By Dr. Garry Gordon

Bad genes got you worried? Don’t. They are not the controlling factor you have been led to believe!

Unless you are a molecular biologist, you may be confused about how genetics relate to your health. The media reports that if you have a gene for breast or ovarian cancer, like BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, you should opt for prophylactic surgery or chemo-prevention. This involves either voluntarily removing healthy breasts or ovaries, or taking cancer drugs like Tamoxifen or Raloxifene, in an attempt to avoid cancer – and it’s not a guarantee. I am here to tell you that it is all wrong!

Genetic determinism says our DNA controls how we will turn out. Our genes determine our appearance, behavior and what illnesses or diseases we are predisposed to. While it is true that our physical and behavioral traits are influenced by DNA, when talking about heredity and disease, most geneticists have abandoned that theory. Current research is focused upon Epigenetics. Epigenetics reveals how environmental factors like nutrition, stress, pollutants and toxins, and even our own emotions, control how and when genes are expressed. This means we are not powerless as to whether we get cancer or diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. We have some control over our environment and lifestyle choices.

Your DNA is not your destiny!

Bisphenol A (BPA) is just one of the many toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis. BPA is an organic compound that is a major component in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics used to make common products like baby bottles, water bottles, plastic food wrap and containers. BPA is used in the epoxy resin coatings that line many food and beverage cans. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body’s own hormones and cause many negative health effects. Because of toxicity concerns, Japan has replaced epoxy coating with PET film, and this year Canada became the first country to officially declare BPA as a toxic substance. Where is the U.S.?

Dr. Randy Jirtle at Duke University shows how this pervasive toxin can induce epigenetic changes in agouti mice. In the study, a group of pregnant agouti mice were exposed to BPA. A high percentage of their offspring were born yellow and predisposed to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Yellow agouti mice that were given methyl-rich supplements like folic acid and vitamin B12 gave birth to offspring that were lean, brown and healthy. The nutrients were able to reverse the epigenetic methylation defects. Most people have been exposed to BPA. Medical research reveals that 95 percent of patients have BPA in their urine, and this breakthrough research may help explain today’s epidemic of obesity, diabetes and cancer.

Dr. Tsuneo Kobayashi, MD, PhD, an oncologist from Japan, has shown that no matter what your genetic propensity for cancer is, cancer does not need to manifest. Dr. Kobayashi followed several thousand cancer-risk patients annually for 10 years, conducting annual screening tests for tumor markers. Each followed his basic holistic health program of immune support and detoxification supplements, simplified diet, regular sleep, exercise and stress-lowering practices. If a test indicated even a borderline increase in tumor marker activity, Dr. Kobayashi simply added more immune support supplements and tighter adherence to the program – no drugs or surgery. His approach always made the tumor markers on the test revert back toward safe normal levels, and during his study, not a single patient developed clinical cancer. Dr. Kobayashi’s protocols are the Japanese equivalent of my F.I.G.H.T. program. My F.I.G.H.T. program is also designed to slow aging, and I add other steps, but recommend everyone follow the basics every day to achieve and maintain a healthy life.

There is massive misinformation out there. Carrying any bad gene does not mean you will develop that illness. We all experience epigenetic changes due to environmental toxins and stress. No matter the disease, with adequate knowledge you can live as long as anyone else. Following my F.I.G.H.T. program will support immune and methylation functions, help you avoid any disease manifestation regardless of family history, and without relying on expensive genetic testing.

I believe the best defense is to become knowledgeable and take charge of your own health. I strongly recommend reading Dr. Bruce Lipton’s “The Biology of Belief” or “Spontaneous Evolution,” to learn how genes and DNA do not control our biology. I also recommend viewing his video presentation “Biology of Perception, Psychology of Change,” which is linked on my website at www.gordonresearch.com. Learn my F.I.G.H.T. for your Health program for the best chance at preventing illness and disease over your lifetime.