Jonathan Wilhoite Blog: Your Birthday Can Help Predict Your Allergies, Studies Show

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Your Birthday Can Help Predict Your Allergies, Studies Show

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Have you ever thought why you have allergic reactions at the start of the spring or autumn seasons? Then you may want to check the prevailing season from when you were conceived or born.

Researchers have reason to believe that the season you were conceived in your mother’s womb may play a role in letting your body react to changes in seasons or the environment surrounding you – as early as you were still inside your mother’s womb.

In a study published recently in Allergy by the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers stated that they have found evidence linking a person’s allergy risks with their birth season through what is called as epigenetics – that may be responsible for marking the DNA on the prevailing season from conception.

Although further evidence is still needed whether the season of birth and DNA are linked directly, there are initial findings relating a person’s allergic reaction to the season where several test subjects were had conditions associated with environmental peculiarities of the season.

These epigenetic marks may change with environment as a stimulus which could allow gene expression in response to environmental exposure and may embed into the cells for a long time.

The test involved DNA methylation profiles of 367 participants from the Isle of Wight, where researchers found an epigenetic imprint on the genomes on the season on which a person was born and that the marks were visible until they turn 18 years old, concluding that this marks would tell when a child is born influence risks of allergies as they grow.

Dr. Gabrielle Lockette, study lead from the University of Southampton, said that they on to test whether the DNA methylation differences varying by season of birth that were also associated with allergic diseases where they found that two of them appeared to be influencing the risk of allergy in the participants.

“As well as allergies, other studies have shown that season of birth is associated with a number of things such as height, lifespan, reproductive performance, and the risks of diseases including heart conditions and schizophrenia,” said Dr. Lockette, adding that it is possible that the birth season-associated DNA methylation “that we discovered might also influence these other outcomes but this will need further investigation.”

The findings however, does not suggest that parents must choose the seasons in which they can start conceiving a child, rather, would be more helpful to know which seasons could trigger particular allergies so mothers could supplement nutrition and essential minerals during pregnancy.

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from NUTRITION CLUB CANADA http://nutritionclub.ca/season-of-birth-and-dna-are-linked/amp/