Extra Dietary Zinc May Reduce DNA Damage: Study

A modest increase in dietary zinc – equivalent to four milligrammes per day – may reduce oxidative stress and ‘wear and tear’ to DNA, a new study has claimed. Researchers from the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Research Institute (CHORI) in the US show that extra zinc in the diet can have a profound, positive impact on cellular health that helps fight infections and diseases. This amount of zinc is equivalent to what biofortified crops like zinc rice and zinc wheat can add to the diet of vulnerable, nutrient deficient populations,…

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Smoking cigarettes may change your DNA permanently

Smoking cigarettes may change your DNA permanently (Picture Courtesy-Shutterstock Images) Smoking is one of the biggest culprits causing fatal diseases such as cancer and heart disease. But what most of us don’t know is that smoking has the capability to change our genes. Not only that, it is said to have a lasting impact on our DNA. This also goes on to explain why it is held responsible for a host of serious health issues. Researchers at the US National Institute of Environmental Health evaluated test results of approximately 16,000…

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Your DNA can tell how many kids you’ll have

Your DNA can tell how many kids you’ll have (Getty Images photo) The age at which you will have your first child and the number of kids you are likely to have may be encoded in your DNA, say scientists who found that genetic data can be used to accurately predict our reproductive behaviour. The study , led by researchers at University of Oxford, includes an analysis of 62 data sets with information from 2,38,064 men and women on the age at which they had their first child and 3,30,000…

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Smoking Impacts DNA Even 30 Years After Quitting

Smoking, a leading preventable cause of deaths worldwide, impacts the human DNA for more than 30 years even after one quits, a study has found. The findings showed that smoking leaves its “footprint” on the human genome in the form of DNA methylation — a process by which cells control gene activity. Methylation, one of the mechanisms of the regulation of gene expression, affects what genes are turned on, which has implications for the development of smoking-related diseases. “Our study has found compelling evidence that smoking has a long-lasting impact…

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Altered DNA linked with psychiatric disorders identified

Brain scans have revealed a genetic mutation that affects the structure, function and chemistry of the brain, and thus increases the risk of major psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, says a research. The findings showed that the people with the DISC1 mutation caused a part of one chromosome to swap places with another as well as lead to changes in the structure of their brain. These changes were associated with a significant increase in the risk of psychiatric illness, the researchers said. “The study confirms and extends…

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