Have you ever come across the term epi-food? We were new to the term - so it's the perfect opportunity to find out more. :-)
Epi-Food stands for Epigenetic Food - in other words, epigenetic nutrition.
"Epigenetics is a specialized field of biology and deals with cell characteristics (phenotype) that are inherited by daughter cells and are not defined in the DNA sequence (genotype)." (Stangl, 2024).
The idea behind this nutritional concept is to find out which foods, nutrients and bioactive components in the diet affect our body in such a way that certain genes can be influenced. This is supposed to have the effect that certain symptoms and diseases can be avoided or alleviated/healed.
However, a change in diet alone will not work any real miracles. Exercise, a healthy mind and enough rest also contribute to good health.
However, diet alone can influence our energy levels and psyche and is even said to be able to slow down ageing. And not only that - the health of unborn children and grandchildren can also be influenced by a change in diet. A study on mice dealt with this topic. Two groups of pregnant mice were exposed to the same negative environmental influence. Some of the mice were fed a nutrient-rich diet instead of a "normal mouse diet". The mice that received the nutrient-rich diet were healthier and their offspring were also healthy.
This doesn't mean that you have to go vegan or give up sugar, wheat or industrially processed products completely if you don't want to. Finding a healthy balance is the key. It often helps if we take our time: less convenience products, more local and seasonal products and taking the time to eat (with family/friends).
Which foods can support?
Colorful is good! Foods with strong colors (dark red, green, yellow, orange) often contain particularly high levels of nutrients. Here are some examples:
- Dark berries (e.g. raspberries, currants, strawberries), for example, contain many antioxidants.
- Omega-3 fatty acids from nuts, vegetable oils, Algae oil and fish can reduce inflammation in the body.
- Green tea - the catechins and nutrients in tea are said to be able to "switch" harmful genes in the body.*
- Green vegetables (e.g. spinach, broccoli) often contain particularly high levels of minerals, trace elements and vitamins.
You can find our Epigenetic Food products here
Disclaimer
Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle, they can help to maintain normal bodily functions.
For legal reasons, we would like to point out that some of the above statements require further research and studies to prove them scientifically. Therefore, not all statements can currently be recognized by conventional medicine.
Sources:
- Stangl, W. (2024, 15. April). Epigenetik. Online Lexikon für Psychologie & Pädagogik. https://lexikon.stangl.eu/1245/epigenetik
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9526853/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S216183132200552X
- https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/nutrition
- *https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620303960