Why Your Family Health History Is Important

Knowledge is Power

Diseases often seem to run in families. One reason for this is because your biological relatives share a similar genetic background. But the genes you inherit aren’t the only factors to consider. Families also often share similar environments and lifestyles that can increase the risk of many diseases. Together, these factors can help your healthcare provider determine if you might be at an increased risk of developing a particular condition.

Even if a close relative has or has had a certain condition, that doesn’t mean you are destined get it. It just means you are at a higher risk than other people. Some chronic conditions that can be passed down among family members include:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Blood clots
• Certain type of cancer
• Diabetes
• Dementia
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Kidney disease
• Obesity ¹

These complex disorders are influenced by a combination of your genetic factors, the  environment you live in, and (most importantly) your lifestyle choices. That means you may be able to reduce your risk of developing the same diseases your parents or grandparents suffered from—as long as you are aware of your risk.

How to Collect Your Family’s Health History

Now that you know why your healthcare provider needs your family health history, you may be wondering how to compile that all-too-important information. The National Institutes of Health suggests the following:

• Ask questions
• Talk at family gatherings
• Look at death certificates and family medical records, if possible
• Collect information about your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, siblings, and children. The type of information to collect includes major medical conditions and causes of death, as well as the age of disease onset and the age at death.²

Once you’ve gathered all the data, write down the information and share it with your doctor. This will allow your healthcare provider to assess your disease risk based on your family history and other risk factors. From there, your healthcare provider can recommend lifestyle changes to help prevent disease, and prescribe screening tests that can help to detect disease early.

The Epigenetic Factor

You’ve probably heard the saying “your genes are not your destiny.” Well, it’s true! While you can’t change your genes (which live inside your DNA), you can change something called your epigenome. The epigenome turns your genes on and off through a process known as methylation.³ And this can affect your susceptibility to diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s. In other words, your diet, your habits, and your environment can influence these epigenomic switches and actually prevent or help manage many chronic conditions you may be genetically susceptible to.⁴

Hedge Your Bets with Healthy Habits

No matter what your risk level, your day-to-day habits can modify your epigenome and directly influence how your genes are expressed, for better or for worse. Here are five lifestyle factors that can have the biggest impact on your genes and, in turn, your overall health

Diet is one of the foundational ways you can influence your epigenome. A diet high in ultra-processed food can have a negative impact on how your genes functions, turning on disease-promoting genes while suppressing those genes that help prevent future health problems. Fortunately, a whole foods diet that revolves around lean protein, healthy fats, and plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can enhance the methylation process and turn off the genes that promote disease while flipping the switch on genes that protect against chronic conditions like those listed above.⁵  One example of an epigenetic diet is the Mediterranean diet.⁶

Exercise is another key way to use your epigenome to help sidestep future disease. That’s because exercise stimulates genes that support metabolic health, as well as muscle growth and repair. Exercise also reduces the risk of a number of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurogenerative conditions.⁷ But these genetic perks largely depend on the frequency, intensity, and duration of your workouts.⁸  This is one instance where more is often better.

Long-term exposure to toxins like air pollution or the chemicals in household cleaners or personal care products can have a negative impact the process of methylation. This, in turn, can alter gene expression, setting you up for a future disease. Taking steps to reduce exposure whenever possible may help support healthy methylation and inhibit those genes that increase your risk of disease.⁹ One easy way to do this is to switch out conventional household cleaners, cosmetics, and personal care products for natural alternatives.

Sleep quality is an often overlooked factor that plays a critical role in disease prevention. Studies have linked insomnia and insufficient sleep to impaired methylation. Scientists have also found that impaired methylation negatively affects sleep quality.¹⁰ Strive to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night and prioritize the quality of your sleep. That means limiting alcohol consumption before bed, finish eating at least three hours before turning in, and sleeping in a dark, quiet, and cool environment.

Stress is a fact of modern life. But chronic stress has been found to alter DNA methylation patterns, and that can lead to changes in the expression of the genes that regulate your behavior. If you’ve ever found yourself reaching for a glass of wine or junk food during a bout with stress, you’ve seen this in action. These behaviors, combined with the direct impact stress can have on your epigenome, don’t just interfere with methylation, they can also affect your mental health and lead to feelings of anxiety and mood changes.¹¹

Nutrients the Support Your Epigenome

Certain nutrients are important for healthy methylation and a strong epigenetic response. The following are especially important if your family health history suggests you’re at a higher-than-average risk for a particular condition.

Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) is a proprietary type of organic garlic that has been aged for up to 20 months without heat or solvents, giving AGE its unique health properties. Rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, studies report that AGE can protect your DNA against free radical–mediated damage and genetic mutations that can lead to chronic disease.¹²  This may be one important reason why AGE has been clinically shown to reduce cardiovascular risk factors while also supporting immunity, gut health, and neurological function.^13,14

B vitamins, especially vitamins B2, B6, and B12, are critical for proper methylation. For instance, vitamin B2—which is also known as riboflavin—has been shown to support whole body methylation, which enhances overall health.¹⁵  Vitamin B6, on the other hand, is a coenzyme in over 140 enzyme reactions and it’s especially important for people with certain mutations of the MTHFR gene. MTHFR gene mutations affects how your body metabolizes folate and is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular issues, blood clots, and certain birth defects.¹⁶  Vitamin B12 helps make DNA, the serves as the home for your genetic information.  Adequate levels of vitamin B12 and folate are important for preventing abnormal gene expression, which can be linked to a higher risk of diseases that often run in families, like cancer, cardiovascular disease, or dementia.¹⁷ Because dietary B12 is found in animal products like meat and dairy, vegans are often deficient in this critical nutrient.¹⁸

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin, also referred to as vitamin B9, that can be found in both foods and dietary supplements. Adequate levels of folate, as well as vitamin B12, are necessary for the proper execution of the methylation process and for supporting normal gene expression.¹⁹ Studies suggest that a folate deficiency might contribute to the development of certain health challenges, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and some forms of cancer, by affecting methylation. But supplementing with folate appears to protect against many of these conditions by turning off the genes associated with these health conditions.²⁰

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that plays an important role in bone health, muscle function, healthy inflammation, cell growth, and glucose metabolism.²¹ But vitamin D also protects your genes by preventing DNA double-strand breaks and reducing DNA-damaging oxidation.²² Some studies suggest that vitamin D₃—which is the active form of the nutrient—also regulates gene expression through methylation.²³ 

Supplementing with these nutrients and adopting the healthy habits discussed above can support a healthy epigenome, regardless of your family’s healthy history. But the first step in enhancing methylation and reducing your risk of genetic health problems is to gather the information you need so that you and your healthcare provider can develop a comprehensive plan to sidestep disease and foster optimal health for a lifetime.

1. Genetic Alliance. A Guide to Genetics and Health. Washington (DC): Genetic Alliance; 2006. Diseases that run in the family. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115605/
2. Genetic Alliance; The New York-Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Genetic and Newborn Screening Services. Understanding Genetics: A New York, Mid-Atlantic Guide for Patients and Health Professionals. Washington (DC): Genetic Alliance; 2009 Jul 8. APPENDIX B, FAMILY HISTORY IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEALTH. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115560/
3. Phillips T. The role of methylation in gene expression. Nature Education. 2008; 1(1):116.
4. Epigentics, Health, and Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/genomics-and-health/about/epigenetic-impacts-on-health.html
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12. Borek C. Antioxidant health effects of aged garlic extract. The Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131(3):1010S-5S.
13. Ried K, Travica N, Sali A. The effect of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract on gut microbiota, inflammation, and cardiovascular markers in hypertensives: The GarGIC Trial. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2018;5:122.
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15. Amenyah SD, McMahon A, Ward M, et al. Riboflavin supplementation alters global and gene-specific DNA methylation in adults with the MTHFR 677 TT genotype. Biochimie. 2020;173:17-26.
16. MTHFR gene. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/mthfr/#:~:text=At%20least%2040%20mutations%20in,skeletal%20abnormalities%2C%20and%20learning%20problems.
17. Boughanem H, Hernandez-Alonso P, Tinahones A, et al. Association between serum vitamin B12 and global DNA methylation in colorectal cancer patients. Nutrients. 2020;12(11):3567.
18. Fernandes S, Oliveira L, Pereira A, et al. Exploring vitamin B12 supplementation in the vegan population: A scoping review of the evidence. Nutrients. 202410;16(10):1442.
19. Zsigrai S, Kalmár A, Barták BK, et al. Folic acid treatment directly influences the genetic and epigenetic regulation along with the associated cellular maintenance processes of HT-29 and SW480 colorectal cancer cell lines. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(7):1820.
20. Lyon P, Strippoli V, Fang B, et al. B vitamins and one-carbon metabolism: implications in human health and disease. Nutrients. 2020; 12(9):2867.
21. Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Together%20with%20calcium%2C%20vitamin%20D,metabolism%20%5B1%2D3%5D.
22. Nair-Shalliker V, Armstrong BK, Fenech M. Does vitamin D protect against DNA damage? Mutation Research. 2012;733(1-2):50-7.
23. Fetahu IS, Höbaus J, Kállay E. Vitamin D and the epigenome. Frontiers in Physiology. 2014;5:164.

This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.