Ever wonder
Why you are like your mother
It’s said that precious things come in small packages, and there’s no better example than mitochondria. Each cell in our body contains up to 2,000 mitochondria and, although tiny, they make up to 60 percent of the volume of muscle cells and 40 percent of heart cells.
But what does this have to do with your mother? Here’s the point. Mitochondria have their own genetic material. But unlike the DNA in the cell’s nucleus, which comes from both parents, mitochondria DNA is passed down from mother to child.
Tory Hagen, a researcher at the Linus Pauling Institute in Corvallis, Oregon, says, “Mitochondria have been called the Achilles’ heal of the cells in aging”. Having healthy mitochondria is like having a robust engine room in each cell. But these tiny mitochondria furnaces are continually using oxygen to burn fat, protein and carbohydrates to generate energy. This oxidation process results in the formation of free radicals, the metabolic ash, that can damage mitochondria.
Researcher at York University in Toronto, says exercise can increase the number of mitochondria by 40 to 50 percent in six weeks. It’s necessary to walk, run, bicycle or swim briskly for 20 minutes three to four times a week and you must continue these exercises to maintain healthy mitochondria and younger muscles.
And don’t forget to thank your mother for your mitochondria.
Genetic Testing
It’s been said that all would be well if there were no “buts”.
Unfortunately, in genetics there are many hidden traps for unsuspecting medical consumers.
If you have the choice to receive genetic testing, be sure you know the pros and cons.
Genetic risk for developing
Gout
The Lancet has reported on a genetic scoring system developed to identify people most likely to develop gout. Those with the highest genetic risk score had a 40 times greater risk of developing gout than those with the lowest score. Dr. Ann Kottgen, one of the researchers, reported that “the genetic score is a greater predictor of who gets gout than any of the other known risk factors.” This is just another example of how much genetics plays a role in our lives. And how we would all be in better shape if we’d had the chance to choose our parents.
Reliable genetic tests are increasingly becoming available to consumers to help to identify those at risk of developing gout and many other diseases. Therapy can then be started at an earlier age to prevent or mitigate problems.
In the meantime, don’t push your luck. Eat a healthy diet, with all things in moderation. Get exercise. And read other parts of this website!
Family History
Genetics or Behaviours?
How much should you worry if your father died of a heart attack at age 50? Or your mother developed breast cancer at 40 years of age? Or a brother required surgery for malignancy of the colon at an early age? Or there’s a strong family history of diabetes or osteoporosis?
A look at your family history should include an examination of past family behaviours. It will provide important clues. Check to see if those who died prematurely from heart disease were also chain-smokers and couch potatoes for years. And were relatives who developed diabetes also those who became obese in mid-life.
You may discover that Pogo was right when he shrewdly remarked that “We have discovered the enemy and the enemy is us.” All too often today we are the architects of our own destruction, not our genes.
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