The Western pattern diet or standard American Diet is characterized by generally high consumptions of processed meat, food with excessive sugar, high-fat dairy products, simple carbohydrates, and red meat. Linked to the cause behind obesity, skin inflammation and many other illnesses, medical experts recently determined in a study how the Western diet ages the liver.
The human genome has an operating system called the epigenome which is responsible for all of the DNA's chemical changes as proteins control all genetic expressions. Epigenomic compounds mark the genome by changing DNA instructions.
During the premature stage when organs development begins, the epigenome alters alongside normal development milestones. This natural growth pattern is disturbed when endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) cause the genetic operating system to reprogram with lasting effects on various organs.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
Dr. Cheryl Walker, professor and director of the Center for Precision Environmental Health at Baylor said, 'In this study, we found that even brief exposure to certain chemicals while the liver is developing prematurely aged the liver epigenome.'
'Exposure to these EDCs caused the young liver to acquire an adult epigenomic signature.' However it was the exposure of a high-fat Western diet later on in life that the pre-mature aging of the epigenome showed signs of its ill-effect on one's health.
A majority of EDCs are manmade, found in pesticides, food additives, and personal care products. People can be exposed regularly to EDCs via the air, skin absorption, and contaminated water. The World Health Organization. (WHO) have responded to these concerns through the collaboration project State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2012 for public awareness.
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Liver Health
With a healthy liver, the epigenome ages naturally. Throughout the study, the team of scientist saw that EDC exposure accelerates that natural growth. Using a rat model, they saw that exposure to EDC caused metabolic dysfunction.
The control group had a healthy diet while a second group had food with more cholesterol, fructose and fat representing the Western diet. This resulted in a 6-day old Sprague-Dawley rat showed the same epigenome normally seen in a much older rat.
Walker explained that 'the effect of this change on metabolic function wasn't immediate; instead, it was like a ticking time bomb, which was only ignited when we switched the animals to a Western-style diet, high in fat, sugar and cholesterol.' The epigenome comparison between young and adult rats showed how 'epigenomic reprogramming persists long after the initial exposure, but many reprogrammed genes remain transcriptionally silent with their impact on metabolism not revealed until' later. They also noticed that while there weren't significant differences in weight as the study progressed, the modifications of liver histones were undeniable.
This study also reveals the impact of environmental exposures, and not just nutritional stressors, on human health and disease susceptibility, during both the early life stage and in adulthood. Walker said, 'It also shows us that some people may be more adversely affected by a high-fat diet as adults than others due to environmental exposures they experienced earlier in their life.'
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