🧬Genetics vs Epigenetics: Why Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny

 

We’ve long known that our genes shape who we are. They influence everything from eye colour and height to personality traits and even the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. What we inherit from our parents plays a big part in our story.

But what if our DNA isn’t the whole story? What if how we live—what we eat, the stress we carry, even past trauma—can actually switch our genes on or off?

That’s where epigenetics comes in.

Genetics vs Epigenetics: What’s the Difference?

Genetics is the study of our genes—the physical blueprint passed from parents to children. Genes are made up of DNA and act as instructions for how our body functions. Sometimes, these genes can mutate, and if they do, those changes are usually permanent and can be passed down through generations.

Epigenetics, by contrast, looks at how those genes behave. It doesn’t change the DNA itself but influences how genes are expressed—whether they’re turned on or off, up or down. Epigenetic changes don’t change your genes, but they do affect how they function, often dramatically.

The exciting part? While genetic changes are fixed, epigenetic changes are often reversible. That means we can influence our gene behaviour—through diet, stress management, and lifestyle choices.

 

 

How Does Epigenetics Work?

A big part of epigenetics involves something called methylation. Think of methyl groups as little chemical tags that attach to your DNA. These tags can control whether a gene is active or silent, just like a light switch. The more methylation, the more likely a gene will be turned off.

Methylation doesn’t change the gene itself, but it changes whether and how it works. It’s like muting a song without deleting it.

These chemical tags are influenced by everything from your environment to your emotional state. This makes methylation the key to understanding how lifestyle affects our health—right down to our cells.

 

How Methylation Impacts You

1. Mental Health & Stress

Methylation can affect how we handle stress and regulate emotion. People with too much methylation (called over-methylation) often report anxiety, irritability, and sensitivity to stress. Some even link excessive methylation to extreme behaviour, such as what’s been observed in serial offenders. It can also slow down metabolism leading to weight gain or loss.

In my practice, I’ve seen patients come in after self-prescribing nutrients based on their genetic and methylation lab. test results. Often, they’re in an over-methylated state. Self-prescribing based on popular DNA and/or methylation lab test can cause more side effects or long-term damage.

2. Development & Ageing

Your body starts as a cluster of identical cells. Methyl groups help decide which become heart cells, skin cells, or brain cells. They guide our development from the womb and continue to influence how quickly or slowly we age. For example, dogs age faster than humans partly because of higher methylation rates.

3. Environment & Exposure

Your surroundings have a powerful effect on your genes. Poor diet, pollution, stress, trauma, even medications and injections—all can impact methylation. These environmental stressors can disrupt your body’s internal balance, making you more prone to illness.

Common influences include:

• Childhood trauma or adversity
• Chemical exposure (e.g. benzene – most of the medicines are benzene based, heavy metals, vaccines)
• Poor diet or lack of exercise
• Infections and inflammation
• Emotional stress
• Prescription medications, commercial grades supplements
• UV radiation and EMFs

Even our thoughts, relationships, and daily habits play a role in shaping gene expression.

4. Where and How Many

Methyl groups can influence genes close by or far away—even those related to brain function and hormone levels. A high number of methyl groups tends to silence more genes, sometimes leading to numbed feelings or exaggerated responses to stress. Trauma survivors often show this pattern.

Epigenetics Is Inherited — But It Can Be Reversed

Here’s where it gets truly fascinating.

Transgenerational Effects

Your life choices don’t just affect you—they can shape your children and grandchildren too. Your genes remember. They store your experiences, emotions, and even your traumas, passing them on through egg and sperm cells.

Some real-world examples:

• Dutch Famine (1944–45): Babies born during this period were smaller and later showed insulin resistance. This trend continued for at least two generations, likely due to epigenetic changes.
• 9/11 Trauma: Pregnant women affected by the attacks gave birth to babies with lower cortisol levels—a marker linked to PTSD.
• Mice and Cherry Blossoms: Male mice conditioned to fear the scent of cherry blossoms passed this fear to their offspring—who were never exposed to the trauma themselves.

The implication? Environmental impacts don’t stop with you. They ripple forward.

Reversibility

Unlike genetic mutations, epigenetic changes can be reversed. For instance, a 2013 study found that PTSD veterans who responded to therapy showed fewer methyl tags on specific genes than they had before treatment.

This suggests that therapy, lifestyle shifts, and other interventions can literally reprogram how our genes behave.

 

How You Can Influence Your Genes

We now know that your genetic fate isn’t sealed. What you do today can actively shape how your genes function—and what you pass on.

Some powerful ways to support healthy gene expression:

• Process and heal from past trauma
• Remove toxic influences (people, environments, substances)
• Cleanse and support gut health
• Embrace natural healing methods (herbal medicine, homeopathy)
• Get moving—physically and energetically
• Meditate and reduce mental noise
• Prioritise nutrition and hydration
• Be open to your emotions
• Limit EMF exposure (phones, Wi-Fi)
• Try sound healing or frequency therapy
• Engage in “shadow work” or self-reflection, self-healing

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Stuck With Your DNA

For years, we believed that our genes dictated everything—our risks, our resilience, our future. But epigenetics tells a much more empowering story.

Your genes are the script. But how that script plays out? That’s up to you.

Your choices, your healing, and your self-care don’t just change your life. They shape the lives of generations to come. Epigenetics is a reminder that while we inherit our biology, we also have the power to transform it.

Let’s make that inheritance a gift.

Disclaimer: This information is educational only and not intended to diagnose or treat any individual or condition.