Why do some people develop autism or ADHD while others with similar genetic predispositions do not? Could the environment in which our genes function influence how those genetic tendencies are expressed?

These are important questions when we look beyond the idea that genes alone determine health and wellbeing. While our genetic makeup provides the blueprint, research into epigenetics suggests that environmental, nutritional and biological factors can influence how certain genes are expressed. In other words, our genes are not necessarily our destiny.

This emerging area of research offers a broader perspective on autism and ADHD, highlighting the complex interaction between genetics, the environment and the body’s systems. Factors such as nutrition, medication, gut health, inflammation, stress, sleep and exposure to environmental toxins may all form part of the bigger picture.

In this article, https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/how-epigenetics-shapes-autism-and-adhd-beyond-genes – I focus on how epigenetics may influence autism and ADHD, what epigenetic factors are, and why understanding the interaction between genes and their environment can be so valuable.