Reversing DNA methylation can result in restoration of vision loss in old mice (Lu 2020).  Can human epigenetic methylation clocks be reversed using relatively straightforward lifestyle changes?  

Dr Kara Fitzgerald  is on the faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and is an IFM Certified Practitioner. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Fitzgerald runs a Functional Medicine Clinic Immersion program for professionals, hosts a very popular podcast New Frontiers in Functional Medicine, and maintains an active blog on her website.  Her new book 'Younger You' is coming out in Jan 2022.  

Please join Dr Kara Fitzgerald for this masterclass in human epigenetic DNA methylation manipulation.

Take away points: 

-Increased DNA methylation age is associated with no significant net methylation change.

-~25% of methylation clock sites are related to glucocorticoid response elements underscoring the relationship of stress and aging.

—Supplemental methylation helpers (folate, b12, choline, etc) have a narrow effective range- with too little or too much having negative consequences.

-Lifestyle changes can reverse DNA methylation age in humans.

00:00 Kara's vision for reversing global epidemic of chronic disease

03:10 Appeal of naturopathic medicine as a systems model similar to functional medicine 

06:04 Value of -omics; epigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics

07:39 DNA methylation process and epigenetic age

11:39 No net change in methylation with aging, just rearrangement of sites

12:25 Dose response of dietary methyl donors

15:18 Horvath methylation clock used in paper

19:23 Components of the lifestyle intervention 

25:32 Effect on triglycerides

28:34 Options for vegans instead of liver as a methyl donor

32:05 Ongoing program and forthcoming book

35:05 Personal lifestyle choices

37:02 10 cups of vegetables a day, 12 hour fast per day 

38:03 Exercise, relaxation, and sleep choices 

 https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/ 

Lu, Yuancheng, Benedikt Brommer, Xiao Tian, Anitha Krishnan, Margarita Meer, Chen Wang, Daniel L. Vera, et al. “Reprogramming to Recover Youthful Epigenetic Information and Restore Vision.” Nature 588, no. 7836 (December 3, 2020): 1

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