Do you have Genetic Superpowers? 🧬🤩🧬

In honor of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I thought we’d look at what genes our mothers and fathers pass on to us 💗

So, do you have “good genes”? That question comes up a lot – and means something different to everyone. For some, the term “good genes” means they are tall, good-looking, and have good teeth. Others may prioritize intelligence or emotional IQ.

Today, I will humor you with some interesting tidbits about your genes. But before I do, please take a minute to read last week’s newsletter about “Why you should be wary of sanitizing wipes, antiseptics, disinfectants and antibacterials - when and when not to use them”. If you missed last week’s newsletter, you can use this link, Here.

OK, read on for the scoop on why you are so connected to your parents and siblings….

and learn if you have “good genes” or not.

🤩 🧬 🥰 🧬 🤪 🧬 🥰 🧬 🤩

Which Parent Gives You Most Genes? 

"She is mom's clone." "He is exactly like his father." We hear many such comments about the traits that a child has inherited.

The reason why we feel deeply connected to our family could also be due to the resemblance and similar physical traits with our family members. We receive inherited genes from our both our parents.  

Well, parenting is just not the only way mother and father influence the behavior of their offspring. Genes play a key role here. It is true that most of our genes are inherited in pairs, which means you get one copy of each gene from your father and mother, but mothers and fathers exhibit their genetic impact in diverse ways. Our genetics are determined at the time of conception. The nucleus contains genetic info in a combination of 23 pairs of chromosomes that are made from DNA. You inherit one pair from each of your parents.

Traits or characteristics, like height, hair color, eye color, and blood type, are passed from parents to their children through their genes.

THE MOTHER EFFECT

Genetically, you actually carry more of your mother's genes than your father's. That's because of little organelles that live within your cells, the mitochondria, which you only receive from your mother.

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and is inherited from the mother. These are energy-producing factories of the cell, and without them, a cell can't generate energy from food.

Tissues that require a lot of energy, such as your brain and your muscles, have cells packed with mitochondria. Because all mitochondria you received come from your mother only, you are technically more related to your mother, than you are to your dad.

What's more influenced by your mother's genes? 

• Mitochondria

• Intelligence

• Weight

THE FATHER EFFECT

On the contrary, the father's genes are more aggressive and gain prominence in manifesting in you. It is also a known fact that the sex of the baby completely depends on the father, as the mother only carries an X-chromosome. 

What's more influenced by your father's genes? 

• Gender

• Height

• Dental Health

If you are intrigued by genetics and want to understand more about when and why some health related situations are genetically passed on, you can read a more in-depth article HERE.

GENETIC SUPERPOWERS

From a genetic point of view, most variants have positive and negative consequences. In our modern world, a variant that may have helped your ancestor survive the black plague; may give rise to chronic inflammation today. Not saying that your present environment and lifestyle can’t overrule genetics; they certainly can!

The following Genetic Superpower Review looks at the positive side of genetic variants. Everyone has some kind of genetic superpower, and hopefully, this report might highlight yours!

Resiliency Superpower:

“I get knocked down, but I get up again…” may be your theme song if you have resiliency genetic variants.

For some, childhood traumas can permanently change how their bodies react to stress as adults. But others are much more resilient - able to bounce back more easily when experiencing adversity.

Cortisol is released in response to stress. It is a normal and necessary response if a tiger is chasing you. However, some people experience altered cortisol responses as adults due to epigenetic modifications brought on by childhood trauma. These changes alter how the brain controls the release of cortisol, and it alters the ability to recover from stressors.

For others, though, traumatic events at an early age have no lasting physiological effect. They are resilient and bounce back completely in stressful situations.

Flu Fighters:

If you’ve ever wondered why you never seem to get the flu, this may be the genetic answer.

Our genome is shaped by the pathogens that our ancestors survived. It is really pretty cool – you carry specific genetic variants passed down to you from ancestors who lived through diseases and epidemics. (The ones that didn’t survive didn’t pass on their genes…)

Throughout history, humanity’s biggest threats to survival have been the microscopic pathogens that we now battle using antibiotics, antifungals, vaccines, clean water, etc. All of the genetic variants that gave your ancestors a survival advantage in ages past are still written in your genome today.

The flu comes around in different strains each year, and some people are champions at fighting off specific strains. The genes that encode different parts of the immune system have lots of different variants in them. It makes humans able to survive new and varied pathogens.

Lower cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease:

For some people, even a bad diet doesn’t seem to affect their cholesterol much. Year after year, their blood tests show they are on the lower end of the cholesterol range. It turns out that genetics can play a significant role in whether you have low or high cholesterol.

The PCSK9 gene encodes an enzyme vital to how cholesterol is transported throughout the body. PCSK9 regulates cholesterol levels by controlling the number of LDL receptors on liver cells, which is where cholesterol is synthesized and eliminated.

Researchers discovered that PCSK9 variants (loss-of-function) lead to lower cholesterol levels. These loss-of-function variants are linked with lower lifetime LDL cholesterol levels and a lower risk of heart disease.

Longevity Superpowers:

Scientists have long been fascinated with figuring out why some people are likely to live to be 100 or more. It is a tantalizing thought – perhaps a genetic variant extends lifespan?

The FOXO3A gene was one of the first genes identified as being tied to living longer. The gene impacts both apoptosis, which is cell death, and cancer risk. Apoptosis is crucial because it is one way that the body gets rid of cells that are damaged, infected, or have DNA damage. And not getting cancer is an excellent way to live longer…

Super-tasters, Detecting flavors and avoiding poisons:

It turns out that each of us has a distinct sense of taste. Our taste buds include a wide variety of taste receptors, and changes to the genes encoding these receptors affect how we perceive flavors.

Key to survival, our taste buds are essential for knowing whether a food contains the nutrients we need or a poison we should avoid. We instinctively know that a ripe strawberry is delicious, but an over-ripe strawberry that contains mold or bacteria could be harmful.

People who taste certain flavors more strongly than usual are called supertasters. They are particularly sensitive to the bitter flavors found in broccoli, coffee, dark chocolate, or beer. Some people can taste certain bitter toxins that grow on plants, thus alerting the rest of their village or tribe not to eat them.

In our modern era, someone who can taste a wider range of flavors may become an excellent chef or perhaps a wine connoisseur.

Sleep Superpowers:

Have you ever wanted to have more hours in the day? Some people naturally feel great after five to six hours of sleep due to a mutation in DEC2. Just think… this adds several hours to their day without any health drawbacks.

The DEC2 gene encodes a protein that affects gene transcription of core circadian rhythm genes.

The DEC2 mutation is pretty rare, though, with only about 0.5% of the population having it. The rest of us need to get 7.5-8 hours of sleep on average each night.

If you are interested in learning more about your genetic makeup, feel free to read more HERE.

THE BOTTOM LINE

"When you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know"

"A parent’s love is whole no matter how many times it's divided"

So, do you have “good genes”?

I hope after reading today, you now have a new perspective on your genes!

We all have genetic superpowers, whether yours shows up on this list or not!

It is easy to get sucked into the mindset that our genes are ‘bad’, but that just isn’t true. We all have variants that may be less suited for our modern world, and we all have other variants that are beneficial.

Loving and appreciating our parents is one of the most important values we can have. 

Our parents are the ones who helped us through our formative years, providing us with guidance, wisdom and support when we needed it most. We all owe a debt of gratitude to them for their tireless work in helping shape us into the people we are today.

Expressing that love and appreciation to them doesn’t always come easy for some people. Take a moment and remind your parents just how much they mean to you, and how deeply appreciated they truly are 🥰

"No matter how far life takes us, we will always be our parent's children"

This is a reminder that no matter where life takes us or how much time passes, the bond between a child and their parents will remain unbreakable. Parents are always part of their child's identity and no amount of time or distance can change that.

If you are a mother, we all wish you a nice Mother’s Day 💗

If the information that I shared today is interesting, and you’d like to explore how your genetics may or may not be reflected in your health, come in and see me. We will talk about your unique body and physical situation. You can make an appointment with me using this link: HERE.

Or, you can always give me a call at (973) 210-3838

I want to hear from you! What questions or insights do you have about your genetics? Did you find this newsletter helpful?

Share your thoughts in the comments on our

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We bring tools such as these to you, our patients, by using proven cutting-edge therapies to extend the health-span, life-span and years of health for everyone (no matter their age)!

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