User:Mpfont15/Nutritional epigenetics

Poor prenatal diet[edit]
Infants experience a vital time of plasticity during pregnancy, so nutrition during pregnancy heavily influences the potential health of both the mother and the infant in the future. Poor prenatal diet or unhealthy diet has been shown to affect DNA methylation patterns and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, ADHD, and early onset conduct problems in children. Characteristics of an unhealthy prenatal diet leading to changes in DNA methylation patterns include the increased intake of high fat/sugar ultra-processed food products along with the inadequate intake of nutrient rich whole foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables). High-fat and low-protein diets during pregnancy can also increase the risk of obesity in infants. Dietary methyl supplements such as extra folic acid and choline can also have adverse effects on epigenetic gene regulation. The current global food system is plagued by issues that adversely affect human health through multiple pathways with contaminated, unsafe, and altered foods being one of the most common factors associated with unhealthy diet. Low iron diets, or women who suffer from an iron deficiency, have been shown to increase the likelihood of a premature birth, low birth weight, and the increased possibility of postpartum depression.

Blake Edit: I edited the last sentence dealing with low iron.

Food quality Food quality issues vary from one geographic region to the next depending on country, food safety practices, and manufacturing and agricultural regulations regarding heavy metal, pesticide residues, and other hazardous exposures of concern.[28] To reduce exposures to chemical hazards such as pesticide and heavy metal residues, the World Trade Organization (WTO) sponsored agreements between countries to establish codes of best practices, issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, that attempt to guarantee the trade of safe food.[28] Despite the best practices in use, heavy metal and pesticide residues are still found in the food supply.[29][30]  Pre-natal and post-natal dietary exposures to inorganic mercury and lead residues resulting from unhealthy diets have been shown to consistently impact important gene behaviors in children with autism and ADHD.[13] Prenatal organophosphate pesticide exposure has been shown to impact DNA methylation in genes associated with the development of cardio-metabolic diseases.[31] Infection from food is a serious factor during pregnancy. Not in particular of what the mother eats, but that is just as important, but the way the food is prepared. A mother should cook all of the food thoroughly, especially meats. All of the produce should be washed well after washing hands. Pasteurized dairy products should be the type of dairy being consumed by the mother.

BLAKE EDIT - I inserted this part of the article to edit and add some stuff.

 Erin Edit: Nutritional epigenetics is a science that studies the effects of nutrition on gene expression, gene regulation and chromatin accessibility. It is a subcategory of nutritional genomics that focuses on the effects of bioactive food components on epigenetic events.

Lead
Nutritional epigenetics is a science that studies the effects of nutrition on gene expression and chromatin accessibility. It is a subcategory of nutritional genomics that focuses on the effects of bioactive food components on epigenetic events. Nutritional epigenetics goes beyond evaluating how chemicals are converted from the foods we eat into being beneficial for our bodies directly, as it is the study of how the chemicals, vitamins, etc. consumed can influence our health and metabolisms in the long term. Our bodies are so sensitive to what we consume that a mother's consumption habits will influence they way her offsprings' metabolism functions, as the fetus interprets what it comes in contact with in-utero as the conditions it will be met with once born.

Nutritional-Environmental Signals
All life on Earth is influenced by the different flows of its environment, yet in humans, different environmental conditions such as poverty, alcohol, stress, malnutrition, exposure to pollutants, man-made chemicals, and synthetic drugs can lead to epigenetic-related illnesses/diseases with certain disease-specific genes typically being activated or deactivated. The epigenome of an organism can be triggered by just about any environmental signal, including climate change, food/water supply, plant nutrient, temperature and etc.

It has been estimated that more than 60% of deaths in humans are related to nutritional or dietary factors rather than environmental triggers.

Emily Edit: Folate and Choline in DNA Methylation
DNA methylation is a crucial part of gene regulation and development through the lifespan. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group on a cytosine ring of DNA. Without methylation, issues could arise regarding genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and suppression of transcription and transposition. When methylation is not present to suppress transcription and transposition, the lack thereof can contribute to the development of cancer.

Folate is an essential water soluble vitamin that is naturally occurring in some foods. Folate can be found naturally at high levels in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, brussels sprouts and asparagus, as well as in liver. Folic acid is a man made form used to supplement certain foods. Enriched breads, flours, pastas, rice, and breakfast cereals are commonly supplemented with folic acid. In DNA methylation, folate serves as a source of carbon/ methyl group.

Choline is a semi-essential nutrient that can be oxidized to betaine. The betaine then functions as a methyl group donor in the process of DNA methylation. Choline can be found in animal products such as meat, eggs, poultry, fish and dairy as well as potatoes and green leafy vegetables.

=== References [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/anemia-during-pregnancy/art-20114455#:~:text=Severe%20iron%20deficiency%20anemia%20during,weight%20baby%20and%20postpartum%20depression. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/anemia-during-pregnancy/art-20114455#:~:text=Severe%20iron%20deficiency%20anemia%20during,weight%20baby%20and%20postpartum%20depression.] === Geraghty, A. A., Lindsay, K. L., Alberdi, G., McAuliffe, F. M., & Gibney, E. R. (2015). Nutrition during pregnancy impacts offspring’s epigenetic status—evidence from human and animal studies. Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, 8s1. https://doi.org/10.4137/nmi.s29527 [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500842/#:~:text=Nutritional%20epigenetics%20seeks%20to%20explain,understanding%20of%20food%20and%20metabolism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500842/#:~:text=Nutritional%20epigenetics%20seeks%20to%20explain,understanding%20of%20food%20and%20metabolism.]

Meiliana, A., Dewi, N. M., & Wijaya, A. (2019). Nutritional influences on epigenetics, aging and disease. The Indonesian Biomedical Journal, 11(1), 16–29. https://doi.org/10.18585/inabj.v11i1.780 Moreno, Ó. O., Gutiérrez, S. A. G. A., & Goosman, C. A. (2023, November 21). What are the most common pregnancy complications?. inviTRA. https://www.invitra.com/en/pregnancy-complications/