Can a healthy lifestyle reset your genes?
Image: Thinkstock
Balancing your risks
Therefore, the prudent advice for everyone is to take early steps to follow a healthy diet, get enough activity, stop smoking, and reduce sodium intake to avoid disease. Coincidentally, it appears that many of these steps may also work to activate beneficial genes and turn off harmful ones. Staples of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet such as olive oil, vegetables, and fish contain biologically active ingredients that may affect which genes are expressed. In addition, certain vitamins and antioxidant-rich foods may protect against DNA damage.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
