New Study Reveals How Broccoli Changes Your DNA For The Better, How Drinking Tea May Change Your Genes and Ancestors’ Genetic “Memories” Could Be Passed On For 14 Generations. These are just a few recent epigenetics-related headlines circulating around the internet. To the untrained eye, it may seem like epigenetics, a discipline of science that investigates a subset of biochemical processes that alter gene activity without changing its sequence, plays a vital role in our health and well-being.
But is this really the case? The answer is that we don’t quite know yet. All of those stories make claims not fully substantiated by science.
Unfortunately, blogs, the credible media and alternative health purveyors are sensationalizing this budding yet controversial science — sometimes out of ignorance (blogs and media) and sometimes out of maliciousness intent (alt-health promoters looking to make a buck). That’s why on June 2, I took to Reddit Science to answer questions from the public about the hype surrounding epigenetics and our health. My goal was to explain why the science on how epigenetics affects our health is still not clear. Below are some highlights of this session. You can read the full text here.
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Hi Reddit! I’m Nicholas Staropoli a science journalist, director of the Epigenetics Literacy Project and a writer/editor for the Genetic Literacy Project—two initiatives of the 501c3 non-profit Science Literacy Project. Both sites cover the intersection of science , media and policy. I also write a weekly report–Epigenetics Around the Web–debunking claims about epigenetics and its impacts. The media, and even many scientists, just don’t understand how epigenetics works—and how little we know about its mysteries.