We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” but how much validity does this statement actually hold? 

At the heart of this question lies the concept of nutritional epigenetics. Essentially, the way that our genes are expressed within our cells is remarkably dynamic and constantly adapting in response to the world around us. For students, the foods we choose to eat in the dining hall may affect us in ways beyond satisfying our hunger or fueling us through late-night study sessions. What we eat ultimately has the power to influence our long-term health.

In simple terms, epigenetics is the study of how genes can essentially be “switched on and off” in response to behaviors, lifestyles, and environments. These switches, known as epigenetic modifications, are chemical marks on DNA and its associated proteins. The two key players in this process are mechanisms known as histone modification and DNA methylation. 

Histones are proteins that are responsible for compacting DNA into tightly wound chromosomes. Certain modifications to these histone proteins can affect gene expression. For instance, the process of acetylation facilitates gene expression by causing chromosomes to loosen. 

In DNA methylation, chemical “tags” are added to DNA to either silence or express genes. Both of these regulatory functions are crucial to normal cell behavior and are highly sensitive to environmental cues.

So what happens when we consider the temptations of indulgent dining hall options as the environmental stimuli that our genes respond to?

While many college dining halls make a clear effort to offer healthier meal options, the typical college student’s diet is still notorious for being heavy in fried foods, refined carbs, and excessive sugar. However, the decisions we make in the dining hall can have a ripple effect that leads to our genes. When a diet lacks antioxidants and is overloaded with fried and processed foods, the body may enter a state of oxidative stress that ultimately overwhelms the body’s innate defenses. These stress signals can modify epigenetic mechanisms such as methylation and histone modification, causing inflammation and long-term disease risk. 

In an experiment published by BMC Genomics, genetically identical mouse models were exposed to either a high-fat or a low-fat diet. The expression of liver-associated genes was measured, and they discovered that there were 4356 genes with expression differences associated with diet, and over 7000 total genes were affected by differential methylation. They also found that excessive intake of fats can change the methylation of genes involved in metabolism and energy balance, disrupting pathways that regulate insulin sensitivity and fat storage. In other words, too much fried food can genetically throw off our metabolism.

Sugar-heavy diets appear to have a similar epigenetic effect. However, another study in nutritional epigenetics found that fruit flies fed a high-sugar diet developed genetic changes in taste and feeding behavior that persisted in their offspring. What is even more fascinating about this discovery is that some of these sugar-induced changes may not stop with the expression of our genes. In other words, epigenetic changes can be passed down, allowing the effects of nutritional decisions to persist across generations.

Fortunately, research shows that the expression of our genome is not static once these epigenetic changes occur. According to a review published in Redox Biology, nutrients found in antioxidant-rich foods such as omega-3 fatty acids, leafy greens, and berries can restore balanced gene expression. This means that even small shifts incorporating a balance of these unprocessed foods can send new instructions to our cells that promote long-term health. 

The most important approach to a healthy diet in college is emphasizing practicality and balance. While it’s unrealistic to make perfect dining hall decisions every day, it is crucial to remain aware of how the foods we consume affect us on a cellular and molecular level. By making small, consistent efforts to prioritize balance, we can support both our long-term health and the health of future generations.