We have advanced far in medical research — so far that we think we’ve got biology mostly figured out. Certainly we know a lot more than previous generations, and the medicine of a century ago is considered the dark ages. With all this knowledge, our average lifespan is no longer lengthening; it is actually dropping. More drugs are available than ever before, more disease treatments are available, and more medical knowledge is at our fingertips. Yet chronic diseases are more prevalent.
Research studies come in multiple versions: some match up a drug or treatment against diseased cells to see which wins, some attempt to tear into the biochemistry of the body and alter it, and others simply do statistical analysis of test groups. The last version can, if done correctly, avoid bias, ignore how much we know or think we know, and just look at results. This type of research can explore phenomena that we can’t explain, yet is clearly happening. In any generation and at any level of scientific advancement, statistical research simply points out the facts.
With chronic diseases on the rise, we must face the fact that some cause or set of causes is responsible. Clearly we know one of the causes: stress. All significant statistical studies correlating stress and health show that chronic stress robs health. At least one thing we can count on though: our stress only affects us, not others. It’s personal. It’s not a disease that can spread, and while we certainly can stress out others when we are stressed, our stress basically stays with us.
Not so fast! Somehow stress can be passed on through generations. Statistical research is showing that it happens, even though the researchers don’t really know how. This has major implications, not just for you, but for your children — and even beyond.
A triple play
You know that you pass genes to your offspring. Mother and father contribute genetic codes, and when the egg is fertilized, a new set of DNA from that combination exists. Genetically speaking, a new life has begun at fertilization: the DNA of a new life has been formed. You can argue whether life begins at conception, but you cannot argue that the genetic code for that new life begins at conception — it clearly does. Right then the new genetic code for the developing baby is in place, and as the cells divide and differentiate, that new code is multiplying with the cells.
There is something else that happens. The immature sperm in a baby boy, or immature eggs in a baby girl, are also formed. If a mother or father is passing along a certain trait via genes, that directly affects two generations: the new baby, and the babies that he or she will have as an adult. The genetic connection extends across three generations, not just two. Your genes extend through to your grandchildren at conception — your genetic code scores a triple play.
Research is verifying that the effects of stress are being passed through generations. Published in Molecular Cell, researchers at the University of Iowa researched generational stress. First, they referred to studies done after World War II which showed that stress of pregnant mothers, caused during a major famine in the Netherlands, showed up in their children in the form of higher than average rates of obesity, diabetes, and schizophrenia. The genetic stress transfer was over too short a timeframe to be explained by a new genetic code having developed in the mothers. Rather, the probable vehicle for the stress encoding came through epigenetics, where genes are switched on or off depending upon environmental factors. Conventional science has been telling us that epigenetics are not passed to new generations because at conception, the methylation “markers” that tell the replication process where to start and stop replicating genetic codes, are reset. They are “wiped clean”, so that should theoretically stop epigenetic data from being passed along. The researchers tested this with short lifespan animal studies, since collecting data with humans takes many years just to study one generation. In their research, they saw that certain proteins created during stressful episodes appeared to interfere with the methylation marker resetting process. Thus, stress effects could be passed epigenetically to the next generations.
Either the mother or the father can pass along epigenetic stress markers. The markers have to be in place at fertilization.
Another study suggests a different path for passing along epigenetic stress changes in offspring. Again using small animal testing, in a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers showed that RNA (ribonucleic acid, the messenger that carries DNA information that controls protein synthesis) can be altered in sperm during stress. In this research they saw that traumatic experiences cause RNA changes which then impact future generations through the sperm.
Regardless of the mechanism, the statistical studies show that stress makes epigenetic changes which can pass down two generations. Epigenetics is meant to respond quickly to environmental conditions, without changing actual DNA. Since it is environmentally driven, you have a lot of control over your epigenetic responses through the environment you provide your body, both physically and mentally.
Goes both ways
Since epigenetics respond so quickly, improvements you make can have a rapid effect. If you can get stress under control, you may set the stage for greater health in your kids. Of course, you also help yourself by lowering stress.
Did you perhaps pick up stress responses from your parents? Don’t despair — epigenetics work in both directions. If you get your stress under control and live a healthy life, the markers you inherited can be changed to different markers. That is what epigenetics do. Fix your environment, and your epigenetics will shift in response. You can break the cycle in a positive way. It all starts with your personal lifestyle.
Dr. Nemec’s Review
What is stress? There’s physical stress, which can be biochemically based — meaning deficiencies or toxicities along with multiple inflaming factors. There is mental/emotional stress that comes from the day, the week, the month, the job, or the life you’re presently living, and this can be very detrimental to your genes and your health. But then there is the worst category of all: it is subconscious and conscious stress programs that have been stored on the hard drive of your brain. These play 24/7/365 and they secrete stress molecules that damage multiple systems, glands, organs and tissues in your body.
At Total Health Institute we have spent the last 40 years researching this mind-emotion-body connection. We have used multiple scanning and imaging techniques and finally developed our trademark signature Revolution New Medicine® protocol which combines 3-D brain imaging and brain mapping with physical treatment protocols to release the subconscious and conscious stress programs. We also address all the physical stressors in our program through targeted therapies, customized diet and lifestyle programs formulated from nutritional genetic testing, quantum analysis, blood and inflammation/toxicity testing. So we find each blockage and imbalance, we correct it, and we retest to make sure it is corrected and it stays corrected.
What you do today does count: it counts for your health and it counts for future generations if you choose to have children. As the studies showed: three generations, that’s how much it counts. But as the study also explained: you are not a product of your genes, you are a product of the environment, mentally and physically, that you put your genes into. So if you balance your biochemistry, body and mind now, you’re not only get healthy now, but you will reverse the epigenetic pattern that was passed to you by your parents or grandparents. You owe this to yourself and to your future generations.
Here are the ways we can help you in your health journey:
- Outpatient Comprehensive Teaching and Treatment Program-has the most benefit of teaching, treatment, live classes and personalized coaching. This program has the most contact with Dr. Nemec with 3- 6 month programs that can be turned into a regular checking and support program for life. This is our core program that has helped so many restore their health and maintain that restoration for years.
- Inpatient Comprehensive Teaching and Treatment Program-is our four-week intensive inpatient program for those that are not in driving distance, usually over 4 hour drive. This is the program that is an intensive jumpstart with treatment, teaching, live classes and coaching designed for all our international patients along with those in the US that do not live in Illinois. This program is very effective especially when combined with our new membership program support.
- Stay at Home Program-is offered to continental US patients who cannot come to Total Health Institute but still want a more personal, customized plan to restore their health. This program also includes our Learn Membership Program.
- Membership Program is our newest program offered for those that want to work on their health at a high level and want access to the teaching at Total Health Institute along with the Forums: both Dr. Nemec’s posts and other members posting. And also, to have the chance to get personalized questions answered on the conference calls which are all archived in case you miss the call. The Membership Program has 3 levels to choose from: Learn, Overcome and Master. The difference is at the Overcome and Master levels you received one on one calls with Dr. Nemec personalizing your program for your areas of focus.
