A controversial study explains that epigenetic variations and not just our DNA may contribute to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to researchers from the Lund University Diabetes Center, people with diabetes 2 have changes in DNA that are dependent on epigenetic factors compared to non-sick people.

EPIGENETICS AND NON-GENETICS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIABETES 2

To be clear, epigenetics describes all those heritable modifications that vary the expression of genes while not altering the DNA sequence, therefore the phenotype and not the genotype.
These modifications can therefore be transmitted from the person with type 2 diabetes to her children even if they are not permanent, that is, they are not part of their DNA sequence.
Therefore the risk of having diabetes 2 is not only genetic, but more phenotypic.

What does this mean in layman’s terms?
That familiarity and the environment matter more than DNA in the development of type 2 diabetes.

To give you an example, researchers have discovered that lifestyle and environment manage to modify, albeit not permanently, about 800 genes, therefore a lot, that influence insulin production , reducing it.
We are talking about almost 4% of our genetic heritage.

These changes also occur in the healthy person who has a higher body mass index, a higher blood sugar, a higher blood pressure.

THE RISK OF DIABETES 2 IS REVERSIBLE

But unlike DNA, these changes are reversible.

Therefore, correcting one’s lifestyle and any environmental factors (sedentary lifestyle, stress, smoking, alcohol) can still lead to correcting the production of insulin. In short, diet, exercise and better habits can take us away from the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.