The Gene Switch
A simple action can change how your genes work
Publication Date: March 2021
List Price 1,980 JPY (10% consumption tax included)
ISBN：9784492046876 / Size：H188mm × W130mm / Softcover / 218 pages
Genes don’t determine life, ability, way of life and thinking! Turning on / off the genetic switch “epigenetics” will significantly change your health, thinking, behavior, and ultimately your life.
Overview
People think that genes determine life, abilities, ways of living and thinking. They also believe that taking a genetic test can find out these things. It has been caused by the advertising on TV, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, an outrageous place of stealth marketing.
However, this is false. Genes work when they interact with the environment. The role of genes has been overestimated. The function of genes is influenced by lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise, the kind of books you read, and the kind of people you associate with.
Let’s take the example of monozygotic twins. Although monozygotic twins have been described in English as “identical twins,” they are not precisely “identical.” Identical twins are born from the same egg and grow up simultaneously in the same woman’s womb. They have the same environment before birth but not after birth. So, one identical twin may be a school teacher and live a fulfilling life, while the other may suffer from drug addiction.
Even if they have the same genes, the result is not always the same. In fact, the results are often not the same. Recent research has revealed the mechanism that changes the function of genes, that is, the switch that turns genes on or off. The study of this switch is called “epigenetics,” a field of study that is currently undergoing explosive growth. It is the theme of this book.
However, this is false. Genes work when they interact with the environment. The role of genes has been overestimated. The function of genes is influenced by lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise, the kind of books you read, and the kind of people you associate with.
Let’s take the example of monozygotic twins. Although monozygotic twins have been described in English as “identical twins,” they are not precisely “identical.” Identical twins are born from the same egg and grow up simultaneously in the same woman’s womb. They have the same environment before birth but not after birth. So, one identical twin may be a school teacher and live a fulfilling life, while the other may suffer from drug addiction.
Even if they have the same genes, the result is not always the same. In fact, the results are often not the same. Recent research has revealed the mechanism that changes the function of genes, that is, the switch that turns genes on or off. The study of this switch is called “epigenetics,” a field of study that is currently undergoing explosive growth. It is the theme of this book.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Life Cannot Be Explained by DNA Sequences Alone
Chapter 2: What We Learned from Genome Research
Chapter 3: What is Epigenetics?
Chapter 4: Considering Epigenetics from Drug Dependence and Food Dependence
Chapter 5: Epigenetics and Depression
Chapter 6: Mothers’ Parenting Affects Children’s Brains
Chapter 2: What We Learned from Genome Research
Chapter 3: What is Epigenetics?
Chapter 4: Considering Epigenetics from Drug Dependence and Food Dependence
Chapter 5: Epigenetics and Depression
Chapter 6: Mothers’ Parenting Affects Children’s Brains
Author Profile
Satoshi Ikuta
Satoshi Ikuta is a Doctor of Pharmacy, born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1955. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at the City of Hope Research Institute, famous for its research on cancer, diabetes, and genes, and at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he became an assistant professor of chemistry at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His research focused on gene structure and drug design. Currently, he writes and lectures on biochemistry, medicine, pharmacology, and education in Japan and conducts research and consulting on the brain and nutrition.
He is the author of many books, including “Large Intake of Vitamin C Prevents Cold and Treats Cancer” (Kodansha + Alpha Shinsho), “Reviving the Brain,” and “Good Things and Bad Things for the Brain” (Science Eye Shinsho). Also, “Understanding! Food Good for the Brain, Food Bad for the Brain”, “Children’s Brains Change with Food” (PHP Institute), and many others.
（Information is current at the time of publishing.）
Satoshi Ikuta is a Doctor of Pharmacy, born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1955. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at the City of Hope Research Institute, famous for its research on cancer, diabetes, and genes, and at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he became an assistant professor of chemistry at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His research focused on gene structure and drug design. Currently, he writes and lectures on biochemistry, medicine, pharmacology, and education in Japan and conducts research and consulting on the brain and nutrition.
He is the author of many books, including “Large Intake of Vitamin C Prevents Cold and Treats Cancer” (Kodansha + Alpha Shinsho), “Reviving the Brain,” and “Good Things and Bad Things for the Brain” (Science Eye Shinsho). Also, “Understanding! Food Good for the Brain, Food Bad for the Brain”, “Children’s Brains Change with Food” (PHP Institute), and many others.
（Information is current at the time of publishing.）
