Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-55f67697df-4ks9w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-11T02:18:49.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 5 - Cellular Level Mechanisms

from Section 2 - Foundation Knowledge of Lifestyle Medicine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2025

By
Federica Amati  and
Lucy McCann
Edited by
Richard Pinder ,
Christopher-James Harvey  and
Ellen Fallows
Richard Pinder
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Christopher-James Harvey
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Ellen Fallows
Affiliation:
British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
Get access

Summary

The epigenome is a set of chemical modifications that affect how genes are expressed. These modifications can be influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress, throughout the lifespan. One of the common pathways that mediates the effects of epigenetics on health is chronic inflammation, which is involved in many diseases and can be reduced by adopting healthy lifestyle habits. The human microbiome is also relevant in understanding the physiological mechanisms by which lifestyle, in particular nutrition, affects health. The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. The microbiome has a key role in modulating the immune system, metabolism, and brain health. The most diverse and influential part of the microbiome is the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. A healthy and balanced gut microbiome is associated with many benefits for physical and mental health, while an imbalance or dysbiosis can lead to many chronic conditions. The gut microbiome communicates with the brain through the gut–brain axis, which is a complex network of nerves, hormones, and neurotransmitters that influences mood, cognition, and behaviour.

Keywords

Lifestyle factorsEpigeneticsChronic inflammationGut microbiomeShort-chain fatty acidsTelomeresLifestyle MedicinePersonalised medicineDysbiosisGut–brain–axisCellular pathwaysAdverse childhood experiencesMitochondrial health
Type
Chapter
Information
Essential Lifestyle Medicine , pp. 40 - 49
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Afshin, A., Sur, P. J., Fay, K. A., et al., Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958–1972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Y., Pan, A., Wang, D. D., et al., Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population. Circulation. 2018;138(4):345–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaroff, L., The gene hunt. Time. 1989;133(12):62–67.Google ScholarPubMed
Dar-Nimrod, I. and Heine, S. J., Genetic essentialism: On the deceptive determinism of DNA. Psychol Bull. 2011;137(5):800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gericke, N., El-Hani, C. N., Sbeglia, G. C., Nehm, R. H. and Evangelista, N. A. M., Is belief in genetic determinism similar across countries and traits? In Haskel-Ittah, M., Yarden, A. (eds) Genetics Education: Current Challenges and Possible Solutions. Springer, Cham, Switzerland; 2022. pp. 107–125.Google Scholar
Zhu, M., Wang, T., Huang, Y., et al., Genetic risk for overall cancer and the benefit of adherence to a healthy lifestyle. Cancer Res. 2021;81(17):4618–4627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, J., Epel, E. and Blackburn, E., Telomeres and lifestyle factors: Roles in cellular aging. Mutat Res/Fundam Mol Mech Mutagen. 2012;730(1–2):85–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chatterjee, D., Das, P. and Chakrabarti, O., Mitochondrial epigenetics regulating inflammation in cancer and aging. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022;10:929708.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Amorim, J. A., Coppotelli, G., Rolo, A. P., et al., Mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction in ageing and age-related diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022;18(4):243–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nunn, A. V., Guy, G. W., Brysch, W., et al., SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondrial health: Implications of lifestyle and ageing. Immunity & Ageing. 2020;17(1):1–21.Google ScholarPubMed
Deichmann, U., Epigenetics: The origins and evolution of a fashionable topic. Dev Biol. 2016;416(1):249–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waterland, R. A. and Jirtle, R. L., Transposable elements: Targets for early nutritional effects on epigenetic gene regulation. Mol Cell Biol. 2003; 23(15):5293–5300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Epel, E. S., Blackburn, E. H., Lin, J., et al., Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2004;101(49):17312–17315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vyas, C. M., Ogata, S., Reynolds, C. F., et al., Telomere length and its relationships with lifestyle and behavioural factors: variations by sex and race/ethnicity. Age and Ageing. 2020;50(3):838–846.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ornish, D., Magbanua, M. J. M., Weidner, G., et al., Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(24):8369–74.Google ScholarPubMed
Hotamisligil, G. S., Inflammation, metaflammation and immunometabolic disorders. Nature. 2017;542(7640):177–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furman, D., Campisi, J., Verdin, E., et al., Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med. 2019;25(12):1822–1832.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vandanmagsar, B., Youm, Y.-H., Ravussin, A., et al., The NLRP3 inflammasome instigates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. Nat Med. 2011;17(2):179–188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henning, R. J., Obesity and obesity-induced inflammatory disease contribute to atherosclerosis: A review of the pathophysiology and treatment of obesity. Am J Cardiovasc Dis. 2021;11(4):504.Google ScholarPubMed
Menzel, A., Samouda, H., Dohet, F., et al., Common and novel markers for measuring inflammation and oxidative stress ex vivo in research and clinical practice – which to use regarding disease outcomes? Antioxidants. 2021;10(3):414.Google ScholarPubMed
Christ, A. and Latz, E., The Western lifestyle has lasting effects on metaflammation. Nat Rev Immunol. 2019;19(5):267–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Visser, M., Bouter, L. M., McQuillan, G. M., Wener, M. H. and Harris, T. B., Elevated C-reactive protein levels in overweight and obese adults. JAMA. 1999;282(22):2131–2135.Google ScholarPubMed
Kasapis, C. and Thompson, P. D., The effects of physical activity on serum C-reactive protein and inflammatory markers: A systematic review. JACC. 2005;45(10):1563–1569.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bazzano, L. A., He, J., Muntner, P., Vupputuri, S. and Whelton, P. K., Relationship between cigarette smoking and novel risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138(11):891–897.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koelman, L., Rodrigues, C. E., Aleksandrova, K., Effects of Dietary Patterns on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Immune Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Adv Nutr. 2022;13(1):101–115.Google Scholar
Jensen, M. K., Koh-Banerjee, P., Franz, M., et al., Whole grains, bran, and germ in relation to homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(2):275–283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vilchez-Vargas, R., Skieceviciene, J., Lehr, K., et al., Gut microbial similarity in twins is driven by shared environment and aging. EBioMedicine. 2022;79: 104011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Amati, F., McCann, L. J. and Spector, T. D., The gut microbiome, health and personalised nutrition. Trends Urol. Men’s Health. 2022;13(3):22–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Appleton, J., The gut-brain axis: Influence of microbiota on mood and mental health. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018;17(4):28.Google ScholarPubMed
Liu, L., Huh, J. R. and Shah, K., Microbiota and the gut-brain-axis: Implications for new therapeutic design in the CNS. EBioMedicine. 2022;77: 103908.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ge, L., Liu, S., Li, S., et al., Psychological stress in inflammatory bowel disease: Psychoneuroimmunological insights into bidirectional gut – brain communications. Front Immunol. 2022;13:1016578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, C., Tancredi, D. J., Cifelli, C. J., et al., Positive health outcomes associated with live microbe intake from foods, including fermented foods, assessed using the NHANES database. J Nutr. 2023;153(4):1143–1149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wastyk, H. C., Fragiadakis, G. K., Perelman, D., et al., Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021;184(16):4137–4153.e14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koh, A., De Vadder, F., Kovatcheva-Datchary, P. and Bäckhed, F., From dietary fiber to host physiology: Short-chain fatty acids as key bacterial metabolites. Cell. 2016;165(6):1332–1345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canfora, E. E., Jocken, J. W. and Blaak, E. E., Short-chain fatty acids in control of body weight and insulin sensitivity. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2015;11(10):577–591.Google ScholarPubMed
Parada Venegas, D., De la Fuente, M. K., Landskron, G., et al., Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-mediated gut epithelial and immune regulation and its relevance for inflammatory bowel diseases. Front Immunol. 2019;10:277.Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, A. M. and Holscher, H. D., A review of dietary and microbial connections to depression, anxiety, and stress. Nutr Neurosci. 2020;23(3):237–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayer, E. A., Gut feelings: The emerging biology of gut – brain communication. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2011;12(8):453–466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Imhann, F., Bonder, M. J., Vila, A. V., et al., Proton pump inhibitors affect the gut microbiome. Gut. 2016;65(5):740–748.Google ScholarPubMed
Hills, R. D., Pontefract, B. A., Mishcon, H. R., et al., Gut microbiome: Profound implications for diet and disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(7):1613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelsen, J. R. and Wu, G. D., The gut microbiota, environment and diseases of modern society. Gut Microbes. 2012;3(4):374–382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, D. J. and Preston, T., Formation of short chain fatty acids by the gut microbiota and their impact on human metabolism. Gut Microbes. 2016;7(3):189–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gill, P., Van Zelm, M., Muir, J. and Gibson, P., Short chain fatty acids as potential therapeutic agents in human gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;48(1):15–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, Y. P., Bernardi, A. and Frozza, R. L., The role of short-chain fatty acids from gut microbiota in gut-brain communication. Front Endocrinol. 2020;11:25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weersma, R. K., Zhernakova, A. and Fu, J., Interaction between drugs and the gut microbiome. Gut. 2020;69:1510–1519.Google ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×