DNA is not destiny – in fact, it only accounts for about 20% of our health outcome. The other 80% is due to epigenetics. In this episode of The Whole Health Cure, I am joined by Matt Dawson, MD, the CEO of TruDiagnostic. He provides an overview of epigenetics, how they affect our biological clocks, and how we can use lifestyle practices to improve our overall health despite what our inherited genes may tell us. “What do you do to turn those genes on or off? What you eat, how you sleep, your stress levels, what you’re exposed to, is constantly modifying the gene expression. And that is epigenetics.” Matt uses the example of the APOE-e4 gene, which has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease. An individual with this gene is at a higher risk for these conditions, but what they eat affects how the APOE-e4 gene is methylated, or expressed. Fewer refined carbohydrates, less sugar, and less saturated fat will reduce the gene expression and therefore lower the risk of developing dementia or cardiovascular disease. Matt encourages listeners to feel empowered, rather than frightened, by the new findings in epigenetics. The technology can serve as a tool for treatment and prevention, and it demonstrates how much of our health is within our control. Listen to the full episode to learn more about testing processes, how we can measure the rate of aging, and why epigenetic testing has the power to democratize healthcare and treatment. Here are the details of our conversation: [00:01:49] Today’s epigenetics landscape [00:03:27] What are epigenetics? [00:05:35] Our diet and gene expression [00:06:54] Our capacity to change our health outcomes [00:08:44] How epigenetic testing works and what it can tell us [00:13:07] Biological clocks [00:16:53] Measuring the pace of aging [00:20:52] How to take action with your testing results [00:25:51] AI, technology, and healthcare [00:27:29] The importance of epigenetics [00:30:06] The future of epigenetics