Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy

Nutritional Impact on Modifying Epigenetic Mechanisms in Health and Disease Outcomes

Jimenez Torsten^* Department of Nutrition, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
^*Correspondence: Jimenez Torsten, Department of Nutrition, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, Email:

Received: 02-Jan-2024, Manuscript No. JNDT-24-24942; Editor assigned: 05-Jan-2024, Pre QC No. JNDT-24-24942(PQ); Reviewed: 19-Jan-2024, QC No. JNDT-24-24942; Revised: 26-Jan-2024, Manuscript No. JNDT-24-24942(R); Published: 02-Feb-2024, DOI: 10.35248/2161-0509.24.14.283

Description

Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors can influence the expression of genes without changing the DNA sequence. It involves mechanisms like DNA methylation, histone modification, and regulation by non-coding RNAs. These mechanisms can alter the accessibility and activity of genes, and affect various biological processes such as development, differentiation, and disease. Nutrition is one of the most important environmental factors that can modulate epigenetic mechanisms. Nutrients can act as substrates, cofactors, or inhibitors of epigenetic enzymes, and affect the availability and balance of metabolites that are involved in epigenetic reactions. Vitamin A can modulate the activity of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases, which are enzymes that add or remove acetyl groups from histones. Histone acetylation is another epigenetic mark that can affect gene expression and chromatin structure. For example, folate, vitamin B12, choline, and methionine are essential for the production of SAdenosylmethionine (SAM), which is the main methyl donor for DNA and histone methylation.

Vitamin C, iron, and alpha-ketoglutarate are required for the activity of Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) enzymes, which catalyze the oxidation and removal of methyl groups from DNA. Polyphenols, such as resveratrol, curcumin, and green tea catechins, can inhibit Histone Deacetylases (HDACs), which remove acetyl groups from histones and repress gene expression. Nutritional epigenetics has important implications for health and disease prevention. Several studies have shown that early developmental exposure to nutritional challenges, such as maternal undernutrition, overnutrition, or malnutrition, can have long-term effects on the epigenetic profile and the susceptibility to chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. These effects can be inherited across generations through epigenetic inheritance, which involves the transmission of epigenetic marks from parents to offspring. For example, the agouti mouse model demonstrates how maternal supplementation with methyl donors can alter the DNA methylation of the agouti gene in the offspring, and affect their coat color, body weight, and metabolic health. Nutritional epigenetics also offers potential opportunities for disease intervention and treatment. By modulating the epigenetic landscape, dietary interventions can reverse or prevent the aberrant gene expression and the dysregulation of cellular pathways that are associated with various diseases.

For example, dietary fiber, soy isoflavones, and green tea have been shown to reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancer by affecting the DNA methylation and histone acetylation of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Vitamin D has been shown to lower the risk and improve the survival of colorectal cancer patients by influencing the histone modification of the vitamin D receptor gene and its target genes. Zinc has been shown to have beneficial effects in head and neck cancer patients by modulating the expression of microRNAs, which are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. Nutrition plays a vital role in epigenetic regulation and disease prevention. Nutrients can affect the activity and function of epigenetic enzymes and modulate the expression of genes that are involved in various biological processes and disease pathways. Nutritional epigenetics can explain how early life nutrition can have long-lasting effects on health and disease susceptibility, and how these effects can be transmitted across generations.

Conclusion

Nutritional epigenetics can also provide novel strategies for disease intervention and treatment by reversing or preventing the epigenetic alterations that are associated with disease development and progression. However, more research is needed to understand the complex interactions between nutrition, epigenetics, and disease, and to identify the optimal dietary patterns and interventions for different individuals and populations. One of the challenges of nutritional epigenetics is to determine the optimal dose, timing, and duration of dietary interventions that can induce beneficial epigenetic changes.

Moreover, the effects of nutrition on epigenetics may vary depending on the genetic background, age, and environmental factors of the individuals. Therefore, personalized nutrition based on epigenetic biomarkers may be a potential approach to cutomize dietary recommendations and improve health outcomes.