Lifestyle and diet 'change DNA over generations'
A NEW study has added to growing evidence that diet and lifestyle can play a direct role in altering a person's DNA, impacting on later generations.
The findings also suggests a possible connection with ailments of ageing, such as heart disease and cancer.
Scientists know that while the genetic code is fixed, it can be affected by chemical "switches" controlled by environmental factors.
They can turn genes on or off, with implications for health and susceptibility to disease. Evidence from animal experiments and some human studies suggests these "epigenetic" effects can be inherited.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health in Baltimore, US, looked at DNA from 600 people taking part in an investigation in Iceland.
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Thursday 16 February 2012
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