Ways to heat your ‘fat’ genes

Weight gain isn’t caused by genetics, but by epigenetics – the science of how genes switch on and off by environmental factors. Research shows how certain foods and lifestyle changes can deactivate the genes that cause fat storage. A 2014 study, in the journal Advanced Nutrition, inferred that obese people have a diverse pattern of epigenetic marks than those who are not obese. Simply put, you can disarm those genes and reverse your fate. As compiled from eatit2beatit.com, Prevention magazine, the Telegraph and Reader’s Digest, here are a few habits you can employ and kick your ‘fat’ genes to the curb.

Don’t take vitamins



Researchers hold that consuming too many vitamins and minerals in pill form may be the cause of your jeans getting snugger. The reason: increased levels of B vitamins have long been associated with a higher occurrence of obesity and diabetes. Steven D Wittlin, clinical director of the endocrine-metabolism division at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, suggests that megadosing on different types of minerals may do more harm than good. A better option is to build your diet around foods, which balance all of your nutritional needs while also shutting off your fat-storage mechanisms.

Be cautious of canned foods



More and more Pakistanis are drifting away from home-cooked meals to keep up with their busy lifestyles. The concern with consuming packaged foods, especially canned food, is a compound called BPA or bisphenol-A. Used to make plastic softer, it’s found in some containers and the thin lining on food cans. Research indicates that it may have an epigenetic effect on humans. In simple words, it alters your genetic make-up and triggers fat genes to activate. BPA leaks into foods that are acidic or fatty, such as tomatoes, tuna and baby formula, and you might just notice the scale creep upwards.

Get some sunlight



Recent research published in the journal Plos One found that getting direct exposure to sunlight between 8:00am and noon reduced the risk of weight gain regardless of activity level, caloric intake or age. Researchers suggest that early morning light triggers certain genes, which are linked to the internal body clock and kick-starts the metabolism. “Light is the most potent agent to synchronise your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which, in turn, reverses the effect of fat genes while regulating energy balance,” said study senior author Dr Phyllis Zee, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Cut down on antibiotics



Antibiotics alter the composition of natural bacteria in the gut and change how bacteria break down nutrients. In fact, according to a study published in Nature Immunology, they genetically induce pudginess. Peter Turnbaugh, a microbiologist at Harvard University, says that the gut bacteria plays a big function in keeping the fat genes in check by chomping on fibre and creating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which help tame our genetic tendency for weight gain and diabetes. When we take antibiotics for every sneeze that comes along, we create disorder in our gut bacteria and undermine their ability to create the SCFAs that keep our fat genes in check.

Cut down on sugar



New research shows how sugar and fat conspire with your genes to set your body up for weight gain. Foods high in saturated fats and sugars cause weight gain even if calorie intake stays the same. Researchers believe there’s an epigenetic factor at work. The combination of sugar and fat has been dubbed “an obesity triggering environment.” In his book Zero Belly Fat Diet, David Zinczenko suggests consuming foods that deactivate belly-fat storage genes such as red fruits (the deeper the colour, the stronger the effect in turning off fat genes), plant proteins like split peas and almonds, bright-coloured vegetables, eggs, and spices such as cinnamon and ginger. This is because these foods help reduce inflammation while blocking fat genes.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th,  2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.