We Are What We Eat?

I’m expecting my first baby, and I’ve read that what you eat can change your genes. Wow, is that true? I’m so aware that my body is busy building a baby. So does the same apply for what I’m eating now and my baby’s genes? Please tell me more and give me advice.

ANEL ANSWERS: You’ve heard it time and time again – what you eat during these nine months can have longterm effects on your child’s health.

So, yes, you are correct. According to researchers, your diet during pregnancy can alter the DNA of your child and influence the risk of disease later in life.

There’s growing evidence that your diet may affect whether your child runs the risk for developing diabetes, mental disorders, heart disease, obesity or high blood pressure later in life.

Nutrition during pregnancy and in the first years of a child’s life provides the essential building blocks for brain development, healthy growth, a strong immune system and subsequent disease prevention.

Thus, in short – you can ”programme” the foetus to be a healthier adult. This process is called epigenetics.

It is a growing field that aims to understand how the environment interacts with genes. It refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes “on” or “off”.

With epigenetics, we’re not talking about altering the DNA code (that’s the building blocks of genes) itself.