Environment

Nutrigenetics: Environment

Our environment can influence our health in very important ways. Some people are more susceptible than others are to certain environmental challenges, which can interact with our individual genetics to affect the risk of many health conditions.

Examples of environmental factors which interact with our genetics include: air pollution, second-hand smoke, insecticides, trans fatty acids, PCBs, and aflatoxins, plus occupational exposures to organic solvents, or to x-rays, or even excessive exposure to sunlight. Even stressful life events can be important environmental variables which can be influenced by our nutritional status and our genetics.

Likewise, certain environmental exposures like moderate sunshine or good social support can also enhance our health, depending in part on our genetics.

Below are just a few examples of recent articles which touch on environmental factors. Members can stay abreast of new research on topics of special interest to themselves, family members, or colleagues. Join us today.

Nature and Nurture^®

Selected articles on Environment (Login to see more)

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment: Moving Beyond the Nature/Nurture Debate. Free

Research is "pushing scientists to move beyond examining single agents of health and disease to a broader systems view, which is based on ... interactions." The summary lists various recommendations including more emphasis on interactions, more education, and more engagement with the public.

The relevance of the individual genetic background for the toxicokinetics of two significant neurodevelopmental toxicants: mercury and lead.

Longitudinal changes in PON1 enzymatic activities in Mexican-American mothers and children with different genotypes and haplotypes.

Gene-environment interplay.

Interplay of genetic and environmental factors: Innate immunity genetic polymorphisms in MBL2 affect endothelial dysfunction and risk of atherosclerosis.

Paraoxonase 1, agricultural organophosphate exposure, and Parkinson disease.

Exposure to the agricultural pesticides diazinon or chlorpyrifos was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson disease among those carrying two copies of the gene variant PON1 Leu55Met.

Roles of the interaction between beta2-AR polymorphism and occupational mental stress in EH. [Article in Chinese]

Among Chinese workers, the risk of essential hypertension was found to be more than 2.7-fold higher among those who carry two copies of a variant in the ADRB2 gene (Arg16Gly); when mental stress was added, the risk increased to more than 12-fold higher, and if stress was further combined with anxiety, the risk increased to mor than 40-fold.