Genetics vs Epigenetics.
Your genes are the hardware. Epigenetics is the software. The hardware doesn't change—but the software is constantly being rewritten.
"Genes load the gun. Environment pulls the trigger."
The core distinction.
When people say "it's genetic," they usually mean "it's fixed and unchangeable." But that conflates two very different things.
| Genetics | Epigenetics | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The DNA sequence you inherited—your genetic code (A, T, C, G) | Chemical modifications that control whether genes are on or off |
| Can it change? | No. Your DNA sequence is fixed at conception (except rare mutations) | Yes. Constantly changing based on environment, diet, stress, toxins |
| Inherited? | Yes. 50% from each parent | Partially. Some epigenetic marks pass to children and grandchildren |
| Analogy | The script of a play—the words don't change | The director's notes—how the script is performed can vary dramatically |
| MTHFR example | C677T or A1298C variants—you have them or you don't, fixed at birth | How much MTHFR enzyme your cells actually produce—changes with B vitamins, toxins, stress, inflammation |
The piano metaphor.
Think of your genome as a piano with 20,000 keys (genes). You inherited this piano—you can't change the keys.
Genetics = The piano
The instrument itself. The keys, the strings, the hammers. Fixed at birth. Some pianos have a few broken keys (mutations), but the basic structure is set.
Epigenetics = How you play it
Which keys you press, how hard, in what combination. The same piano can play jazz, classical, or discordant noise depending on the player. Environment is the player.
The music = Your health
The output. Determined by both the instrument AND how it's played. A great pianist can make a mediocre piano sound good. A poor pianist can make a great piano sound terrible.
How epigenetics works.
Several molecular mechanisms control gene expression without changing DNA sequence.
DNA Methylation
Methyl groups (CH₃) attach to DNA, usually silencing genes
Enzymes called DNMTs add methyl groups to cytosine bases, typically at CpG sites
Hypermethylation silences genes. Hypomethylation activates them. Both can cause problems.
MTHFR expression is itself epigenetically tuned to match cellular methylation demands—genes regulating genes.
Histone Modification
Chemical tags on histone proteins change how tightly DNA is wound
Acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation of histones affect DNA accessibility
Loose DNA = genes accessible = expression. Tight DNA = genes silenced.
Many nutrients (butyrate, sulforaphane) affect histone acetylation.
Non-coding RNA
Small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression without coding for proteins
microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs interfere with messenger RNA
Can silence genes post-transcriptionally even if the gene is 'on'
Emerging area—toxins and nutrients affect microRNA profiles.
Chromatin Remodeling
Physical restructuring of chromosome architecture
ATP-dependent complexes move, eject, or restructure nucleosomes
Changes which regions of DNA are accessible to transcription machinery
Affected by cellular energy status, stress, and signaling.
DNA methylation: The MTHFR connection.
MTHFR isn't broken—it's being throttled to match what your system can handle.
The reframe:
When toxins clog your detox pathways, when inflammation is high, when cofactors are depleted—your body downregulates MTHFR expression. Not because the gene is defective, but because pushing more methyl groups through a backed-up system would make things worse.
Think of it like a factory: if the assembly line is jammed, you don't speed up the conveyor belt. You slow the input until the bottleneck clears.
What this means:
The implication
Forcing methylation with high-dose supplements when the system is clogged can backfire. The smarter approach: clear the crud from the gears first, then methylation capacity often improves on its own. Your genes are responding to your terrain.
How toxins reprogram your genes.
Toxins don't just cause acute damage—they change how your genes are expressed, sometimes permanently, sometimes across generations.
Heavy Metals (Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium)
Epigenetic effects:
- •Displace zinc from DNA-binding proteins
- •Alter DNA methylation patterns globally
- •Cause oxidative stress that damages epigenetic machinery
- •Mercury specifically inhibits methylation enzymes
- •Arsenic causes widespread hypomethylation
Associated conditions:
Neurological issues, cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune dysfunction
Endocrine Disruptors (BPA, Phthalates, Pesticides)
Epigenetic effects:
- •Alter estrogen receptor methylation
- •Change histone marks in reproductive tissues
- •Transgenerational effects—affect grandchildren's health
- •Disrupt developmental programming in utero
- •Affect fat cell development and obesity risk
Associated conditions:
Obesity, reproductive issues, early puberty, hormone-sensitive cancers
Air Pollution (PM2.5, PAHs)
Epigenetic effects:
- •Induce global DNA hypomethylation
- •Alter methylation of inflammatory genes
- •Affect microRNA expression in lungs
- •Cause oxidative DNA damage
- •Effects detectable within hours of exposure
Associated conditions:
Respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, accelerated aging
Mold & Mycotoxins
Epigenetic effects:
- •Aflatoxin causes specific DNA methylation changes
- •Ochratoxin affects kidney epigenetics
- •Trigger inflammatory epigenetic cascades
- •May contribute to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS)
Associated conditions:
Liver damage, kidney issues, immune dysfunction, neurological symptoms
Glyphosate & Pesticides
Epigenetic effects:
- •Inhibits EPSP synthase in gut bacteria (affects folate production)
- •Disrupts shikimate pathway metabolites
- •May affect methylation through folate depletion
- •Transgenerational effects observed in animal studies
Associated conditions:
Gut dysbiosis, potential reproductive and developmental effects
Related genes:
Your grandparents' exposures affect you.
Epigenetic changes can be inherited. This is called transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
Key research findings:
- ✓Dutch Hunger Winter: Children of mothers who experienced famine had altered methylation patterns and increased disease risk—as did their children.
- ✓Överkalix studies: Grandparents' food availability affected grandchildren's longevity and disease risk—through epigenetic inheritance.
- ✓BPA exposure: Animal studies show BPA exposure affects obesity risk for at least 3 generations through epigenetic changes.
- ✓Trauma: Holocaust survivor offspring show altered stress hormone methylation patterns.
"You are not just what you eat—you are what your grandparents ate, breathed, and experienced."
The good news: Epigenetics works both ways.
Just as toxins can negatively affect gene expression, positive inputs can improve it.
Nutrients
- ✓Folate, B12, choline, betaine—provide methyl groups
- ✓Sulforaphane (broccoli)—histone deacetylase inhibitor
- ✓Butyrate (fiber fermentation)—histone modification
- ✓Resveratrol—activates sirtuins
- ✓Vitamin D—affects 200+ genes' expression
Lifestyle
- ✓Exercise—changes methylation of metabolic genes
- ✓Sleep—allows epigenetic maintenance and repair
- ✓Stress reduction—reverses cortisol-induced changes
- ✓Fasting—triggers autophagy and epigenetic reset
- ✓Cold exposure—affects brown fat gene expression
Environment
- ✓Sunlight—affects circadian gene expression
- ✓Clean air and water—reduces toxic epigenetic burden
- ✓Nature exposure—reduces stress-related epigenetic changes
- ✓Social connection—affects stress response genes
What this means for you.
Genetic testing is incomplete
Knowing your gene variants tells you about predispositions—not destiny. Two people with identical MTHFR variants can have completely different methylation status based on diet, toxin exposure, and lifestyle.
Environment is medicine
What you eat, breathe, think, and experience directly programs your gene expression. This isn't metaphor—it's molecular biology. Clean food, clean air, good sleep, and stress management are epigenetic interventions.
Toxin avoidance is gene therapy
Reducing toxin exposure isn't just about preventing acute damage—it's about protecting your epigenetic programming. Filter your water, clean your air, choose organic when possible, avoid unnecessary chemical exposures.
It's never too late (mostly)
While some epigenetic changes are hard to reverse, many are plastic throughout life. Exercise can change DNA methylation patterns in weeks. Diet changes affect gene expression within days. You're constantly rewriting the software.
You're programming future generations
Your current environment affects your children's and grandchildren's health through epigenetic inheritance. Preconception health matters—for both parents.
Related reading.
You can't change your genes. You can change their expression.
Every meal, every breath, every night of sleep is an epigenetic input. Choose wisely.