Does it come from Grandma? – Genetics seems simple but is so complex that many scientists are still baffled by some aspects of the process. Genes are composed of millions of encoded nitrogen molecules that carry all of your reproductive blueprints. Every day 100 trillion cells depend on genes to tell them what they are supposed to be doing. The genetic code is a set of tutorials that tells the cells how to work properly. If one of those instructions is wrong, it changes how the cell functions. These erroneous instructions cause disease if they prevent the cell from doing the job it was designed to do and can cause the cell to die.
A genetic mistake is called a mutation. Having a mutation does not mean that you are pre-determined to get a disease. It just tells you that you should be more cautious about monitoring your overall health.
For instance only 5% of breast cancer is hereditary. But among women who have a history of breast cancer AND carry either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA means breast cancer) gene the lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 80%. Women who have an inherited breast cancer gene may contract the disease 10 to 15 years earlier but it’s also true that almost half won’t get breast cancer until after age 60. For most people the likelihood of developing inherited forms of cancer are about as likely as being struck by lightning and winning the lottery on the same day. But if your family does seem prone to a particular disease, it may be worth taking some precautions.
If you have a parent who died of a heart attack or a sibling who died of stroke at a young age that is something to share with your doctor as well as make some lifestyle changes like exercising, eating properly and not smoking. Genetic testing is now available, but at a very high cost. Unless there is dramatic evidence that points to potentially serious genetic predispositions in your family tree, you’re much better off taking normal precautions by living healthy.
Your environment and disease – We all carry a degree of toxins in our cells. Take DDT for example. The use was banned in 1972 after research indicated the suspicion it contributed to breast cancer. But, traces of DDT remains in the foods we eat and the water we drink for more than 50 years, we all have trace amounts in bodies. Trace amounts probably will not cause you harm, however, 30 chemicals have been proven to cause cancer in humans while another 400 have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and are suspected of causing human tumors.
Radon is linked to lung cancer.
The damage created by these hazards increase as we age. The body gradually loses the ability to rid itself of toxins that can damage your lungs, kidneys, liver and other major organs.
Here are some tips to lower your intake of air born pollutants:
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