The “genes explain everything” folks and mainstream doctors claim diseases just “run in your family.” They’ll say you “inherited” your mother’s breast cancer, or your father’s heart disease or your grandmother’s arthritis.
But the truth is your genetic code is not set in stone. In fact, your genes are only 15% of the total genetic material you inherit from your parents. The remaining 85% is called the “epigenome.” That’s where the real action is.
Your epigenome is like a “scaffolding” of proteins. It surrounds your DNA’s double helix. This framework is very sensitive to things like your diet, nutrition, chemicals and toxins.
Based on the choices you make every day, your epigenome has the power to turn genes on or off. It changes the way your body expresses your genetic coding.
I’ve always said that there’s nothing wrong with your genes. You’re not inheriting diseases.
And now the research backs me up. A new study reveals that your family may determine your risk of a chronic disease, but not in the way you might think. It’s not genetic. It’s the SIZE of your family.
Let me explain…
A new study shows that the size of your family may influence your cancer risk. Researchers analyzed data from 178 countries. They looked at the size of nuclear families (parents and children) as well as extended families. And they found that various types of cancer hit smaller families harder.1
In other words, a smaller family size increases your cancer risk. And a bigger family seems to protect against cancer.
In fact, they found that the larger the family, the lower their rates of various cancers. I’m talking about melanoma, brain, bladder, lung, stomach, breast, ovarian, colorectal, and cervical cancers.
We’ve known for a long time that breast and ovarian cancer rates go down with the more pregnancies a woman has. But this study shows that family size protects men as well as women. In fact, the protective effect of a large family was even greater among men than women.
What’s so special about big families that protect them against cancer? As you know, families can be stressful. But they also create strong emotional bonds. And those bonds produce a powerful anti-cancer hormone.
I’m talking about oxytocin or the “cuddle hormone.” It is linked to good feelings and emotions. Studies show oxytocin is released with daily contacts between family members. It doesn’t matter if it’s between spouses, mother and children, or father and children.
But this hormone doesn’t just affect your emotions. Research shows that oxytocin helps prevent cancer.2 It’s been shown to inhibit breast cancer and ovarian cancer cells.
All of this proves what I’ve said for a long time. Maybe you can’t change your genes but you can definitely change how your genes act. And a big part of that is how you live your life.
You are in charge of your epigenome. You get to flip the override switch. You have the power to avoid all of the diseases you may have inherited from your family.
Boost Your Cuddle Hormone to Stay Cancer-Free
Even if you come from a small family, you still have the power to change your genes. You can easily increase your levels of oxytocin naturally.
- Get a massage. Touch prompts your body to release oxytocin, so the more the better. You can get it just from human affection and interaction. But a massage is a perfect way to boost your levels.
A study in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine proved it. Researchers measured oxytocin levels in 95 subjects before and after a 15-minute massage. Oxytocin increased by 17% for the group that received a massage. A control group who just rested showed a 9% decrease in oxytocin.3 - Exert yourself. In a European study, researchers found that the more intensely you exercise, the more oxytocin you release.4 But a steady, hour-long run on a treadmill does nothing for oxytocin. That makes my PACE principle perfect for boosting oxytocin.
Patients here at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine have used PACE for years to reduce stress, increase oxytocin, and tap into the energy of their youth. With PACE you incrementally and progressively increase the intensity of your workouts. And all it takes is about 12 minutes per day. And working out with a group can give you a similar oxytocin release you get from big families.If you want to learn some great PACE exercises, go to my YouTube channel. I have more than 30 different exercises and a complete workout to get you started. Visit https://www.youtube.com/user/AlSearsMD/videos.
- Breathe it in. You can’t take an oxytocin pill. It breaks down too quickly in your stomach to work. Even an injection won’t last too long in your body. The only proven way to take oxytocin is by a nasal inhaler. Nasal oxytocin is completely safe. And it significantly increases oxytocin in the blood.5 You can purchase nasal inhalers online without a prescription. I recommend taking between 18 to 40 IU per day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. You W, et al. “Greater family size is associated with less cancer risk: an ecological analysis of 178 countries.” BMC Cancer. 2018;18:924.
2. Cassoni P, et al. “Oxytocin inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines.” Virchows Archiv. 1994;425(5):467–472.
3. Prager N, et al. “A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.” J Altern Complement Med. 2002;8(2):143-152.
4. Hew-Butler T, et al. “Acute changes in endocrine and fluid balance markers during high-intensity, steady-state, and prolonged endurance running: Unexpected increases in oxytocin and brain natriuretic peptide during exercise.” Eur J Endocrinol. 2008;159(6):729-737.
5. MacDonald E, et al. “A review of safety, side-effects and subjective reactions to intranasal oxytocin in human research.” Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011;36(8):1114-1126.