Epigenetics explains to us how certain lifestyle choices can affect gene expression. The concept of ‘lifestyle’ refers to factors such as nutrition, behavior, stress, physical activity etc.. Epigenetics is important category in the nutrition field because the bioactive compounds in certain foods can modify gene expression. Nutrients and bioactive food components can in have an impact on epigenetics by restraining enzymes that activate DNA methylation or histone modifications. DNA methylation is the process of adding a methyl (CH3) group to the strand of DNA while histones are the specific protein that are involved in the division of a cell. Some examples of some of these bioactive compounds include choline, vitamin B-12, methionine, and betaine.
