Learning & Education
Nowadays, cannabis is a popular topic in the news and on social media. You may have come across articles or blogs discussing compounds called cannabinoids that are present in cannabis plant and their effects on the neurotransmitter GABA. In this article, you’ll learn more about cannabinoids and their effects on mental health, especially in relation to the GABA system.
The European Human Exposome Network (EHEN) Scientific Meeting took place from May 30th to June 1st in Leuven, Belgium. The focus of the third day of the meeting was “Exposome Research: Understanding and Addressing Policy Challenges.”
During sleep, many of the systems of the body (i.e., nervous, endocrine, skeletal, muscular, and immune) are in a state of anabolism ("building up"), which promotes restoration and healing. With that said, the most pronounced physiological changes during sleep occur in the brain, which further underlines the role of sleep in cognition, mood, and memory [4]. Therefore, any disruptions to the process of sleep, whether they be getting to sleep and/or remaining asleep, can have far-reaching consequences for overall health and wellness.
Derived from the Greek term holos meaning whole or entire, the concept of a holobiont was initially defined by Dr. Lynn Margulis in her 1991 book, "Symbiosis as a Source of Evolutionary Innovation." As with most things, the definition has evolved considerably in the intervening years.
Our growth and maturation are controlled by specific gene sets that are choreographed events in conjunction with environmental cues, depending on the period of life at which they are triggered or suppressed. Any type of epigenetic factor that affects genes or gene expression networks during a person's life can lead to an imbalance in the regulatory process and may have a lasting impact [1].
In our previous article, we learned about a detailed overview of epigenetics. This article will discuss the three main epigenetic signatures (DNA methylation, Histone Modification, and noncoding RNA), how they are regulated, and how their disruption cause diseases. For more a more clinical approach, check out the Epigenetics Module of the Health Optimization and Practice (HOMeHOPe) Essential Certification here.