Preconception Disease Prevention

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a total dork.  I went to Vancouver, BC last weekend, not for the nightlife or even the marathon, but for a conference on epigenetics. Epigenetics translates as “above the genome” and explains how our interaction with the environment determines gene expression.  I like the library analogy: if our genome is all the books on the shelves (all of the possibilities), then our epigenome decides what books are taken off of the shelf and read.  We know, mostly from twin studies, that even though people may have the same genes, the expression of their genes (phenotype) may differ.  The reason?  The environment.  Sleep, stress, nutrient status, and basically any environmental exposure can influence gene expression.  Our most intimate connection with our environment, besides breathing, is what we eat.   It is amazing to think that the food we eat signals our body to turn on or turn off specific genes!  And those genes may contribute to health or be a factor in disease progression.

So, when is the best time to prevent disease?  After listening to Dr. Nigel Plummer speak for two days, I would argue that the best time to prevent disease is before you are even conceived.  A woman’s nutritional status before pregnancy can have profound implications for the baby’s health, both as a child and later in life when the symptoms of chronic disease become visible. During preconception it is important to have optimal overall vitamin and mineral levels and storage from which to draw from during pregnancy.  

Many studies link birth weight and fetal under-nutrition to the development of diabetes, hypertension, depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, rapid progression through puberty, hormonal cancers and even left-handedness.  The conditions in the womb “program” the fetus for what to expect in the world.  There are many complex biochemical explanations, but I will spare you the details.  One main idea is that if the baby isn’t getting adequate vitamins, minerals, and essential amino and fatty acids, the baby will expect to be born into a world with the same conditions, and gene expression changes accordingly.  When, however, the baby is born into a world of abundant food (and, in the case of this country, processed, chemical-laden food), its epigenetics may not be suited to the environment and play a factor in disease development. 

After Dr. Plummer’s presentation, it is clear that we have a window for optimizing health, and that window is the year prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and the first 6 months of life (the perinatal period).  I’m fascinated and definitely convinced that it is the most optimal time to focus on natural, preventative medicine. 

If nothing else, attending this conference has given me scientific reason to blame my mother.  :)