environmental factor exposure period(prepubesence) and sex (male), Dr. Bygren’s quest to establish thesolidity and verifiability of his original theory succeeded beyondhis wildest expectations.

Considering the vast implications these studies hold for ourhealth—as well as the health of our children and possibly ourgrandchildren—it is little wonder that in a 2010 article for Timemagazine, senior health writer John Cloud called the Pembrey,Bygren, and Golding article “the most compelling epigeneticstudy yet written.”

Beyond the Borders of Conventional MedicineThe more we learn about epigenetics, the more it becomes

starkly evident that contemporary medicine fails to adequatelytreat widespread health concerns such as cancer and heart disease.Slowly, some conventionally trained doctors are adjusting theiroutlooks and treatment protocols to take epigenetics into account.One of those forward-thinking doctors, Dr. Frank Lipman, hasbecome a leader in the practical application of epigenetics fortransforming the health and the lives of his patients. Dr. Lipmanis the author of Total Renewal: 7 Key Steps to Resilience, Vitality, andLong Term Health and Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start LivingAgain, and founder and director of Eleven-Eleven Wellness

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Center in New York.

Dr. Lipman’s history is not only fascinating, but highly relevantto how he has come to be one of America’s leading integrativephysicians. Dr. Lipman trained as a doctor in South Africa underapartheid. After finishing medical school at the University ofWitwaterstrand in Johannesburg, the best university in SouthAfrica, he chose to intern at Baragwaneth Hospital. Located inSoweto, one of the “Blacks Only” areas surrounding Johannesburg,Baragwaneth Hospital serves a primarily blue-collar clientele—typically factory workers, gold miners, and domestic laborers.

The rationale for Dr. Lipman’s unusual choice for his intern -ship can be traced back to his parents. Dr. Lipman’s mother andfather were political activists who fought against apartheid. In hisbook, Total Renewal, Dr. Lipman writes that his parents “instilledin me a sense of social justice and the importance of questioningthe status quo.” He credits this philosophy not only with informinghis choice to intern at Baragwaneth, but also with setting the tonefor his entire career.

At Baragwaneth, the largest and busiest hospital on the con -tinent of Africa, Dr. Lipman encountered a wide variety of diseases,injuries, and non-Western medical practices. “Sometimes, whenwe doctors found ourselves unable to help a patient using conven -tional methods,” he writes in Total Renewal, “the patient’s familywould call in a sangoma, a traditional African healer.” Though hewas crushingly busy tackling the problems his patients routinelyfaced due to living in poverty in an overcrowded urban area—things like knife wounds, alcoholism, diabetes, hypertension, andstroke—Dr. Lipman couldn’t help but notice that on more thanone occasion a patient’s condition improved after a visit from thesangoma.


After his internship, Dr. Lipman spent 18 months in Kwandbele,one of the “homelands” wherein the apartheid government forceddifferent tribal groups to live. During that time, he frequentlyencountered life-threatening medical emergencies, such as heartfailure, acute asthma, bowel obstructions, pneumonia, andmeningitis.

Because for the most part he was able to respond to and treatsuch emergencies effectively, he simply did not question what hehad been taught in medical school. “My medical training wasindispensable for these types of problems,” writes Lipman. “I felt that I was helping people, and as a result, I believed in my training and in modern medicine.”

When he returned to the suburbs of Johannesburg, however,Dr. Lipman’s practice consisted mainly of middle-class Caucasianpatients. Compared to the patients he saw at Kwandbele andBaragwaneth, these people had a wealth of advantages. Whilethey were not critically ill, they were also experiencing far fromoptimal health. The “worried well,” as Dr. Lipman termed them,were being adversely affected by lifestyle factors such as pooreating habits, lack of exercise, overwork, and stress.

While it wasn’t difficult to identify the lifestyle factors thatwere harming his patients’ health, it came as something of a shock to Lipman to realize that when it came to treating non-emergency problems (headaches, joint pain, indigestion, andfatigue), his training had failed to equip him with the knowledgerequired to help at least three out of four patients he saw.

Feeling frustrated and helpless, Dr. Lipman confided in Dr.Paul Davis, the owner of the practice. Dr. Davis laughed and toldhim: “Don’t worry. Most people get better by themselves despitethe medicine we give them. Your real job is to listen to your

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patient and be there for them.” Lipman was dissatisfied with thisresponse and what he viewed as an essentially passive approach tohealth care. “I couldn’t accept that for the rest of my medicalcareer I would only help 25 percent of the people who were goingto see me.” In 1984, Lipman emigrated to the United States and,in his search to find more effective ways to help his patients, hebegan studying alternative therapies such as acupuncture,Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), yoga, meditation,bodywork, and biofeedback.

While Lipman may not have realized it at the time, he was at the forefront of a movement towards what is now called“integrative medicine,” and he is now internationally recognizedas an expert in functional and integrative medicine. At Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center, he practices a unique blend of “goodmedicine,” which combines all the systems he has studied, andwhich elegantly harnesses the potential of epigenetics science inthe everyday lives of the patients he treats.

Take Control of Your Genetic Program It comes as no surprise—considering Dr. Lipman’s efforts to

combine the best of modern medicine with traditional methods ofhealing—that he is fascinated by and holds a deep respect for thepower of epigenetics. “When all is said and done, the idea thatepigenetic changes are reversible is just this side of revolutionary,”he says.

As mentioned earlier, mutated genes are unlikely to revertback to normalcy, but this does not mean that defective geneticprogramming cannot be corrected. With this in mind, Lipmanexpresses the belief that it is imperative that we take responsibilityfor our own health and do our best to send healthy signals to ourepigenes. “How you communicate with your genes will influence


how they’ll express themselves, so my advice is to bathe theminside and out in the healthiest environment possible.” His adviceon how to do so is pleasantly simple: eat nourishing, organic food;avoid exposure to chemicals and toxins; exercise regularly; makerestful sleep a priority; and seek out loving relationships.

Perfection is Not Necessary—The Power is in Ongoing Effort

Above all, Dr. Lipman emphasizes the importance of making anongoing effort to improve your health status, but at the same time,not demanding perfection of yourself. Especially as you first beginto adopt a healthier lifestyle, there will be times you fall short ofyour goals. Don’t dwell on what you did wrong. The importantthing is that after a slip, you redouble your efforts, or as Dr.Lipman puts it “get back on that pony every day.” Whenever youface temptation, Dr. Lipman suggests asking yourself this question:“Is this promoting my health or pushing it farther from my grasp?”

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Making honest, conscious choices is the best way to recognizeyour ultimate control over your own health.

Are You Sending the Right Signals? Your diet is a crucial arena for health-protective choice making.

As the Overkalix study showed, subpar decision-making withrespect to nutritional intake can affect your health as well as thehealth of your descendants. Fortunately, eating healthily cancounteract many genetic handicaps, and establish a better startingplace for the next generation. A new field called “nutrigenomics,”a branch of nutritional genomics, is devoted to the study of theeffects of foods on gene expression. By analyzing how differentfoods interact with specific genes, researchers in this field haveconfirmed that dietary signals directly influence the metabolicprogramming of our cells. Essentially, food “talks” to our genesand the way our genes express themselves varies based on those“conversations.”

Not only does the food we eat carry information to our genes,but it can also in some cases carry instructions that can eitherincrease or decrease our risk for certain diseases. The list ofcritical bio logical processes affected by dietary signals includescholesterol levels, aging, hormone regulation, and weightfluctuations. Eating the right foods promotes healthy function inthese and other important areas, whereas eating the wrong onesleaves you vulnerable to disease. The makeup of food is far morecomplex than the nutrient building blocks with which you mayalready be familiar. Inside an apple, for instance, there arethousands of micronutrient compounds that relate to one anotherand to your genes in complex and dynamic ways. With processedfoods, however, like an apple-flavored snack bar, thesemicronutrients are altered or absent. It shouldn’t be surprising,


then, that these two food items deliver totally different messagesto your body. The messages from the apple are all positive, but asyou might suspect, those from the processed, pseudo-apple snackcan be mixed at best and wholly negative at worst.

Just as computers can be corrupted by bad data, your bodywon’t function properly when fed this type of negative infor -mation from food. In fact, nutritionally empty, overly processedfoods cause your genes to miscue metabolic actions. One fascin -ating result of our overly processed diets is that it is becomingincreasingly common for our biological systems to respond toprocessed foods as if they were foreign invaders rather than food,and indigestible foreign invaders at that. In order to protect itselffrom damage, the body initiates an inflammatory response towhat it perceives as a threat. If we continue to “feed” our bodiesmainly processed foods, this inflammatory response goes intooverdrive, becoming continuous and chronic, which in turn leadsto a low-grade but chronic inflammation throughout the body.Chronic inflammation of this sort is now recognized as a precursorfor a variety of serious illnesses.

Evading America’s #1 Killer Of the many illnesses known to stem from low-grade inflam -

mation, heart disease is one of the most deadly. According to theCenters for Disease Control (CDC), one in every four deaths inthe United States is due to heart disease—that’s about 600,000deaths annually. But epigenetics holds an invaluable key tostopping the encroachment of this destructive disease. Already,researchers have actually pinpointed markers placed by DNAmethylation on genes linked to cardiovascular conditions.

It all started with a research team led by Dr. MehreganMovassagh of the University of Cambridge. Dr. Movassagh’s

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research was the first to establish a connection between lifestylechoices and the epigenetic expression of heart disease. The findingsof Movassagh’s team are based on comparative studies of samplesof heart tissue taken from two groups: men with heart diseasewho died after undergoing heart transplants; and individuals withhealthy hearts who died in traffic accidents.

“We already know that several genes play an important role inheart failure,” said Dr. Movassagh. “Researchers have looked atmutations in these genes, and sometimes don’t see any, so it couldbe methylation, not mutation, which is responsible for the alteredexpression that leads to disease.” When the Cambridge teamcompared the genomes from the two groups, they found that thediseased hearts had epigenetic markers at significant locations ongenes associated with heart failure. “This opens a new window onthe link between genome and disease,” Movassagh said.

More work must be done to deepen the understanding of thelink. But even now, the Cambridge research makes one thingexceedingly clear. That is, epigenetic factors have a significantinfluence over whether you develop heart disease, even if youhave a strong genetic predisposition towards doing so. The nextsteps in research studies will likely focus on determining patternsof methylation in specific genes, and on how environmentalinfluences (obesity, for example) prompt DNA methylation.However, the work done to date supports the optimistic hope thatfuture research findings will point the way towards more effectivetreatment of heart disease, as well as more exact guidelines forhow to prevent it.

Eat Well, Be Well The science behind how food speaks to your genes is highly

complicated and technical. Fortunately, the science of what we


should be eating foroptimal health is far morestraightforward. Perhapsthe most concise way ofdescribing a healthy dietcomes from MichaelPollan, author of InDefense of Food. Pollan’sadvice? “Eat food. Nottoo much. Mostly plants.”Although it doesn’t getmuch simpler than that,for those seeking furtherguidance, Dr. FrankLipman offers thefollowing tips:

• Eat fresh, whole, unrefined, and unprocessed foods. Hint: if ithas a label, it’s likely that it’s not any of these things.

• The further removed the food is from its source, the less gooddata it will contain for your genes.

• Strive to eat fruits and vegetables in all shades of all colors ofthe rainbow.

• Buy fresh food whenever possible—ideally, locally grown andorganic.

• When you feel 80 percent full, stop eating.

• Be wary of obsessive calorie counting.

• Don’t waste time feeling guilt for eating the “wrong” thing.Just recommit to making a more healthful choice next time.

These guidelines are incredibly simple, but not necessarilyeasy to follow. In a culture and a time when many people rely on

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processed foods from bags and boxes for most of their calories on most days of the week, following the above advice may takeconsiderable effort because it means making a rather drasticchange in our habits. However, the benefits of doing so areoutstanding. Eating in this manner as often as you possibly canensures that your genes receive the best data to work with inorder to express positive health traits and inactivate negative ones, now and in the future.


Chapter Five:

Rewriting Your Genetic Destiny

“What you are thinking, feeling, andbelieving is changing the genetic expressionand chemical composition of your body on

a moment-by-moment basis.”—Dawson Church, PhD, founder of the National Institute

for Integrative Healthcare (NIIH)

As mentioned earlier, some of the most valuable andinformative studies illustrating the potential power of

epigenetics to overwrite genetic destiny have been done withidentical twins. The scientific term for identical twins is“monozygotic twins,” because the genetic material for each twincame from the same embryo. Monozygotic twins are the result ofa split in the embryonic material at a very early developmentalphase. Because these twins are from the same embryo, they haveidentical genetic codes. Often they are also identical in outward,physical appearance. However, as time passes, the genes of onetwin may be expressed differently than the other, resulting inradically dissimilar health outcomes.

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A group of Spanish, Swedish, Danish, English and Americaninvestigators published a seminal study in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2005 on the influence ofenvironmental factors on genetic expression. By the time of thisstudy, epigeneticists had already come to suspect that DNAmethylation was affected by the environment, but no one had asyet been able to prove it. But this study changed all that, becauseaccording to lead author Mario Fraga of the Spanish NationalCancer Centre in Madrid, this was “the first time that somebodyhas demonstrated that this is the case.” The comprehensive,detailed study explored age-associated epigenetic changes inidentical human twins. In an article in the same issue of PNAS,George M. Martin, of the Departments of Pathology andGenome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, called thestudy “a technical tour de force,” in part because of its use ofadvanced techniques including “a battery of powerful moleculargenetic methodologies.”

The researchers studied genetic material from 40 pairs ofidentical twins who ranged in age from three to 74 years old.

Their goal was to assesshow environmentalfactors sway geneexpression. To accur -ately assess this, theresearch team measuredthe amount of DNAmethylation. In a thirdof the pairs of twins,they found appreciabledifferences between thechemical modificationof DNA and its


accompanying histones in the individual twins. The older thetwins were, the more extensive the differences. In more than 60percent of twin pairs aged 28 and older, the team found significantdissimilarities in the chemical modification of DNA. Theseepigenetic variations can have considerable consequences ongenetic expression, and, therefore, on the health and wellnessstatus of each half of the twinned pairs.

The Epigenetic DriftThe researchers found that differences in gene expression for

older twin pairs was approximately four times greater than foryounger pairs. They termed this age-related divergence “epigeneticdrift.” Although the term “drift” seems to imply a gentle, benignmovement, in fact epigenetic drift may be a warning sign ofimpending health problems. Drift too far, and you may end upcrashing into a serious health obstacle that your genetic doppel -ganger was able to completely avoid. In other words, epigeneticdrift explains in part why one twin in an identical pair may developserious, life-threatening diabetes while the other goes completelyunscathed.

Here is a case that demonstrates exactly how this works inreal life. Mario Fraga’s team identified a chemical change in onetwin that had activated a gene associated with diabetes. Whilethat twin had indeed developed diabetes, his twin had not.Although the two had identical DNA structures, in the secondtwin the change had never been triggered, the gene remainedinactive, and the twin remained completely healthy.. “We are nowmapping twins with different penetrance for a particular disease,such as diabetes or autoimmune disease,” said Manel Estreller,also of the Spanish National Cancer Centre. “By comparing theepigenomes of both twins, we can isolate genes that contribute to

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the development of these diseases.”

Importantly, the researchers saw an association between thedegree of epigenetic drift and the extent to which environmentalfactors such as lifestyle choices varied. Even more interestingly,there was a correlation between the degree of drift and theamount of time the twins spent together. The more time thetwins spent apart, the more their patterns of gene activationvaried.

According to Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., professor of Epigeneticsand Gene Regulation in Cancer and Aging at the University ofAlabama, studies like these also show that “epigenetic expressionof many genes changes each year.” Tollefsbol says that “thereason for that is the interaction between epigenetics and theenvironment.”

Where Nature Meets NurtureScientist Frances Champagne of Columbia University is also

fascinated by the interplay between epigenetics and environment.“As you walk through life, as you have your unique experiencesthrough that lifespan, your epigenetic changes are mirroringthose experiences,” said Champagne. For one of her studies, shefocused on whether early childhood conditions can predict copingskills in adults. Champagne found that rat pups whose mothersshowed more affection in the first weeks of their lives were farbetter at coping with stress later on. She says similar patternsappear for other species as well. “In primates, there is evidencethat abuse leaves lasting epigenetic changes,” she says, “even inhuman brains.”

Stress seems to be an especially pertinent environmental factorthat can negatively affect health. In fact, stress has been shown to


be associated with up to 90 percent of all conditions that sendpeople to the doctor’s office, including cardiovascular disease,gastro-intestinal problems, obesity, diabetes, infections, immunedisorders, and cancer.

Experts believe chronic stress releases substances such as cortisoland adrenaline and other inflammatory factors that, when presentin excessive amounts over long periods of time, cause health harm.This negative modification of your internal chemistry affectsepigenetic tagging, and ultimately, which genes get expressed and which get silenced.

At first, this may seem like very discouraging information.After all, none of us is able to control our earliest childhoodexper iences. And even in our present-day lives, none of us canentirely eliminate stress, no matter how meticulously we plan.However, there is a very important silver lining in these findingsabout how stress affects our genes, and that is that we can retrainourselves to respond to stress in more positive ways.

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The fact is that by learning to regulate your response to stress,you can help yourself to avoid cellular damage. By consciouslyactivating a positive mental state, you can release “feel good” chem -icals and neurotransmitters like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin.Bathing your cells in this calming cocktail promotes good healthand longevity. When practiced regularly, positive thinking mayeven be able to suppress the expression of disease-related genes. AsDawson Church, PhD, founder of the National Institute for Inte -grative Healthcare (NIIH), put it: “What you are thinking, feeling,and believing is changing the genetic expression and chemicalcomposition of your body on a moment-by-moment basis.”

Change Your Mind, Change Your GenesIn his award-winning book on epigenetics, The Genie in Your

Genes, Dawson Church discusses several studies on the placeboeffect. This remarkable phenomenon is one of the strongestexamples of the impressive power your mind wields over yourphysical health, and to understand how it works is to begin tounderstand the vast potential of epigenetics to revolutionize yourhealth and the entire field of medicine.

A placebo is essentially a “fake” treatment with an inactivesubstance like sugar, saline solution, or distilled water which hasabsolutely no real medicinal properties. Yet, in some cases, thecondition of the patient taking a placebo will improve simplybecause the person expects that the treatment will be helpful.Remember, placebos have absolutely no actual impact on yourhealth, so when the person experiences improvement, the onlyexplanation is that their mind is responsible for the change intheir health status. The healing caused by your mind is theplacebo effect, and it’s a very important illustration of how your belief can change your health.


According to Church, placebos work in about 35 percent ofdocumented cases. For a drug to be considered effective, it has towork significantly better than the placebo. It may surprise you toknow, however, that in efficacy testing, fewer drugs than expectedare able to rise to that challenge.

For instance, a recent trial of anti-depressant treatmentscompared the effects of three substances: St. John’s Wort (apopular herbal option); Zoloft (one of the most frequentlyprescribed antidepressant medications); and a placebo. At theconclusion of the trial, St. John’s Wort worked for 24 percent ofthe participants who took it. Zoloft performed better, but onlyslightly; it worked for 25 percent of the participants. And the starof the study? The placebo; it worked for a whopping 32 percentof those who took it.

The results of two large-scale studies of selective serotoninreuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a top choice for pharmaceuticaltreatment of depression, anxiety, and some personality disorders,showed equally unimpressive results. Released by the UnitedStates federal government in 2006, the findings from the tests“failed to show that the drugs were safer or more effective than a placebo.”

There’s good evidence that reported benefits of many currentlyprescribed drugs are actually due to the placebo effect. Dr. IrvingKristol, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut,claims an astronomical percentage of the entire effect of anti -depressants stems from the placebo effect. After analyzing theresults of drug studies for depression, Dr. Kristol determined thatthree-quarters of the improvements patients experience fromdrugs like Zoloft and Prozac came from the patient’s belief thatthe drugs would be effective, rather than from the effects of thedrugs themselves. As for the remainder, it was hard to tell, since

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the drugs produce recognizable physical symptoms (for example,side effects such as dry mouth) that may alert participants to thefact that they are taking a “real” drug rather than a placebo, whichmay strengthen their belief that the substance would be effective.

Dr. Kristol later conducted a meta-analysis of 47 studies ofantidepressants from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)database, and found that “an average of 80 percent of the effect ofthe drugs was due to the placebo effect.” Only 40 percent of thestudies he analyzed showed that the drug had a marginally bettercure rate than the placebo.

These so-called “file drawer studies” are never published orsubmitted to the FDA. Drug companies go to great lengths to hidethem, and the reason they do so is hardly surprising. If patientsknew that the real secret behind their improvement wasn’t achemical cocktail—one that often entails nasty side effects—butrather their own mental strength and positive beliefs, the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry would start losing customersfast. And that, of course, would threaten the astronomical profitsof one of the most outrageously lucrative markets in the modernworld.

Nonetheless, there is something greater than profit that canbe garnered from the science behind the placebo effect. Enter -prising researchers are now conducting experiments to determinehow to harness the power of belief. Researchers from the Instituteof HeartMath in Boulder Creek, Colorado, performed a series ofexperiments on the effect of intention and emotion on humanDNA. Dr. Rollin McCraty, PhD, led the HeartMath team, whichdocumented measurable molecular changes to DNA moleculescaused by desires, intentions, and emotions.

“Consciousness, acting through the body, can generate the


molecules required for healing,” the team reported. “Our brainsare themselves generating drugs similar to those that our doctor isprescribing for us.” Of course, we must consider that many drugsmay be effective only because we ourselves will them to be so.However, the power of the mind heals with no known side effects.In that light, it seems fair to say that the “drugs” generated by ourbrains are not only similar to the drugs doctors prescribe, butactually far superior to those drugs.

Techniques to “Turn On” WellnessOne extremely powerful way to use your mind to modify your

gene expression is through meditation. Scientific studies haveindisputably proven that meditation can help to determine whichgenes are turned on and which are turned off. One study, led byDr. Herbert Benson, president of the Benson-Henry Institute forMind/Body Medicine, compared the genes of 19 long-term prac -titioners of meditation to the genes of 19 non-meditators. Bensonand his team found about 1,000 stress-related genes were turnedoff for the meditators, twice as many as for the non-practitioners.The more stress-related genes that are switched on, the morelikely a person is to experience chronic pain, high blood pressure,and other serious conditions.

In a later phase of the study, the researchers taught the non-meditators to meditate in order to track changes to their geneticstatus. After they had been meditating for eight weeks, the teamcompared the “before and after” gene profile of each participant.This analysis showed an additional 433 stress-related genes hadbeen turned off. This is remarkably good news because it showsthat meditation can substantially reshape your genetic expression,and that it can do so in a very short time. Studies like Dr.Benson’s could help to explain the numerous reports of

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miraculous recoveriessparked by positivethinking, meditation, yoga, and prayer. “It’s notNew Age nonsense,” Dr.Benson said about thesealternative (and oftenancient) approaches totapping in to the power of mind-body medicine.

For another study onmeditation, Dr. Benson and colleagues from theMassachusetts GeneralHospital analyzed the gene profiles of 26 non-

meditators prior to teaching a relaxation routine lasting between10 and 20 minutes, which included reciting words, breathingexercises, and tuning out “everyday thoughts” and distractions.

After eight weeks of daily practice, the team once again ana -lyzed the participants’ gene profiles. The new analysis showed“clusters of important beneficial genes had become activated andharmful ones less [activated].” Genes known to boost insulinproduction (which stabilizes blood sugar) were turned on, as were those that minimize age-related ravaging of your DNA. Anespecially concerning master gene, NF-kappaB, was also found tobe significantly less active. This means that in just eight weeks,the volunteers had decreased their risk of high blood pressure,heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain types ofcancer.


Change Your Genes in Just MinutesOne of the most astonishing results from Benson’s research

was just how quickly gene states can change. His team took bloodimmediately before and again immediately after the participantsperformed the technique. These samples showed meditationchanged the subjects’ genes within minutes. “It seems fitting thatyou should see these responses after just 15 to 20 minutes,” saidJulie Brefcyznski-Lewis of West Virginia University in Morgantown,an expert on the physiological effects of meditation techniques.“Short periods of stress elevate stress hormones and other physio -logical effects that are harmful in the long term,” Brefcyznski-Lewis said, “so it makes sense that the benefits of meditationcould appear just as quickly.”

How Moving Your Body Changes Your CellsAlong with meditation, exercise is one of the behaviors known

to alter the expression of our genes. In an article for The Atlantic,Dr. Alice G. Walton, PhD, health journalist, and editor at TheDoctor Will See You Now, discusses a study done with mice thatshowed how exercise affects cell differentiation. “When mice ran on a treadmill for as little as an hour three times a week, theexercise induced these stem cells to become blood-producing cellsof the bone marrow, rather than fat cells,” Dr. Walton writes.

Conversely, the stem cells of the sedentary mice were likely tobecome fat cells. Study author Gianni Parise says: “Some of theimpact of exercise is comparable to what we see with pharma -ceutical intervention. Exercise has the ability to impact stem cellbiology. It has the ability to influence how [cells] differentiate.”

Dr. Parise’s work patently proved that exercise influences howstem cells develop into mature cells. Since exercise has that

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capacity, it’s also quite possible it could transform our geneticrisks for certain diseases. With more research, scientists may soonbe able to map the molecular changes caused by physical exercise.But even before that happens, we have every reason to believe,and act on, the theory that exercise can transform our geneticexpression and protect our long-term health.

A Possible Key to Longer LifeAlready, current evidence indicates that altering your epigenetic

markers for the better can not only improve your health, but alsoextend your lifespan. Trygve Tollesfsbol, PhD, professor ofEpigenetics and Gene Regulation in Cancer and Aging at theUniversity of Alabama, specifically studies the epigenetics oftelomeres and the enzymatic activator telomerase. Dr. Tollesfsbol’slab at the University of Alabama has been studying telomeraseand telomeres for over a decade, and is on the forefront of thebooming field of epigenetics.

The telomere is one of the most captivating structures in all ofbiology. These repetitive sections of DNA—located at the end ofeach chromosome—explain one of the great puzzles of mam -malian cell division. Telomeres are known to be intricately linkedto aging and death. That’s because of the way cell division affectstelomeres. Cell division is a process that’s happening in our bodiesall of the time, and it results in the loss of a small portion of theend of each DNA strand. If those portions contained crucialgenetic information, much of that information would be destroyedas well. Telomeres are essentially protective “caps” at the end ofDNA strands that protect the DNA itself from being damaged ascells divide. They are composed of expendable DNA (that is, non-essential DNA) that takes the brunt of the effect of cell division,so that the cells near the end of the strand are able to retain their


integrity. In other words, telomeres protect DNA strands fromlosing critical encoded genetic information as we age.

However, the protective capacities of telomeres are notimmortal. Telomeres lose part of their length with each celldivision. Dr. Tollesfsbol explains: “The gene for the enzyme thatmaintains the telomeres, referred to as telomerase, is actuallyinactivated before we are born, which causes the telomeres to get shorter and shorter with each cell division.” When telomeresbecome too short to protect the DNA strand, cells begin to self-destruct or fall dormant. This is what scientists mean when theyrefer to the “cellular damage” that we are accustomed to thinkingabout as an inevitable part of aging. And in many cases, it is thiscellular damage that opens the door to developing diseases andserious illnesses.

Many researchers, Dr. Tollefsbol included, believe thatreactivating the gene that maintains telomeres could be apromising way to increase people’s lifespans. A paper published

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Telomeres

in Nature in 2010 claims that when researchers were able tocontinually express telomerase in mice, the mice lived longer andhad fewer diseases. While Dr. Tollefsbol sees a bright future forhuman trials, there is a possible, frightening downside.

“Cancer calls are addicted to telomerase,” Dr. Tollefsbol says.In fact, cancer cells have their own means of epigenetically turningon telomerase, which “they need in order to maintain telomeresand keep proliferating.” With the ability to constantly regeneratetelomeres, the cancer cells are virtually immune to destruction;they effectively become immortal.

“Just like in Star Wars, telomeres have a light side and a darkside,” Dr. Tollefsbol explains. “There is a fine balance, because ifwe turn on telomerase in people and lengthen their telomeres, wecould find out that they’re getting a lot more cancers.” He remainshopeful, however, that scientists can ultimately find a way to usetelomerase to enhance longevity without increasing a person’scancer risk.


Chapter Six:

The Cancer Connection

“Epigenetics does not get much hotterthan it is right now. And probably the

biggest area is cancer research.”

–Trygve Tollefsbol, PhD, professor of Epigenetics and Gene Regulation in Cancer and Aging

at the University of Alabama

It is only in the last decade that scientists have begun to fathomthe integral place of epigenes in the cancer equation. Until theturn of the millennium, the leading theory within the scientificcommunity held that cancer was caused by abnormalities withinthe genes themselves. Epigenetic experimentation like that doneby Trygve Tollefsboll has effectively upended that theory. “Researchhas shown that genes can undergo key epigenetic changes so thatwe become more predisposed to developing cancer,” explains Dr.Tollefsbol. In fact, the activation of a single gene—p53—appearsto be a factor in the development of “at least 50 percent ofcancers.”

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Viewing the genome has revealed many surprising linksbetween epigenetic processes and the causation and progressionof cancer. In a 2011 article in Nature Reviews Cancer, Stephen B.Baylin and Peter A. Jones write: “Next-generation sequencing isproviding a window for visualizing the human epigenome andhow it is altered in cancer.” According to Baylin and Jones,epigenetic alterations could be used to develop specific markersfor cancer detection, as well as diagnosis and prognosis. If that’strue, epigenetic therapies hold the potential not only to treatcancer, but also to predict the risks of having it develop in anindividual, so that interventions could be undertaken to prevent it from evolving.

Epigenetics and Genetics: Accomplices in Cancer Development

Contrary to the way we usually think about it, cancer isn’tactually a single disease. Rather, “cancer” is actually an umbrellaterm that encompasses approximately 200 different diseases, all ofwhich share a few essential commonalities. However, all cancersare caused by genetic mutations that lead to abnormal cell behavior,such as out of control growth of particular cells, the destruction ofother, surrounding cells, and unnaturally long cellular life cycles.This is part of the reason that it’s so challenging to kill cancer cells.

Two types of genes are involved in the development of cancer:oncogenes (mutated genes that have become cancerous) and anti-oncogenes (tumor suppressors). Typically, anti-oncogenes preventcells from becoming cancerous. When anti-oncogenes mutate,however, this tumor-suppressing function is compromised or shutoff entirely, which creates the conditions for unrestrained growthof oncogenes.


Errors that impair the function of oncogenes and anti-oncogenes can be caused either by faults in the genetic code or by a flawed set of epigenetic instructions. Both failings—sepa -rately or jointly—result in loss of control over cell growth, whichultimately leads to cancer. Scientists say that emerging researchon epigenetics has shifted the paradigm. Now, the biology ofcancer must be viewed through the lens of both genomics andepigenetics.

Sibaji Sarkar, PhD, adjunct instructor of medicine at BostonUniversity School of Medicine (BUSM), believes that epigenetics—and DNA methylation specifically—can explain the formation ofcancer cells. Dr. Sarkar and colleagues from the Boston UniversityCancer Center specifically investigated the origination ofprogenitor cells.

Progenitor cells are quite similar to stem cells. In fact, theterms are sometimes used interchangeably. The exact definitionsof the two types of cells are still being debated. What stem cellsand progenitor cells have in common is that both differentiateinto different kinds of “target” cells. One key distinction is thatstem cells can replicate infinitely because they are, as yet, undif -ferentiated. An undifferentiated cell is one that has not yet been“slotted” into becoming a particular kind of cell (a liver cell, forinstance, or a brain cell). Progenitor cells, on the other hand, can only replicate a limited number of times. (If you imagine aspectrum of cells stretching from stem cells to fully specializedcells, progenitor cells lie somewhere in between.)

In an article published in the February 2013 issue of Epigen -omics, the researchers from BUSM proposed an intriguing theoryof how cancer cells grow in an uninhibited fashion. The DNAmethylation, these researches theorized, may trigger the formationof progenitor cancer cells. The team found an enzyme known to

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support high levels of methylation in the tumor suppressor genesof cancer cells. Highly methylated genes are essentially “silenced.”With the suppressor cells silenced, the cancer cells can growwithout limits. This could also help clarify why sometimes,despite having identical genetic blueprints, only one twin willdevelop cancer.

Can Cancer Cells Be Reprogrammed? Another forerunner in epigenetics science is Jean-Pierre Issa,

director of the Fels Institute for Cancer Research and professor ofmolecular biology at Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Issabelieves that epigenetics shines a light into the murky areasbetween your genes and your health. “Genes are not strictly ourdestiny,” Dr. Issa says. “Taking care of our epigenome may lead tolonger, healthier lives.” Dr. Issa is specifically interested in howepigenetics can give rise to superior cancer treatments.

Along with an impressive group of collaborators, Dr. Issacompared lung tissue from a lung cancer patient to healthy lungtissue, and found distinctly different epigenetic markers on thetwo. With further investigation, Dr. Issa and his team believe thisdiscovery could lead to treatments that can “reprogram” cancercells by reconfiguring epigenetic markers.

Assuming that such a treatment is successfully formulated,doctors could extend the lives of cancer patients by reshuffling theepigenome. This option would be preferable to current methodssuch as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, all of which haverisks and side effects that are often severe and debilitating. “I liketo tell people that these are like bookmarks, and if we simplyreconfigure the bookmarks, then there is a very different instruc -tion program,” Dr. Issa says.


Cancer Cells Stopped Growing and DisappearedDr. Issa and other

researchers fromTemple have alreadyconducted some verypromising trials withlung cancer patients.Using epigeneticallyactive drugs, they wereable to erase theepigenetic signature of

cancer. After being dosed with the epigenetic drugs, the cancerouscells not only stopped growing, but also either reverted to normalbehavior or simply died. Slowly, the patients’ cancers disappearedfrom their bodies. Issa and his colleagues have used this techniqueto successfully treat hundreds of patients.

“This is different from the war on cancer,” says Issa, “this isdiplomacy on cancer.” Rather than attacking the cancer cells, theepigenetic drugs change their instruction program. Epigeneticchanges can be passed on during cell division. However, once they are erased, they do not return. Because of this trait, epigeneticdrugs can stop a cancer without killing its cells. In essence, as Issaputs it, these treatments “remind” the cells of how they shouldbehave.

The FDA has approved four of these “persuasive” drugs, andan estimated 100,000 people already take them. As the under -standing that cancer is as much—if not more—epigenetic thangenetic becomes more mainstream, more doctors will be convincedthat epigenetic therapies can achieve real results. “We have proofof principle,” says Dr. Issa. “Many patients are alive today whowould not be alive were it not for these drugs. Ten years from

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now, we’ll know a lot more.” Dr. Issa hopes that perhaps one day,epigenetic treatments could even be routinely used to cure cancer.

The head of the epigenetics research group at GlaxoSmithKline(one of the world’s largest drug companies), Dash Dhanak, isstriving to develop a substance that is capable of inhibiting theactivity of an enzyme called EZH2. An overactive EZH2 enzymehas been linked to many lymphomas—cancers of the immunesystem. This overactivity raises methylation levels in surroundinggenes, including tumor-suppressor genes. As mentioned earlier,genes with high levels of methylation are silenced, or “turned off.”

When Dr. Dhanak and his colleagues at GlaxoSmithKlinetreated lymphoma cells with a novel kind of inhibitor, they wereable to dramatically decrease methylation levels. They found thatthe inhibitor, currently named GSK2816126, could also reducethe proliferation of tumor cells. Crucially, it appeared to have noeffect on healthy cells nearby.

James Bradner, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boson,developed an alternate kind of inhibitor called JQ1. He and agroup of scientists used JQ1 to block the activity of the Myc gene.The Myc gene encodes a transcription factor involved in theexpression of about 15 percent of human genes. Unsurprisingly,errors involving this transcription factor are one of the mostcommon causes of cancer.

Recent studies show that epigenetic drug treatments not onlytreat cancer, but also reduce the chance of relapse. Specifically,treatments focused on progenitors (like the work of Sibaji Sarkar)have lasting results. “Progenitors are known to cause cancerrelapse,” says Sarkar, “and because epigenetic drugs can helpdestroy progenitor cells, these drugs could help reduce the chanceof cancer relapse and improve the long-term outcomes of people


with cancer.” These ideas, based solely on current knowledge,inspire Dr. Sarkar. He describes the future of epigenetic cancertreatments as “important and exciting.”

Why the Health Revolution Will Begin in Your Home (And How One Woman Cured Cancer Using Only Her Mind)

While laboratory-manufactured epigenetic treatments may beable to achieve wonders, some find a different aspect of epigeneticsto be far more exciting. Researchers like Trygve Tollefsbol believethe true health revolution will come from “the simple-but-powerfulepigenetic changes people can accomplish in their own home.”

In The Genie in Your Genes, Dawson Church shares the story of a woman who cured her terminal cancer using only her mind.In 1972, Nancy was diagnosed with metastasized Stage IV uterinecancer. Despite the fact that her diagnosis was essentially a deathsentence, she chose to reject conventional medical treatment.When asked about this unusual choice, Nancy says: “My bodycreated this condition, so it has the power to un-create it too.”

To facilitate the “un-creation” process, Nancy quit her job,exercised whenever she had the physical energy to do so, andspent hours soaking in the bath. While she soaked, she used aspecific visualization to fight the cancer. Church explains thatNancy imagined that “tiny stars were coursing through her body.Whenever the sharp edge of a star touched a cancer cell, sheimagined it puncturing the cell, and the cancer cell deflating like aballoon.” Finally, she imagined the bathwater rinsing away theremains of the cancer cells. She didn’t think about dying. Instead,she focused on eating a healthy diet, walking, enjoying her baths,and the healing power of the “stars” traveling through her body.

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Given the late stage of her cancer, most doctors would havepredicted that Nancy would die. However, something miraculousbegan to happen in Nancy’s life. She started feeling stronger. Shefound that she could walk further. And she began to picture whather life might look like, years in the future. Three months afterher initial diagnosis, she felt “a firm inner conviction” that herbody was completely free of cancer, so she scheduled an appoint -ment with her doctors. To their complete surprise, the testsconfirmed what Nancy had already sensed—her cancer was gone.

Hard science backs Nancy’s story. Dr. Dean Ornish and ateam from the Preventative Medicine Research Institute havedocumented how meditation changes cancer genes. The teamstudied how meditation and other practices affected the health ofmen with early-stage prostate cancer. Testing revealed changes inover 500 genes; most critically, RAS, a gene set known to promotecancer, and the Selectin E gene, which causes inflammation and is strongly associated with breast cancer, were both turned off.SFRP, a gene that fights tumor formation, was turned on, indi -cating that meditation was fortifying the men’s bodies to battlethe disease.

Future studies may yield information that patients can use totailor their diets and lifestyle habits to reduce their susceptibilityto illnesses such as cancer. “We think that environmental andlifestyle factors are probably the most interesting thing aboutepigenetics,” says Dr. Tollefsbol. “Life affects epigenetics.”


Chapter Seven:

DNA and Hypercommunication: Rewrite Your Genetic Code

“All ideas that we fix upon the mind become a reality.”

— Dr. Emile Coué, 20th century French psychologist, pharmacist and originator of “conscious autosuggestion”

Over two decades ago, Russian scientists ventured into DNAterritory that Western researchers still, unfortunately,

dismiss as spurious and unworthy of serious investigation.Conventional scientific inquiries have dealt primarily with the 10percent of our DNA that is responsible for protein building, andhave largely ignored the rest. Refusing to believe that the vastmajority of DNA held no research value, the innovative Russianteam set out to learn more about the remaining 90 percent of thehuman genetic code.

This unconventional team, led by biophysicist and molecular

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biologist Dr. Pjotr Garajev, paired linguists and geneticists in thetrailblazing effort. By testing the impact of vibration and languageon DNA, they made a completely unexpected discovery: ourgenetic code uses grammar rules and syntax in a way that closelymirrors human language. Not only does DNA construct humanbodies, but it also stores data and serves as a means of communi -cation—especially in the “useless” 90 percent of our genetic code.

The researchers compared the rules of syntax (how words areformed into phrases and sentences), semantics (the meaning inlanguage forms), and basic grammar to the composition of ourDNA. They found that the structuring of DNA-alkaline pairsfollows a regular grammar and has set rules, giving rise tospeculation that all languages past and present may simply beverbalizations of our DNA. Even more astoundingly, the teamwas able to use spoken words and phrase to change and rearrangeliving human DNA.

“Magic” Words and Phrases Can Rewrite the Genetic Code

The key to using language to change DNA, according to Dr.Garajev and his colleagues, is determining the right frequency. Bymodulating sound and light frequencies onto a laser-like ray, theRussians influenced cellular metabolism and altered the geneticmaterial itself. Since DNA-alkaline pairs and language sharerelated structures, no decoding is necessary—spoken words andsentences can change living DNA.

The ongoing experiments of Dr. Garajev and his team highlightthe immense power of wave genetics, the study of the interactionbetween electromagnetic waves and DNA. Their work has beenso fundamental to the discipline that some call Dr. Garajev “the


father of wave genetics.” By untangling the biological under -pinnings of the vibrational behavior of DNA, the Russian teamlaid the groundwork for further probing of the capabilities of ourgenetic code. One key discovery was that our DNA could produceminiature, magnetized wormholes.

By creating invisible, structured patterns in the vacuum energyof space our DNA forms microscopic equivalents of the Einstein-Rosen bridges left by burned-out stars. Einstein-Rosen bridges—found near black holes—are tunnels that connect far-off areas ofthe universe. Essentially, the bridges are portals that transmitinformation, and it seems that the miniature versions function inthe same manner.

When Dr. Garajev and his laboratory cohorts placed a DNAsample in a small black box, then irradiated the box with laser light,a wave pattern formed on the monitor. That wave pattern indicatedthe presence of DNA in the box. Before the DNA sample wasintroduced, the monitor connected to the box had displayed arandom scattering of dots. However, after the team removed theDNA sample, the wave pattern remained on the monitor.

Further controlled experiments revealed that the reason the pattern remained stable after the removal of the DNA wasbecause the energy field of the sample was still present. Thisphenomenon is now called the DNA Phantom Effect. Even afterthe DNA is no longer physically present in the box, the monitorcan still detect its information, thanks to the conductive powers of the micro-wormhole produced by its removal.

As is all too typical with work of this kind, the media wasquick to slander the results as “pseudoscience,” “New Agemumbo jumbo,” and so on. A related breakthrough by Nobellaureate Luc Montagnier met a similar fate.

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Dr. Montagnier, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for medicinein 2008, went on to uncover further proof of the immenseinfluence of wave genetics on the formation of organisms. Hediscovered that DNA has the capacity to send “electromagneticimprints” of itself into distant cells and fluids, imprints which can then be used to create copies of the original DNA. Dr. JeffReimers, a theoretical chemist, speaks of Dr. Montagnier’s workwith great excitement. ““If the results are correct,” he says, “thesewould be the most significant experiments performed in the past90 years, demanding re-evaluation of the whole conceptualframework of modern chemistry.”

Unfortunately, the popular press and so-called internet experts misrepresented Dr. Montagnier’s claims as evidence of“teleportation” or “magic.” These characterizations churned up acloud of controversy around his serious scientific findings. This isperhaps not as surprising as it seems, because scientists are oftennotoriously reluctant to relinquish commonly accepted beliefs,even in the face of new research evidence proving that thosebeliefs are incorrect.

However, not all fields in the health arena were so quick todismiss Dr. Montagnier’s work. One field in which his work isparticularly relevant is homeopathic medicine. Homeopathicmedicine is based on the theoretical principle of “like cures like,”which essentially means that a substance which causes symptomsof illness can also cure the same symptoms, if administered inhighly diluted form. For that reason, homeopathy relies on dosesof substances that have undergone sequential dilution, withvigorous shaking in between each dilution. Skeptics have longassumed that none of the original molecules of the originalsubstance could possibly remain after the series of dilutions.However, Dr. Montagnier’s work on DNA’s ability to create


electromagnetic imprints, as well as the work of many otherscientists, suggests otherwise. His experiments prove that, in fact, the structure of the original medicinal substance could wellremain in the homeopathic solution, and be capable of producingdramatic biological effects.

As may be expected, the reception to Dr. Montagnier’s workin his native France and throughout the rest of Europe and theUnited States has been sheer disbelief. On the other hand, scientistsin China have proved to be more open-minded, and many haveembraced it wholeheartedly. For instance, Jiaotong University inShanghai (often called “China’s MIT”) has established an institutebearing Dr. Montagnier’s name. The team working there has fullleeway to explore the intersections of physics, biology, medicine,and wave genetics. Dr. Montagnier’s research will be focusedinitially on the electromagnetic waves that emanate from variouspathogens. “Not all DNA produces signals we can detect with our

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device,” he explains. “The high-intensity signals come frombacteria and viral DNA.” Dr. Montagnier believes his observationswill lead to new treatment options for many chronic diseases,including multiple sclerosis, autism, Parkinson’s disease, andAlzheimer’s disease.

Turning Frogs Into Salamanders—No Scalpel Needed

By far the most staggering application of wave genetics toemerge so far comes from the work of Dr. Pjotr Garajev and hisassociates. Using vibration and language, this team was able tocapture information patterns from one set of DNA and transmit it to another. By doing so, they reprogrammed the second set ofcells with the genome of the first set. The most famous exampleof this was their successful transformation of frog embryos intosalamander embryos.

This transformation represents an unbelievable—and totallyunparalleled—scientific revolution. Although cloning has beenpossible for a number of decades, what this team did was toessentially clone DNA without lifting a single scalpel or makingone incision. All the information needed to build a salamanderwas communicated into the frog embryo without any of the sideeffects and disharmonies that accompany the grafting of singlegenes. What this means is that cutting and splicing could soonbecome relics of the past, just like bloodletting and theapplication of leeches.

The Russians’ work also helps to explain why affirmations andhypnosis have such overpowering effects on people. Our DNA isinherently programmed to respond to language. Esoteric guides,spiritual teachers, and hypnotists have been unconsciously tapping


in to this programming for ages. But now, we are beginning tounderstand not just how it works, but why.

Trading the “Thought of Illness” for the “Thought of Cure”

It’s likely that the healing that Dr. Emile Coué, the originatorof “conscious autosuggestion,” was able to effect in countlesspeople was the result of DNA’s natural tendency to respond tolanguage. The best-known illustration of his work was thefollowing sentence, which Dr. Coué taught his patients to repeatdaily: “Tous les jours à tous points de vue je vais de mieux enmieux.” In English, the sentence translates as, “Every day, inevery way, I’m getting better and better.”

According to Dr. Coué, the autosuggestive nature of thissentence is what enabled his patients to cure themselves byreplacing the “thought of illness” with the “thought of cure.”Hundreds of patients in Europe and North America have curedthemselves of a wide variety of disease and ailments just by usinghis affirmation.

Dr. Coué began as a disciple of master hypnotist Ambroise-Aguste Liébault, but in 1910, he broke away from the classicalhypnotism of Liébault’s Nancy School to develop the techniquehe christened “conscious autosuggestion.” With this technique,subjects are taught to use suggestion and imagination for them -selves. Dr. Coué’s intention was to remedy what he saw as an all-too-common misconception about hypnosis, which is that underhypnosis individuals are effectively being controlled by the hyp -notist. His goal was to help his clients understand that such is notthe case. The client responds to hypnosis not because he has nocontrol, but because he voluntarily accepts the suggestions being

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offered. By handing the power of mind control over to thesubjects themselves, Dr. Coué imbued his patients with the ability to initiate and guide their own healing process.

Dr. Coué only instructed his students in two autosuggestionmethods: the general and the specific. His general method wasthe famous cure-all formula quoted above, “Every day, in everyway, I am getting better and better.” This was to be repeated aminimum of 20 times each night with the eyes closed, just beforefalling into sleep. Dr. Coué recommended using a rosary to count the repetitions. While there was no maximum number ofrepetitions, in his book My Method, he did add the importantcaveat: “Say it as many times as you like; only don’t let it becomean obsession.” A special emphasis was to be put on the words “inevery way,” to draw awareness to how the healing process includesboth physical and mental improvement. In addition, broadeningthe focus to include virtually every aspect of a patient’s life made it possible for the phrase to be used by anyone, because it allowedthe subject to feel that it referred to his or her particular circum -stances, as well as to every goal he or she had in mind.

The specific method, designed to treat a pain or acute symp -tom of distress, was even simpler. Subjects had only to repeat “ca passé,” which is French for “it is going.” In My Method, Dr.Coué advised English-speaking people to stick to the Frenchversion, as the phase was better suited for rapid repetition thanthe longer and more awkward English expressions. Subjects weretold to speak as fast as possible, “at the risk of gabbling,” becausein his opinion speed was essential to prevent the intrusion ofnegative thoughts that could conflict with the subject’s intentions.

At the same time, they were to rub the affected area. If thesymptom was purely abstract—a thought or feeling, for instance—they were instructed to pass a hand over the forehead. “All ideas


that we fix upon the mind become a reality,” Dr. Coué writes. In other words, holding an idea in our minds has the power toinduce us to believe that it is indeed true. So, by verbalizing thatthe pain or unwanted thought or feeling was passing, “we thusactually think it is going…[and] the pain, physical or mental,vanishes.”

Have You Experienced Hypercommunication?

“Hypercommunication” is the technical term used to describesituations wherein a person suddenly accesses information outsideof his or her own personal knowledge base. In common parlance,the phenomenon of hypercommunication is often described asintuition. In modern times, instances of intuition or hyper -communication have become exceedingly rare—but to understandit can provide us an important glimpse into how we can useepigenetics in our everyday lives.

For some creatures, likeants, hypercommunication iswoven into daily existence.When a queen ant is physicallyremoved from her colony, hersubjects continue to work andbuild according to herinstructions. If she is killed,however, work halts and theants become aimless. It seemsthat so long as the queen antremains alive, she can usehypercom munication toaccess the group

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consciousness of her colony regardless of her proximity.

The research done by wave geneticists on the DNA phantomeffect may hold the key to unlocking our capacity forhypercommunication. If we were able to consciously activate and control the micro-wormholes identified by Drs. Garajev,Montagnier, and others, we could use our DNA to transmit and receive information. The more people who honed this skill,and the more participants who joined the network, the moreencompassing the database would become.

All of this is so outside the realm of what most of us think of as possible that at first, it may just sound like something out of science fiction. However, examples of individuals who havemastered the necessary techniques have already emerged.Successful cases of remote healing and telepathy may not beisolated, inexplicable miracles, but instead instances of successfulhypercommunication. Dr. Garajev’s research also helps to explainwhy not everyone can master esoteric techniques. Clear “com -munication” with DNA depends on finding the right frequency.Those who specialize in this science believe that individuals withmore highly attuned inner processes are more able to create aconscious, effective channel of communication with their DNA.By increasing your consciousness, you too can achieve results likeDr. Coué’s students using only your own words and thoughts.


Chapter Eight:

Autosuggestion and Your Genes

“These new discoveries have revolutionaryimplications for health and healing.Psychologist Ernest Rossi begins his

authoritative text The Psychobiology of GeneExpression with a challenge: ‘Are these toremain abstract facts safely sequestered in

academic textbooks, or can we take these factsinto the mainstream of human affairs?’”

—Dawson Church

“Iwas brutishly clubbed on the head in my sleep.” With thisstriking sentence, Dr. Ernest L. Rossi, Ph.D., opens his paper

“Gene Expression and Brain Plasticity in Stroke Rehabilitation: APersonal Memoir of Mind-Body Healing Dreams.” To call anacademic paper “riveting” is rare, but Rossi’s account of how heused his psychotherapeutic acumen to recover from a stroke

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certainly merits that description.

Dr. Rossi begins by vividly retelling the sensations of a strokehe suffered in the early 2000s. “I felt heavy and unable to moveout of a cramped fetal position in the nightmarish darkness. Iwanted to groan but could not. I did not know whether I wasasleep or awake. But I must have opened one eye at least momentarilyto glance at the dim luminous glow of a clock by my bed thatregistered about 2:30 a.m.”

Ironically, a few months before suffering his stroke Rossi, apreeminent figure in clinical psychobiology, had completed abook on activity-dependent gene expression, a possible mechanismfor rehabilitation from severe trauma. He would apply the sameconcepts that he described in the book to his own recovery. It wasa process he described as “a deepening exploration of the co-creation between consciousness and nature.” The revised versionof his book, completed after he made a full recovery, presentedpractical methods for applying an advanced understanding of thebrain-body connection to self-healing in everyday life. Accordingto Dr. Rossi, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral experiencesmeasurably impact on numerous biological functions, includinggene expression, brain plasticity, synaptogenesis, neurogenesis,and stem cell differentiation and maturation. Contemporaryneuroscience research, says Dr. Rossi, can serve as a blueprint for naturalistic, self-guided rehabilitation.

The Psychobiology of Gene Expression In 2002, Rossi’s book entitled The Psychobiology of Gene Expression:

Neuroscience and Neurogenesis in Hypnosis and the Healing Arts waspublished. In the book, Dr. Rossi explores the theory, researchand practice of utilizing positive experiences to facilitate braingrowth and healing. He also outlines how alternative and


complementary medicine, psychotherapy, and thera peutic hypnosiscan be used to optimize gene expression. By com bining research onneurogenesis and therapeutic hypnosis, he advances fresh insightson personal, social, and spiritual development.

In particular, the book highlights how social attitudes andcultural expectancies can impact gene expression just as much aspharmaceuticals do. Rossi references a seminal paper by Dr. EricKandel, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2000, titled,“A New Intellectual Framework for Psychiatry.” In that paper,Dr. Kandel issued the bold proclamation that all bodily functionsare susceptible to social influences. He also proposed that in thefuture, it would be possible to prove that influence. “As theresolution of brain imaging increases,” he writes, “it shouldeventually permit quantitative evaluation.” Stated simply, hisargument is this: “social influences [are] biologically incorporatedinto the altered expressions of specific genes in specific nerve cellsof specific regions of the brain.”

By depicting the complexities of the communication pathwaysbetween the mind and the body, Dr. Rossi helps his audienceunderstand how you can optimize your consciousness. He broadensand builds on the ideas of Dr. Coué and other early advocates ofhypnosis and autosuggestion. As Rossi stresses, the flow ofinformation between mind and matter goes in both directions.Your behavior influences your genes, and your genes influenceyour behavior, as well. By controlling the tenor of that conversation,your mind and body co-create the status of your health andwellness.

What makes Dr. Rossi’s work so compelling is that hesupports his assertions concerning somewhat fuzzy or nebulousnotions such as free will with firm statistics based on physicalmarkers such as stem cells. The Psychobiology of Gene Expression

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offers new options tothose who feel they’verun out of ammunitionin battling all-too-common issues likestress. Dr. Rossi takes a neuro-scientificapproach to abstract but key concepts such as novelty, wonder, life enrichment, anddreaming. This broadand encompassing

approach is central to the emerging disciplines of psychosocialgenomics and psycho immunology, which seek to optimize healthby drawing from a spectrum of resources encom passing every -thing from arts and culture to hard science to the realm of thespirit. Dr. Rossi’s work is revolutionary, in part because of anuncommon background that allows him to see the links betweenseemingly disconnected areas.

A Master “Mental Chemist”From a young age, Dr. Rossi was drawn to the world of

science. When he was seven years old, he used the tips he savedfrom his job as a shoeshine boy to buy himself a chemistry set.Later, he excelled in his high school and undergraduate chemistryand biology classes, and set out to pursue a master’s degree with aspecialty in pharmacognosy (the study of medicinal plants). Whilein pharmacy school, he received a copy of Freud’s The Interpre -tation of Dreams, which set in motion what Dr. Rossi now recallsas “an incredible revolution” in his thinking.


“Suddenly, I saw psychology as a kind of mental chemistry,” Rossitold interviewer Michael Yapko. He was so absorbed in the ideas laidout in the book that he stayed up for three days straight reading it. “I was so excited about the idea of mental chemistry that I literallycouldn’t sleep,” he says. In the end, Dr. Rossi was so bowled over byFreud’s book that he switched disciplines and completed a master’sdegree in psychology. After completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychologyat Temple University in Philadelphia, Dr. Rossi moved to Californiaand went into practice as a Jungian analyst. A strange twist of fateconnected him with esteemed therapeutic hypnotist Milton H.Erickson, M.D., with whom he would co-author four books.

After a lifetime of professional and personal twists and turns, Rossifound a way to draw together the threads of the many different ideasthat had influenced his work on the mind/gene connection. In his1990 interview with Yapko, he declared: “The average psycho -therapist is profoundly behind the times. The genius of our age is notpsychotherapy. That genius took place in the 1900s with Freud andJung. The genius of our age is the molecular biology of the gene.”

Rossi’s background in biology gave him the capacity to drawfrom diverse sources in his psychology work. “The innovativeresearch in hypnosis is being published by journals in neuro -science,” he told Yapko. The journals did not describe thepractice as “hypnosis,” he explains, but as “ritualized relaxation,”or “imagery.” However, the studies they published traced “theeffects of images and emotional states on white blood cells andmolecules, right down to the genetic level.”

For Rossi, the neurological and biological underpinnings of hischosen discipline have practical as well as theoretical resonance.The mind/gene connection is not merely something to puzzle overin the abstract, but something that practicing therapists can usewhen conducting treatments. Yapko asked him to contextualize the

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importance of the genetic expression of emotions by explaining, for instance, what his approach could offer in understanding thebehavior of a man who batters his wife. In Dr. Rossi’s opinion, themind/gene connection would allow that therapist to address theroot of problem, “that rage that leads to battering.” The act ofbattering is what Dr. Rossi calls “a behavioral seizure.” A person inthat state is not acting rationally, but under the direction of state-dependent memory, learning, and behavior conditioning. “Thesebehaviors are encoded by information substance-hormones,flowing from the body as well as from the mind,” explains Dr.Rossi. In certain states of stress, like the one that would lead thehypothetical husband to abuse his wife, “ACTH stress hormonesare flowing through his system and are automatically turning on‘battering behavior.’” Better knowledge of the mind/gene conn -ection can identify triggers for the ACTH hormones, and resolvethe underlying cause of a problem like battering.

One of the dangers associated with discussion of the mind/gene connection is oversimplifying the balance of power involvedin that relationship. Tilting too far in either direction leads topotentially damaging misstatements. In the situation describedabove, for example, to say that the husband’s behavior is the resultof stress hormones is not to acquit him of responsibility for hisactions. He is still guilty of failing to control himself. Conversely,global proclamations such as “the mind can heal the body” can beequally misleading. To tell a cancer patient something like thatcan imply, in a sense, that he or she is sick because of a failure toproperly express emotions, and that the health issue could havebeen avoided—or can be easily resolved—by simply learning howto visualize properly.


We Are All in KindergartenDr. Rossi is very well aware of the possibility for this sort of

oversimplification, and the potential harm and guilt it may arousein patients who are ill. What is called for, he believes, is humility.On the one hand, it is now clear that “there are mind/molecularassociations in cancer, and every other illness and state of health,”and acknowledging these associations is important. But on theother hand, these associations are “functioning for the most parton an unconscious level” that we are “only now beginning tounderstand.” In other words, while we can rightly be optimistic ofthe potential healing aspects of these associations, we also need tobe mindful that we’re still in the infant stages with respect to ourunderstanding. As Rossi puts it, “We’re all in kindergarten! We’vebarely scratched the surface!” The fact that there is still so muchwe do not know about the mind-body connection means that weshould avoid the temptation to oversimplify and generalize.

The more we learn about the profound connections betweenmind, emotions, body, and molecules, the wider the array ofoptions we will have to utilize them effectively. In the meantime,perhaps the best we can do in the present moment is to clear awayour learned limitations and keep an open mind about “hownature might facilitate itself.”

Hypnosis, Self-Help, and Gene ChipsRossi first proposed his theories on the links between gene

expression, protein synthesis, and hypnosis in the mid-1970s. Dr.Rossi’s work is a vital part of a field called “psychosocial genomics,”the study of how inner psychological events and interactive socialevents stimulate gene expression. Applied psychosocial genomicscenters on how the mind-body connection can facilitate

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emotional and physical healing.

Although his ideas have not yet been fully embraced by themajority of practicing therapists, he is slowly but surely gainingfollowers. Perhaps one of the most visible of these is Dr. TimBrunson, who is a prolific author of self-help audio courses as well as a member of the International Hypnosis Research Institute. TheInstitute is a coalition of integrative health care specialists fromaround the world who collaborate to provide information andeducational resources to clinicians. When Brunson attended a coursewith Dr. Rossi he was intrigued. While he was somewhat skepticalabout whether Rossi’s ideas would take hold on a broad therapeuticscale, Brunson also felt that there was a strong scientific case to bemade for the validity of the relationship Rossi was proposingbetween “novelty, gene expression, neurogenesis and numinosum.”The central message that Brunson took away from the course wasthat emotional arousal, sparked by fascination or wonder, producesproteins that affect our physiology and alter our DNA.

Alfred Bellanti, a clinical hypnotherapist, medical herbalist,and master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming, wasintroduced to Dr. Rossi’s work by an article in the AustralianJournal of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis. The article primarilyaddressed a 2008 pilot study carried out by Ernest Rossi, SalvatoreIannotti, Mauro Cozzolino, Stefano Castiglione, Angela Cicatelliand Kathryn Rossi. The first of its kind, the study used DNAmicroarrays to assess the molecular impact of “a top-down creativelyoriented positive human experience” on gene expression. Rossiand his team invented a psychotherapeutic protocol that combinedhypnosis, psychotherapy, rehabilitation therapy, meditation, andpastoral counseling, which they call “The Creative PsychosocialGenomic Healing Experience.”

During the study, DNA microarrays of three human subjects


were performed immediately before, one hour after, and one day after participation in The Creative Psychosocial GenomicHealing Experience. Analysis of the white blood cells showedchanges to the expression of 15 early response genes within onehour of the experience. After 24 hours, those changes had alsoinitiated a further cascade of changes in 77 genes.

DNA microarrays measure the expression levels of thousands ofgenes simultaneously. As one might expect, the science that makesthis technology possible is complex. In a basic sense, microarrayswork by attaching thousands of microscopic samples of DNA to asolid surface (usually glass or silicon). The resulting coding structure,often referred to as a “gene chip,” can then be referenced againstexisting gene databases. A gene chip can also be compared to theDNA of the person from whom the sample was drawn, so thatchanges in expression levels can be tracked over time. This allowsresearchers to observe which genes have been “up-regulated,” orswitched on, and which have been “down-regulated,” or switched off.

Dr. Rossi’s preliminary study indicates that psychotherapeuticprotocols can directly influence whether a gene is up- or down-regulated. “Until I read this article, I had no idea that suchresearch had ever taken place,” Dr. Bellanti writes. “I have beenpracticing clinical hypnotherapy since 1993, knowing that itachieved amazing results, but not thoroughly understanding howthose results were achieved.” In Dr. Rossi’s work, Dr. Bellantifound confirmation of what he had instinctively sensed, “thatchanges must take place in the clients’ neurotransmitter levels.”

The (Serious) Science of MagicModern technology makes it possible for scientists to quantify

the effects of spiritual, religious, magical, and faith-based methodsof treating physical and mental ailments. Dr. Palpu Pushpangadan,

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of the Regional Research Laboratory in Jammu Tawi, India, showedthat magico—religious rites commonly used to treat ailments inancient India, and still prevalent in tribal societies, are a scientif icallysound psychological treatment strategy. “Magical incantation andother religious rites performed to cure the disease unknowinglyaffect the mind of the patient,” writes Dr. Pushpangadan. The ritesgenerate a kind of energy that fuels the patient’s body through therecovery process. Pushpangadan compares the energy to thatgenerated by hypnosis, which is perhaps the best-studied modalityof suggestion-based healing.

Documentation of the medical applications of hypnosis allowsus to follow its evolution from early Egypt and Greece, to theNancy school and the work of Dr. Coué, to Freud’s theories ofunblocking unconscious conflicts, and to the work of Dr. Rossiand other contemporary authors. C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.,and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D., psychologists specializing inmeditation, hypnotherapy, and neuroscience, have written 28books (several of which are bestsellers) on consciousness tech -niques viewed through the dual lens of Eastern philosophy andtherapeutic effectiveness.

Through the meticulous use of neuroimaging techniques, C. Alexander Simpkins and Annellen Simpkins integrate mind-brain-body connections to improve our understanding of theclinical process of self-hypnosis. Better understanding of keyconcepts like attention and the unconscious can help individualsovercome resistance to self-hypnosis and sharpen the toolsnecessary to successfully practice it.


Chapter Nine:

The Future of Epigenetics

“Creativity is not the sole domain of the arts. Science is one of the [domains]

where I find creativity all over.”

–Paul L. Harrison

Human cloning has been a controversial topic since the birth ofDolly the sheep in 1996. Despite this controversy, the advent of

cloning with respect to humans may be closer than you think. In 2012,the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in 2012 awarded theNobel Prize in Physiology jointly to Sir John B. Gurdon and ShinyaYamanaka for “the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed tobecome pluri potent.” Before becoming a Nobel laureate, Gurdon, whoalmost half a century ago began the research that culminated in winningthe prize, had been nicknamed “The Godfather of Cloning.” This nick -name, however, is something of a misnomer, because for Gurdon cloningwas an accidental offshoot of his real passion, nuclear reprogramming.

In a series of experiments with frogs that became instant classics,Dr. Gurdon laid the groundwork that could change the future of

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medicine. His work opened doors that could eventually allowresearchers to create one kind of specialized cells (for instance, abrain cell) from another, more accessible tissue (such as skin). Oncea cell has developed to have a specialized function, it’s said to be a“mature” cell. Immature stem cells that have not yet specialized arepluripotent, meaning they are capable of evolving into all of thetypes of cells found in the human body. Typically, pluripotent stemcells exist only in the days immediately following conception. As theembryo grows, the cells become nerve, muscle, liver, and all othertypes of cells.

Scientific tradition held that the route from pluripotent tospecialized cell was unidirectional. Changes that occurred duringmaturation were thought to alter cells in ways that made reversal toa pluripotent stem cell state impossible. In other words, the life of acell was essentially a one-way journey from infinite possibility toincreased specialization. At least, that was the reigning scientificdogma—until Dr. Gurdon’s research came along.

In 1962, Gurdon effectively overturned this conventional thinkingabout cellular development. Gurdon began with a simple hypothesis:that a cell’s genome might retain the information necessary to form alldifferent cell types even after specializing. The scientific communitywas nothing short of shocked when this hypothesis turned out to becompletely correct. Gurdon’s method of proving it was to switch theimmature cell nucleus of a frog egg cell with a nucleus from a matureintestinal cell from a tadpole. In complete defiance of the expectationsset by established dogma, the egg cell developed into a fully functionaltadpole that was genetically identical to the nucleus donor.

Gurdon hadn’t intended to work in the area of cloning, and as he said later, in his view the experiment he conducted “had reallynothing to do with cloning.” But that was exactly what he accom -plished. His paradigm-shifting discovery was heavily scrutinized. Theflurry of research that evolved from it confirmed his findings, and


eventually led to the cloning of mammals, including Dolly, who wascloned from an udder cell of a mature sheep.

In the simplest terms, Gurdon’s technique involved removing thenuclei from one (immature) cell, and introducing it into the nuclei ofa mature, already-differentiated cell. It was not until 2006 that aJapanese scientist named Shinya Yamanaka found a way to reprogrammature cells into immature stem cells without introducing a separatenucleus. He and his co-workers injected different combinations ofgenes known to keep stem cells immature into fibroblasts—matureconnective tissues cells. Ultimately they hit upon a simple combin -ation of four genes that could be used to turn fibroblasts into inducedpluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). The immense implications ofYamanaka’s work were recognized immediately upon publication.

As the Nobel committee put it, the “findings [of Gurdon andYamanaka] have revolutionized our understanding of how cells andorganisms develop.” Research in recent years has “provided new toolsfor scientists around the world and led to remarkable progress in manyareas of medicine.” For instance, in an interview after receiving theaward, Dr. Gurdon stated that clinical trials based on his and Yamanaka’swork were being used to attempt to restore vision and that success inbeing able to do so was drawing “very close.”

Mapping the EpigenomeConsidering the epigenetic wonders that have been accom plished

to date, it would be shortsighted for scientists and research institutionsto not delve wholeheartedly into exploring the field. For the mostpart, that’s exactly what has been happening. The National HealthInstitutes (NIH) awarded a $190 million grant in 2008 to a multi-lab,nationwide investigation into “how and when epigenetic processescontrol genes.” As then-director Dr. Elias Zerhouni says, epigeneticsis now “a central issue in biology.” Though the phrase seems under -stated, its simplicity and succinctness is actually an indication of how

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crucial the field of epigenetics has already become.

One of the first major developments sparked by the NIH grantcame from the San Diego Epigenome Center, an upstart operationbased largely online. Scientists from the center partnered withcolleagues from the Salk Institute, a vast organization located in LaJolla, California, and founded by the man who discovered the poliovaccine. The joint effort resulted in an announcement, in October of 2009, that the team had produced “the first detailed map of thehuman epigenome.”

This is not completely accurate, because in reality the scientistshad completed a map of specific portions of the epigenomes of twotypes of cells, an embryonic stem cell, and a fibroblast, a more basiccell. While the feat is still worth fanfare, Joseph R. Ecker, a Salkbiologist who worked on the maps, points out that the human body is composed of a minimum of 210 different kinds of cells, perhapssubstantially more. Each type of cell will likely have a differentepigenome, and the number of epigenetic marks comprising anepigenome is so large that Ecker won’t even speculate on the finaltotal, but it is certainly in the millions. These staggering figurescaused Ecker to comment that in relation to the projected end cost of documenting the full network of epigenetic markers, the NIHgrant amounted to “peanuts.” To put the final cost estimate into somesort of perspective, the Human Genome Project, which mappedapproximately 25,000 genes, cost $3 billion.

Cancer research scientists worldwide had been especially vocalabout the potential that could be mined from a complete analysis ofDNA methylation patterns. A partial response to the need for suchan analysis came about in 2003, when the Wellcome Trust SangerInstitute in the United Kingdom and the biotechnology companyEpigenomics AG in Berlin united to launch the Human EpigenomeProject (HEP).


The stated aim of HEP is to “identify, catalogue, and interpretgenome-wide DNA methylation patterns of all human genes in allmajor tissues.” Spearheaded by immunogeneticist Stephen Beck ofthe Sanger Institute and Alexander Olek, CEO of Epigenomics AG,HEP was conceived as a five-year endeavor to map DNA meth -ylation sites throughout the human genome. According to Dr. Olek,HEP would explain “what determines when and where genes areswitched on and off to produce a person. And knowing more aboutthe human epigenome may provide clues to what goes wrong incancer and other diseases.”

Separating Fact from FantasyClaims like the one expressed by Olek about the possible benefits

of epigenetics research can sound impossibly lofty. Whether suchbenefits do in fact turn out to be impossible remains to be seen. Onething is certain, however. The field of epigenetics has captured theimagination of both scientists and the general public around theworld, and has triggered some truly fantastical predictions as well as a significant degree of negative backlash. In part because of thisexposure, and also because the field is expanding and changing sorapidly, the line between fact and fiction can easily become blurred.“It’s our duty as scientists to pass on the right messages,” commentsEdith Heard, head of genetics and developmental biology at theInstitut Curie in Paris. “I don’t want to say that epigenetics isn’texciting…[but] there’s a gap between the fact and the fantasy. Now the facts are having to catch up.”

So far the strong suit of epigeneticists has been generating data,however, “[we] have not yet been really successful at integrating andinterpreting the data,” says Stephen Beck, of the Department ofCancer Biology at the UCL Cancer Institute, University College,London. Both Beck and Heard are members of Epigenesys, anambitious research network devoted to “building a bridge between the

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fields of epigenetics and systems biology” as well as to awakeningpublic interest in the topic. “Epigeneticists felt, or feel, very keenly thatto a great extent we’re not actually attacking the problems necessarily,”Heard says. Beck believes this issue can be resolved by applying asystems biology approach. Doing so, he says, would help scientists tolook at how different aspects of epigenetic regulation come together.Rather than focusing exclusively on a single regulatory factor, they willstart looking at “the holistic picture of the cell.”

Geneviéve Almouzni, also of the Institut Curie, is in charge ofcoordinating the Epigenesys Network of Excellence. The five-yearinitiative (from 2010 to 2015) will use its 12 million euro budget tofurther the integration of epigenetics and systems biology. “Youcannot do this kind of science isolated,” Dr. Almouzni says. To thecontrary, the initiative has labs in 14 countries spanning Europe,where it facilitates unconventional interdisciplinary collaborationssuch as those of Paul L. Harrison.

An artist with a background in print, printmaking, and publishing,Harrison works out of the Visual Research Center (VRC) PrintPublishing facility at the University of Dundee, where he appliestechniques from his visual arts training to the biological sciences.“Creativity is not the sole domain of the arts,” Harrison says,“Science is one of the [domains] where I find creativity all over.” One form of creativity, for instance, is evident in the way he usesvisualization systems to make sense of biological research data andinformation. This novel approach shows new ways to understand thebiological functions of human life. Even after the official conclusionof the initiative, Dr. Almouzni hopes the community it has createdwill endure. The odds of that happening seem favorable. Highlyskilled scientists seem eager to take their knowledge of epigeneticsout of the laboratory and do, as Heard puts it, “something useful.”


Chapter Ten:

Epigenetics and Herbs— Explaining the Inexplicable

“Epigenetics… begins to explain why one herb, food, or nutrient can

affect so many systems.”

—Bradley R. West, N.D.

Epigenetics seems to encourage innovative collaborationbetween forward-thinking individuals from the many branches

of science that study its workings. In much the same way thatepigenetics brings together scientists working in different fields, it has also done much to break down the long-standing wallbetween traditional remedies and cutting-edge medications.Most, if not all, naturopathic modalities have “an inexplicablecomponent,” as Bradley R. West, N.D. put it. This is notproblematic for holistic-minded practitioners who accept the ideathat there may be a mystical, spiritual, and unverifiable reasonwhy a remedy works. But for many more conventional doctors

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and scientists, the “inexplicable component” presents a majorhurdle because of the degree to which these disciplines tradi -tionally insist on the principle of verifiability. West believesepigenetics can illuminate the clinical evidence behind thesecures, or in other words, provide verification of both how andwhy they work, which would give them more credibility in theeyes of conventional, allopathic-minded health care providers.

A recent study backs up West’s ideas. Published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the six-month studytracked the health of 111 healthy, elderly subjects. The study’sfindings proved that omega-3 supplements (EPA and DHA)decreased the expression of genes linked to inflammation.Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the first consumed 1.8 grams of EPA plus DHA daily; the second 0.4 grams; and the third consumed 4 grams of high-oleic acidsunflower oil. Analysis of gene expression at the study’s conclu -sion revealed alterations for 1040 genes related to inflammationfor the first group (who took in the most omega-3s), compared to 298 for the third group (who took in sunflower oil—onetablespoon of sunflower oil contains about 4 grams of omega-6sand only .005 grams of omega-3s.) “Of these genes, 140 wereoverlapping between the groups, which resulted in 900 uniquelychanged genes in the EPA plus DHA group,” say the study’sauthors.

Supplementing with omega-3s also decreased the expressionof atherogenic genes, which are known to promote the formationof fatty plaque and hardening of the arteries. This research helpsto explain why fish oil supplementation has such extremely ben -eficial results. The “ability of dietary fatty acids, such as EPA andDHA, has been well established to improve the outcomes of manydisease states… [but] most of the mechanisms have remained


unknown,” West says. “Epigenetics helps close this gap andbegins to explain why one herb, food, or nutrient can affect somany systems.”

New Assessments of Old Solutions Recently, leaders from ancient medical traditions—namely

Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)—have begunexploring the connection between epigenetics and the herbs andplants that have been key to their healing practices for thousandsof years. So far, studies have demonstrated that the effects of twostaples of Ayurvedic medicine—tulsi and ginger—reach all theway to the chromatin of cell nuclei. (Tulsi is what Ayurvedicpractitioners call a yogavahi, a category of substances that alsoincludes shilajit, saffron, honey and ghee.) It seems that bothherbs up-regulate the H3 histone, a key epigenetic player. “It gets really enthralling when you ponder the deeper ramifi -cations of this,” commented Prashanti de Jager, a wellness coach for Organic India.

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Not every individual responds to the herbs in the same manner,and again, epigenetics may help explain why. Jager believes thatthere are a number of potential factors behind varying responselevels, including how the herb was grown and processed, thephenotype of the patient, and interactions between herbs andother dietary components. “Investigation into what dictates thedirection and magnitude of the response of an individual, [as wellas] the actual and hoped-for molecular targets for the micronutrientsavailable in herbs are based on both genetic and epigenetic eventsand conditioning,” de Jager says. In other words, epigeneticshelps to determine how your body will respond to a certain herb.In turn, that herb may influence how your body reacts to othersubstances. For instance, “long term use of one herb that can up-regulate histone may change one’s ability to be supported bythat herb, or by another herb, food, or situation,” says de Jager.

When yogavahic substances are taken with other herbs andsupplements, the overall effects are enhanced. This is a phenomenonreferred to as “synergy.” “In the past, I always assumed that thiswas simply a function of increases in corresponding enzymaticmetabolic factors,” de Jager says, “but now I will start and inquiryinto how many of these yogavahic medicines are actually epi -genetic medicines as well.” Analyzing the epigenetic impact oftulsi and other herbs could give us a more detailed picture of howthe compounds they contain influence various factors, includingrate of absorption, site of action, metabolism, and possibleinteractions between different supplements.

Modern pharmacological experiments have also uncoveredthat ginseng, an important herbal remedy used in eastern Asia forthousands of years, has strong epigenetic actions. Ginseng growsthroughout China and Korea, and is highly valued in TCM.Historically it has been used to treat a range of conditions from


heart palpitations to insomnia to diabetes.

Scientists have identified multiple constituents in ginseng—in specific, ginsenosides, polysaccharides, peptides, andpolyacetylenic alcohols—giving credibility to its wide variety of uses. The full spectrum of compounds contained in ginsengcontribute to health in a number of ways, such as strengtheningthe immune system, reducing the risk of cancer, calming andstabilizing the central nervous system, and protecting cognitivefunction.

Among the constituents in ginseng, ginsenosides (the activeingredients responsible for the herb’s beneficial properties) areespecially key. And those properties are impressive, given that theherb is known to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulant, and anti-apoptotic (able to prevent cellular death). But beyond the biological science of the herb lies the epigeneticaspect of how ginseng delivers its benefits, which is where Eastmeets West in the fight against disease.

Interesting findings are emerging, for instance, from studiesfocused on using ginsenosides to address neurological andneuropsychiatric issues. One team of researchers, for example,focused on evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of ginseng as a complementary treatment for schizophrenic patients withpersistent negative symptoms. They found that ginseng works as an epigenetic transcription modulator. The researchers, basedat the Lawson Health Research Institute of the Department ofPsychology at the University of Western Ontario and at theImperial College in London, specifically pinpointed that ginsengtargets the nuclear peroxisome proliferating receptor complex(PPAR) and contributes to cross-talk with histone and micro-RNA. Commenting on the significance of the study, they said:“Our findings highlight the harmonious synergy of ‘Western

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Medicine’ and ‘Oriental Medicine’ in optimizing therapy for the most devastating neuropsychiatric disorder.”

When East Meets West, Everyone Benefits Recent research on turmeric, a member of the ginger family,

provides a treasure trove of compelling anecdotes about howepigenetics can verify the efficacy of time-honored herbaltreatments. The dark yellow spice, which you may recognize as an indispensable curry ingredient, is an abundant source ofcurcuminoids, chiefly curcumin. Japanese researchers published a study in the International Journal of Pharmacology on theirdiscovery that curcumin inhibits the action of the destructiveMMP-13 enzyme far more effectively than any other testedsubstance.

MMP-13 plays a major role in destroying joint cartilage. A“switched-on” MMP-13 gene is a signature of the epigeneticchange found in people with osteoarthritis in their knees or hips. David A. Young, Ph.D., one of a group of researchers from Newcastle University who first connected MMP-13 toosteoarthritis, says this about the discovery: “As the population

gets older, osteoarthritispresents increasing social andeconomic problems. Our workprovides a betterunderstanding of the events that cause cartilagedamage during osteoarthritis.”

Zeroing in on MMP-13and the epigenetic changesthat increase its activity is apromising path to eradicating


arthritis pain. Clinical trials show that curcumin, longrecommended by herbalists as an arthritis treatment, is aneffective and safe way to inhibit MMP-13 expression. This, inturn, means that curcumin now has a strong scientific explanationfor its benefits against arthritis.

While it’s exciting that mainstream science has begun to showinterest in natural treatments, it remains true that many of thesestudies on herbs, plants, and extracts routinely conclude byadvising that the substance be considered for drug development.This is hardly surprising, since drug patents are big business,generating billions in revenue annually.

A prime example of this is a new “wonder drug” called TA-65.Geron Corporation and TA Sciences, its manufacturers, claim it“turns on” the gene that makes telomerase. As discussed in ChapterFive, telomerase is an enzyme necessary for cell division. Everytime your cells divide, your DNA loses a portion of the telomerethat caps the end of each chromosome. When your telomeresshrink to a certain point, the cells they are attached to cease todivide. Many of the unpleasant consequences associated withaging are the result of shortened telomeres. Telomerase replenishestelomeres, thereby enabling cells to continue to divide. However,for most of us, the genes controlling telomere production aredeactivated.

Information posted on the companies’ website states thefollowing: “TA-65 affects genes related to aging and cell division.TA-65 turns on the hTERT gene, which activates the enzymetelomerase which can lengthen your telomeres.” In vitro studieshave shown that the hTERT (human telomerase reverse tran -scriptase) gene can reactivate telomerase activity.

The kicker in all this “new wonder drug” hype is that TA-65

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is “a naturally occurring single molecule found in the ancientChinese herb astragalus.” Astragalus, an adaptogen, has been usedby TCM disciples for centuries to protect the body against stressof all kinds—physical, mental and emotional. Unsurprisingly, T.A.Sciences developed a “proprietary process” to produce TA-65.Ultimately, however, there is no evidence that this proprietarymedicinal formulation of TA-65 would impact telomeraseproduction any differently than a high-quality astragalussupplement.

Your Daily Dose of Optimal Wellness A simple and effective strategy for boosting your epigenetic

signals is to incorporate supplements known to promote positiveepigenetic changes into your daily routine. Certain elements areknown to have a profound impact on our epigenomes, especiallythose involved in methylation, a fundamental epigenetic process.It’s crucial that you “provide the building blocks for methylationin the body—and in the proper balance,” advised Jon Barron,founder of the Baseline of Health Foundation and author ofLessons from the Miracle Doctors. Barron, who serves on theMedical Advisory Board of the prestigious Health SciencesInstitute, points to six specific nutrients known to supportmethylation, which are:

• Choline• Methionine• Vitamin B12• Vitamin B6• Folic acid• Trimethylglycine (TMG) • SAMe

These nutrients serve as methyl “donors,” and their presence


or absence can rapidly alter gene expression. “Remember,”Barron says, “turning gene expression off is often as important to health as letting a trait express itself.”

SAMe, or S-adenosylmethionine, is one of the most importantmethylating agents in the body. There are several molecules thatsupply methyl groups to DNA, but SAMe is by far the most activemethyl donor. Inadequate levels of this molecule bring the meth -ylation process to a screeching halt. SAMe is naturally generatedby every living cell, however, that is no guarantee that the requisiteamount will reach your DNA. When a SAMe molecule donatesits methyl group to DNA, it breaks down into homocysteine, atoxic inflammatory molecule. “SAMe and homocysteine areessentially two sides of the same coin, or molecule in this case,”Barron says.

At this point in the methylation process, vitamins B6 and B12,as well as folic acid and TMG, become crucial. These nutrientsconvert homocysteine into glutathione, an important antioxidant,or recycle it into methionine, which can subsequently be trans -formed into SAMe. If any of these nutrients are missing, the cyclewill skew or break down altogether. For instance, homocysteinelevels may rise to the point where they outweigh the amount ofSAMe in your system, at which point you begin to suffer fromchronic inflammation or heart disease.

Supplementing with SAMe floods your system with all themolecule’s benefits, and helps you avoid consequences associatedwith excess homocysteine. “For most people, 200 mg of SAMe isenough,” says Barron. He also recommends choosing a “good foryour genes” supplement mix containing the following amounts ofthe methyl building blocks: 50 mg of vitamin B6, 500 mcg ofvitamin B12, 800 mcg of folic acid, and 500 mg of TMG.

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Polish Your EpigenomeA healthy immune system is integral to overall health, and to a

healthy epigenome as well. Taking care to provide your body withhealth-promoting substances is important, but it’s not the onlything that counts. To complement a solid supplementation regimeexperts advise regular detoxification. Ideally, you should avoidexposure to toxins. In the course of your daily life, however, youare likely to find that some encounters are unavoidable. Detoxingregularly reduces the amount of time the toxins have to negativelyimpact the way your genes express themselves.


What Epigenetics Can Mean for You

“Genes are not controlling the life of your cells, your mind is.”

–Dr. Bruce H. Lipton

What contemporary research on the human genome is clearlytelling us is that the epigenome is involved in every aspect

of our lives, from our DNA to our environment, our relationships,our social world, and our emotions. Although these insights holdimmeasurable potential and value for our health, as we learn moreand more about the sheer magnitude of the impact of the epi -genome, it is easy to feel as if our lives truly are controlled—andour fates sealed—by epigenetics.

Dr. Bruce Lipton offers some welcome words for those feelingoverwhelmed by the implications of epigenetics. He emphasizesthe importance of understanding the difference between epigeneticsand genetic determinism.

“The difference between these two is significant because thisfundamental belief called genetic determinism literally means that

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our lives, which are defined as our physical, physiological andemotional behavioral traits, are controlled by the genetic code,”Lipton told an interviewer from Superconsciousness. This viewturns us into victims, at the mercy of our genetics. “If genescontrol our life function, then our lives are being controlled bythings outside of our ability to change,” says Dr. Lipton.

Laboratory evidence, however, disproves this helpless stance.We regularly influence our own health and wellbeing—whetherwe intend to or not. Understanding epigenetics can give us agreater consciousness about the impact of even seeminglyinconsequential, or intangible, aspects such as our moods.

Scientists at the Institute of HeartMath, an internationallyrecognized nonprofit research and education organization, sayfactors such as “the appreciation and love we have for someone or the anger and anxiety we feel” can alter the outcome of ourgenetic blueprint. After two decades of study, they strongly believethat our daily thoughts, feelings, and intentions are integral tohow our genes express themselves. By intentionally thinkingpositive thoughts and focusing on positive emotions, you canfortify your body to better cope with difficulties like the illness of a loved one or financial struggles. HeartMath scientists havequantified the power of positivity, even showing that humanintention can alter physical aspects of DNA.

By retraining your thinking, you can change your body, yourbiology, and your life. In other words, changing your mind canchange your cells. Or as Dr. Lipton put it, “Genes are not con -trolling the life of your cells, your mind is.” But as mentionedpreviously, it is not just your own mind that influences how yourgenes express themselves. Who and what you surround yourselfwith directly affects your health through numerous influences,


including the thoughts and beliefs of others, the philosophies andideas you are exposed to, and the cultural and religious environ -ment that surrounds you.

Cumulatively, all of these influences form your mental land -scape, altering your perceptions as well as your physiology.Although this may sound abstract, the outcome is quite concrete.“You are innately able to heal yourself, unless your perceptionsays you can’t” Lipton says. “Since perception controls biology,then whether your think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”

So, perhaps the most important question you can ask yourselfwith respect to your health is this: “What do I think?”

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AAbramson, Dr. Beth 33

Acta Biotheoretica (Journal) 29

Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemollogiae(Journal) 31

ACTH stress hormones 82

acupuncture 38

adrenaline 49

Aesop’s Fables (Aesopica) 17

aging 40, 56, 57, 59, 90

Agouti mice (see mice, agouti)

alcoholism 36

alcohols 97

allergies, peanut 32

Allis, David C. 1, 3

allopathic health care 94

Almouzni, Geneviéve 92

Alzheimer’s disease 22, 72

American Journal of ClinicalNutrition, the 94

anger 15, 104

antidepressants, placebo effect and 51

antioxidant 97, 101

anti-apoptotic 97

anti-inflammatory 97

anti-oncogenes 60-61

ants, hypercommunication and 75

anxiety 51, 104

anxiety, maternal 32

appearance, physical, in twins 3, 45

Aristotle 20

arteries, hardening of 93

asthma 15, 22, 32, 37

astragalus herb 100

Atlantic, The (magazine) 55

attitudes 13, 15-16, 79

atomic structure 11

atomic world 11

atoms, carbon 21

atoms, hydrogen 21

Australian Journal of ClinicalHypnotherapy and Hypnosis, The 84

autism 3, 15, 72

autoimmune disease 47

autosuggestion 67, 73-74, 77, 79

Avon Longitudinal Study of Parentsand Children (ALSPAC) 31-32

INDEX

Bbacteria 20, 23, 72

Baragwaneth Hospital, Soweto,South Africa 36-37

Barron, Jon 100-101

Baseline of Health Foundation, The 100

battering behavior 82

Baylin, Stephen B. 60

Beck, Stephen 91-92

beliefs 10, 12, 14, 50-52

Bellanti, Alfred 84-85

biofeedback 38

Biology of Belief, The (Dr. Bruce H.Lipton) 10

bipolar disorder 15, 22

black holes 69

blood cells, white 81, 85

blood pressure, high 53, 54

blood sugar 54

body mass index (bmi) 34

bodywork 38

Bohr, Neils 1

Boston University Cancer Center,The 61

Boston University School ofMedicine (BUSM) 61

BPA 2

BRCA1 gene 4-5

Bradner, James 64

brain, the 2, 27, 48, 53, 78, 79, 86, 88

brain defects 22

brain plasticity 27, 78transgenerational effects and 27

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 5

Brefcyznski-Lewis, Julie 55

Brunson, Dr. Tim 84

Burkman, Oliver 17

Bygren, Dr. Lars Olov 28-32, 34-35

Ccalories 44

calorie counting, obsessive 43

cancer, breast 3-4, 66

cancer, lung 62-63

cancer, uterine 65

cardiovascular conditions (also see heart disease) 41, 49

cartilage, joint 98

Castiglione, Stephano 84

cell nuclei 89, 95

cells, division of 56-57, 63, 99

cells, pluripotent 88-89


cells, progenitor 61, 64

cells, specialized 61, 88

cells, stem 8-10, 55, 61, 78-79, 88-90

cells, undifferentiated 61

cellular biology 10

cellular development, theory about 88

cellular information processingsystem 10

Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The 41

central nervous system 97

Champagne, Frances 7, 26, 48

chemicals 23, 25, 27, 39

child development, early 48

choline 25, 100

chromatin 23, 95

chromatin modification 23

chromosomes 8, 23, 34, 56

Church, Dr. Dawson 45, 50-51,66, 77

Cicatelli, Angela 84

cloning 72, 87-89

cloning, human 87

Cloud, John 35

cognitive function 97

Columbia University 7, 26, 48

compassion 16

conditioning, behavioral 82, 96

cortisol 26, 49

counseling, pastoral 84

Cozzolino, Mauro 84

Creative Psychosocial GenomicHealing Experience, the (also seepsychotherapeutic protocol) 84-85

creativity 87, 92

curcumin 98-99

curcuminoids 98

DDana-Farber Cancer Institute, The 64

Darwin, Charles 6, 17-20, 24, 30

Davis, Dr. Paul 37

De Jager, Prashanti 95-96

death 16, 22, 41, 56, 65, 97

decision making, health and 40

Definitive Guide to Cancer, The(Karolyn A. Gazella) 4

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) 1-4, 8-9, 13, 20-24, 26, 30, 33, 41-42, 46-47, 52, 54, 56-57, 61, 67-70, 72-73,76, 84-85, 90-91, 99, 101, 103-104

depression 51

DHA (see omega-3 and omega-6)

Dhanak, Dash 64

Adelle LaBrec 113

diabetes 23, 25-26, 36, 47, 49, 97

diesel exhaust 23

diet 10, 14-15, 22, 25-26, 40-41, 43,65-66

diet, prenatal 22

disease, predisposition towards 3-4,14-15, 25, 42, 59

DNA (see deoxyribonucleic acid)

DNA, electromagnetic imprints of 70-71

DNA, energy field of 69

DNA microarrays 84-85

DNA patterns, transmitting between organisms 69, 72

DNA Phantom Effect, the 69, 76

DNA, vibrational behavior of 68-69, 72

“Doctor Will See You Now, The” (Dr.Alice G. Walton) 5

Dolly the sheep 87, 89

dopamine 50

drift, epigenetic (see epigenetic drift)

drugs, efficacy testing of 51

drugs, epigenetically active(“persuasive drugs”) 63

Duke University 25

EEcker, Joseph R. 90

eczema 32

Einstein, Albert 12, 69

Einstein-Rosen bridges 69

electromagnetic imprints 70-71

electromagnetic signals/waves 12, 68, 71

Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center, The 35, 38

embryo 9, 22, 45, 72, 88

emotions 10, 12-13, 52, 78, 81-84,100, 103-104link with genetic expression 13,

52, 78, 81-84

energy 10, 11, 65, 69, 86

environment 12-14, 19, 24, 29-30,33-35, 39, 46, 48, 103

environmental changes 18

environmental factors/influences onhealth 13, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29-30, 35,42, 46, 48, 66

Enzyme EZH2 (see EZH2)

Enzyme MMP-13 (see MMP-13)

enzymes 21, 57, 61, 64, 98-99

EPA (see omega-3 and omega-6)

epigenes 7, 9-10, 12-13, 20, 38, 59

epigenesis 20

Epigenesys Network of Excellence(see Epigenesys research network)91-92

epigenetic drift 47-48


epigenetic inheritance 6, 20, 22, 25, 30

epigenetic markers 30, 34, 42, 56,62, 90

epigenetic tagging 22, 49

epigenetic transcription modulation97

epigenome(s) 3, 6, 9, 47, 60, 62,89-91, 100-101, 103

Epigenomics (Journal) 61

Epigenomics AG 90-91

Erickson, Milton H. 81

European Journal of Human Genetics,The 34

evolution, theory of 6, 18-19, 30

exercise 14, 15, 27, 37, 39, 55-56 impact on stem cell biology 55-56

EZH2 enzyme 64

Ffatigue 37

fatty acids, dietary 94

“feast or famine” (see Overkalixresearch study)

Feig, Dr. Larry 25-27

Fels Institute for Cancer Research,The 62

fibroblasts 89-90

fleas, water 19-20

folate 25

folic acid 22, 25, 100, 101

food, processed / junk 15, 40-41, 43influence on metabolic processes 40-41

Food and Drug Administration(FDA), The 52, 63

forgiveness 16

Fraga, Mario 46-47

frog and salamander experiment 72

Freud, Sigmund 80-81, 86

frogs, Gurdon experiments with87-89

functional medicine (see medicine,functional)

GGarajev, Dr. Pjotr 68-69, 72, 76

gastro-intestinal problems 49

Gazella, Karolyn A. 4-5

gene/mind connection (seemind/gene connection)

gene activation (see geneexpression)

gene chips 83-85

gene expression 3, 8, 20, 22-23, 25,40, 46-47, 53, 77-79, 83-84, 94, 101

Adelle LaBrec 115

activity-dependent 78

“Gene Expression and Brain Plas ticityin Stroke Rehabilitation: A PersonalMemoir of Mind-Body HealingDreams” (Dr. Ernest Rossi) 77

genes (specific)BRCA1 (see BRAC1 gene)RAS gene (see RAS)Selectin E gene (see selectin E)SFRP gene (see SFRP)Myc gene (see Myc)p53 gene (see p53)NF-kappaB master gene (see NF-kappaB)

genes, atherogenic 94

genes, communicating with 38-39,68-69 75-76

genes, faulty 4

genes, tumor-suppressing 60, 64

genetic adaptations 18-19

genetic change, permanent versustemporary 24

genetic determinism 103-104

genetic isolation, concept of 33

genetic mutation 4-5, 19, 42, 60

geneticists, wave 68-72, 76

Genie in Your Genes, The (Dr. DawsonChurch) 50, 65

Geron Corporation, the 99

ghee 95

ginseng 96-97

ginsenosides 97

ginger 95, 98

giraffes 18-19

GlaxoSmithKline 64

glutathione 101

Goi Peace Award, the 10

Golding, Dr. Jean 31-32, 34-35

Guardian, The 17

guilt 43, 82-83

Gurdon, Sir John B. 87-89

HHarrison, Paul L. 87, 92

healing, remote 76

Heard, Edith 91-92

heart attack 5

heart disease 6, 28, 35, 41-42, 54,101

heart palpitations 97

histone modification 23

histones 23, 47 impact on gene expression of 23

homocysteine 101

honey 95

hormones 23, 26, 40, 55, 82

hormones, regulation of 40


Human Epigenome Project (HEP),the 90-91

Human Genome Project, the 1-2, 90cost of 90

human telomerase reversetranscriptase (hTERT) 99

hypercommunication 67, 75-76

hypnosis 72-73, 79, 81, 83-84, 68

IIannotti, Salvatore 84

imagery (see hypnosis)

immune system 64, 97, 102

immune-stimulant 97

Imperial College, London 97

In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan) 43

in vitro studies 99

incantations 86

indigestion 37

infections 49

inflammation 41, 66, 94, 101chronic 41, 101

inhibitors, types GSK2816126 64JQ1 64

insomnia 97

Institut Curie, The 91-92

Institute of HeartMath, The 52, 104

insulin 54

integrative medicine (see medicine,integrative)

International Hypnosis ResearchInstitute, The 84

International Journal of Pharmacology,The 98

Interpretation of Dreams, The(Sigmund Freud) 80

intuition 75

iPS cells (Induced pluripotent stem cells) 89

Issa, Dr. Jean-Pierre 1-2, 62-64

JJabonka, Eva 20

Jiaotong University, Shanghai 71

Jirtle, Dr. Randy 25-26

Jolie, Angelina 3-5

Jones, Peter A. 60

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology andMetabolism, The 26

Journal of Neuroscience, The 26

Jung, Carl 81

Jungian analysis 81

junk food / processed food (seefood, processed)

Adelle LaBrec 117

KKandel, Dr. Eric 79

Karolinska Institute, The 28, 87

kittens, white and black 9-10

Kristol, Dr. Irving 51-52

LLamarck, Jean-Baptiste 18-20

Lancet, The 28

language 68, 72-73

Lawson Health Research Institute,The 97

Lessons from the Miracle Doctors (JonBarron) 100

Liébault, Ambroise-Aguste 73

lifestyle choices (see diet, exercise,nutrition, relationships)

light, frequency of 68

Lipton, Dr. Bruce H. 10, 12-14,103-105

longevity 15, 29, 50, 58

love 104

LTP (long-term potentiation) 27

lymphomas 64

Mmagic, the science of 85-86

magico 86

Martin, George M. 46

Massachusetts General Hospital 54

McCraty, Dr. Rollin 52

medicine, Ayurvedic 95

medicine, contemporary 35

medicine, functional 38

medicine, homeopathic 70-71

medicine, integrative 15, 36, 38, 45, 84

medicine, traditional chinese/tcm38, 95

meditation 38, 53-55, 66, 84, 86

memory 26-27, 82modification of 26-27

mental state, positive (see thinking,positive)

metals, heavy; exposure to 23

methionine 100-101

methyl donors 26, 101

methyl groups 21-22, 24, 26, 101

methylation 21-23, 41-42, 46, 61-62, 64, 90-91, 100-101

mice, agouti 25-27

mice, experiments with 6, 25-27, 56,58

micronutrients 40, 96

mind, the 15, 53, 67, 75, 79, 81-83,86


mind/gene connection 81-82

mind and matter, information flowbetween 79

miracles 76

MIT 27, 71

MMP-13 enzyme 98-99

modern life, demands of on rate ofepigenetic change 30

monozygotic twins (see twins,identical)

Montagnier, Luc 69-72, 76

Movassagh, Dr. Mehregan 41-42

multiple sclerosis 72

Musee National d’HistoireNaturelle, The 18

My Method (Dr. Emile Coué) 74

Myc gene 64

NNational Institute for IntegrativeHealthcare (NIIH), The 45, 50

natural selection 17, 24

Nature (magazine) 58

Nature Reviews Cancer (Stephen B.Baylin and Peter A. Jones) 60

neural transmission 27

neurogenesis 78-79, 84

neuroimaging 86

neuropsychiatric disorders (also seeschizophrenia) 97-98

neurotransmitters 50, 85

“New Intellectual Framework forPsychiatry, A” (Dr. Eric Kandel) 79

Newcastle University 98

NF-kappaB master gene 54

NIIH (see National Institute forIntegrative Healthcare)

Nobel Assembly, the 87

Nobel Prize 11, 70, 79, 87

Norrbotten, Sweden 28-29

nuclear reprogramming 87

numinosum 84

nutrigenomics / nutritionalgenomics 40

nutrition (see diet)

Oobesity 14, 23, 25-26, 34, 42, 49

Olek, Alexander 91

omega-3 and omega-6 94

On the Origin of Species (CharlesDarwin) 18

oncogenes 60-61

Oracle Education Foundation, The 11

Adelle LaBrec 119

organic chemistry 21

organic food 39

Organic India 95

Ornish, Dr. Dean 66

osteoarthritis 98

Overkalix, Sweden 29, 31-32, 35, 40

“Overkalix connection,” the 31

Overkalix research study 29-32

Oxytocin 50

Pp53 gene 59

pain 16, 39, 53, 74-75, 99

parental experiences, inheritability of 18, 28

Parise, Gianni 55

Parkinson’s disease 72

Paro, Renato 19

particles, elementary 11

particles, sub-atomic 11-12

patents, drug 99

perceptions 6, 10-13, 105

pecking order, social 5

peptides 97

perfection 40

peroxisome proliferating receptorcomplex (ppar) 97

pesticides 23

pharmaceutical industry 52

pharmacognosy 80

placebo 50-52

placebo effect, the 50-52

plaque, fatty 94

Pollan, Michael 43

polyacetylenic alcohols 97

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 23

polysaccharides 97

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 26

prayer 54

pregnancy 14, 22, 27, 28, 32

Preventative Medicine ResearchInstitute, The 66

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 46

protein synthesis 83

proteins 21, 23, 84

Psychology Today (magazine) 5

Psychobiology of Gene Expression:Neuroscience and Neurogenesis inHypnosis and the Healing Arts, The(Dr. Ernest Rossi) 78


psychoimmunology, discipline of 80

psychosocial genomics 80, 83-85

psychotherapeutic protocol (Dr. Ernest Rossi) 84-85

psychotherapy 79, 81, 84

Pushpangadan, Dr. Palpu 85-86

Qquanta 10

Quantum physics 10-12

Quantum Theory, principles of 12

Quarterly Review of Biology, The 20

Rradioactivity 23

Rakel, Dr. David 15-16

RAS gene 66

Raz, Gal 20

reality 3, 11-12, 66, 75

Regional Research Laboratory,Jammu Tawi, India 86

rehabilitation, self-guided 78

Reimers, Dr. Jeff 70

relationships 39, 103

Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and StartLiving Again (Dr. Bruce Lipman) 35

“ritualized relaxation” 81

RNA, micro 97

Rockefeller University 3

Rossi, Ernest 77-86

Rossi, Kathryn 84

Ssaffron 95

salamander and frog experiment(see frog and salamander)

Salk Institute, The 90

SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) 100-101

San Diego Epigenome Center, the 90

sangoma traditional African healer 36

Sarkar, Dr. Sabaji 61, 64-65

schizophrenia 97

Schroeder, Dr. Steven 15

Selectin E gene 66

selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitors (SSRIs) 51

self-healing 16, 78

self-hypnosis 86

serotonin 50-51

sex specificity, research findings on 35

SFRP gene 66

shilajit 95

Adelle LaBrec 121

Simpkins, C. Alexander 86

Simpkins, Annellen M. 86

sleep 40, 74, 77-78, 81

smoking 14, 16, 34

sound frequencies 68

Spanish National Cancer Center,Madrid 46-47

spinal cord defects 22

spirit, the 80

St. John’s Wort 51

St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto 33

stem cells (see cells, stem)

stress, chronic 49

stress hormone (see cortisol)

sub-atomic particles (see particles)

Superconsciousness (magazine) 104

supplements 94, 96, 100

survival advantage, evolutionary 19

synaptogenesis 78

synergy 96-97

synthesis, protein (see proteinsynthesis)

TTA Sciences 99

TA-65 “wonder drug” 99-100

TCM (see medicine, TraditionalChinese)

telepathy 76

telomerase 56-58, 99-100

telomeres 56-58, 99

Temple University 1, 62, 81

thoughts 12-13, 54, 74, 76, 104-105

Time (magazine) 35

TMG (Trimethylglycine) 100-101

Tollefsbol, Dr. Trygve 48, 57-59,65-66

Total Renewal: 7 Key Steps to Resilience,Vitality, and Long Term Health (Dr.Bruce Lipman) 35-36

Traditional Chinese Medicine (seemedicine, TCM)

traits, acquired versus inherited 19-24

traits, adaptive 19-24

transcription factor encoding 64

transgenerational epigenetic inheritance 20

Tsai, Li-Huei 27

Tufts University 25, 26

tulsi (herb) 95-96

turmeric 98

twins, identical 3-4, 15, 22, 45-48


Uuniverse, the 11-12, 69

University College, London 30,31, 91

University of Alabama 48, 56, 59

University of Bristol 32

University of California at SanFrancisco 15

University of Cambridge 41

University of Connecticut 51

University of Dundee 92

University of Washington, Seattle 46

University of Western Ontario 97

University of Wisconsin 15

University of Witwaterstrand 36

up-regulation / down-regulation of genes 85-86, 95-96

Vverifiability, principle of 35, 94

viral dna 72

viruses 21

vision, improvement in 89

Visual Research Center, the (VRC) 92

visualization 65, 92

vitamin B6 100-101

vitamin B12 25, 100-101

WWaddington, Conrad 20

Walton, Dr. Alice G. 55

Waterland, Robert 25

wave genetics 68-72, 76

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute,The 90

West, Dr. Bradley 93-95, 97

West Virginia University 55

World Trade Center 9/11 disaster 26

wormholes 69, 76

“worried well,” the 37

YYamanaka, Shinya 87, 89

Yapko, Michael 81

yoga 38, 54

yogavahi substances 96

Young, David A. 98

ZZerhouni, Dr. Elias 89

Zoloft 51

Adelle LaBrec 123


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