What is more important, nature or nurture? This argument has been going on for decades. In other words, are you strictly the end result of your upbringing and actions or are you simply a product of your genes? As a chiropractor in San Diego at New Century Spine Centers, many people wonder if their back and neck pain is due to bad genes.

A safe bet to the above is that we are a combination of both upbringing and genes. Our genes give us a blueprint with both positives and negatives and our actions either maximize or minimize the hand we’ve been dealt in life. But, a new science has thickened this plot and made it more interesting. The new science is called “Epigenetics” and it attempts to explain how the environment can modify our genes. That’s a unique twist to this debate in many ways.

So what does all this have to do with you? On April 14th, 2009 Science Daily reported on an epigenetic report published in a Journal that found that you are what your mother ate during pregnancy. In the report, scientists from the University of Utah showed rats that received poor nutrition in the womb genetically altered themselves to be born into a nutritionally deficient environment afterwards.

What’s that mean to all of us? The rat fetuses’ genes actually changed to prepare them for the environment they were going to be born into in life. When there was poor nutrition in the womb, the rats were likely to grow to smaller sizes when compared to others born to “normal” nutrition levels. Those were normal sizes.

Being smaller was not the only negative. The rats also had a higher risk for many health problems throughout their lives such as: diabetes, growth retardation, cardiovascular disease, obesity and neuro developmental delays. These are just to name a few. But These Are Rats! How Are Humans Affected?

Also according to Science Daily: “The new ‘epigenetics’ has taught us how nature is changed by nurture,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. According to Science Daily, “Although the study involved rats, the genes and cellular mechanisms involved are the same as those in humans.” The jury’s in and, yes, expectant moms really are eating for two and not just for one. This study shows not only that we need to address problems such as preeclampsia during pregnancy, but also that prenatal care is far more important than anyone could have imagined a decade ago.” This is something that every expectant mother should understand.

After reading this interesting new information a few questions come to mind: If a fetus can alter its genes to adapt to the environment they are being born into – can a person alter their genes to adapt to their environment AFTER they are born? And since I treat patients with chiropractic care, what effect does Chiropractic treatment during pregnancy have on the potential of a child? If the environment is altered for the better – it makes sense the fetus would adapt genetically in a positive way.

Until proper research is done, no one can be 100% sure. But one thing certainly makes sense: During pregnancy, everything should be done to ensure the developing fetus has the best possible environment to grow into. Proper exercise, balanced diet, and a healthy spine with proper chiropractic care are all key elements in growing a healthy baby.