Making a Mark
Our genes divide to make new cells and sometimes when they do this marks are left behind in cells. These marks appear in people who are older and they are connected to the likelihood of getting cancer. Called epigenetic marks, they are also influenced by wellbeing lifestyle choices, suggesting that if you want to protect yourself from the effects of ageing you can do so by eating well.
Diet Matters
The scientists from the Institute of Food Research investigated the epigenetic marks of the people who took part in the study. Then they looked at their diets, and what vitamins and minerals they consumed to see if there was a relationship between the marks and nutrients. Age had the biggest influence on whether the participants had these marks or not, but diet did too. Those whose diets included a large amount of selenium and vitamin D had fewer epigenetic marks – showing that these nutrients could have an anti-ageing protective impact on wellness.
Eat Well, Live Well
Although nutrient levels and age seemed to influence the chances of genes having epigenetic marks, there were also other factors that were linked to their appearance. People in the study who were obese were also more likely to have these changes in their genes. Also, participants who ate lots of folates – like B vitamins – had similar results. This has led the researchers to consider looking into why this occurred in order to find out what would be a good allowance of folates to eat daily, as they are necessary nutrients for wellness.