Dr. Bruce Lipton – A Man Ahead of His Time

“Hey, Ellen,” a friend called to me from two check-out counters away in the supermarket, “did you see the cover story in TIME magazine about epigenetics?”

He wasn’t the only one asking me if I’d seen the issue a few months ago called “Why Genes Aren’t Destiny.” They were all aware that in my talks I tell about the latest scientific findings in epigenetics that prove beliefs and thoughts affect how the body changes with age. And I always quote the first scientist to share his research findings on epigenetics, the internationally recognized cell biologist, Dr. Bruce Lipton.

Imagine my surprise – then dismay, then outrage – when Dr. Lipton wasn’t even mentioned in the article! It was 1985 when Dr. Lipton introduced the notion of perception influencing genes. He was considered a radical weirdo in the science community at that time and in his “Wisdom of Your Cells” he tells the story of speaking to an audience of scientists about his discovery that the mind can turn our genes on and off. Their reaction to his research findings? Scoffing would be putting it mildly.

Yet today, 25 years later, TIME magazine is publishing the evidence of other scientists’ findings in this new field of epigenetics and ignoring Bruce Lipton’s decades of research and breakthrough findings.

I must say that although there’s not even a nod to Dr. Lipton (or Larry Dossey, award-winning MD and bestselling author of a dozen books on mind/body medicine), the article is quite interesting. It explains how your environment and your choices can influence your genetic code – and that of your kids.

The TIME article by John Cloud states, “There’s evidence that lifestyle choices like smoking and eating too much can change the epigenetic marks atop your DNA in ways that cause the genes for obesity to express themselves too strongly and the genes for longevity to express themselves too weakly. We all know that you can truncate your own life if you smoke or overeat, but it’s becoming clear that those same bad behaviors can also predispose your kids – before they are even conceived – to disease and early death.”

Environment and lifestyle choices also strongly impact how you age. Hang out with people who see themselves as old and always give you an organ recital if you ask how they are, and it will influence your thinking – and your body’s cells.
How you eat, exercise, take care of your skin and your attitude towards life (this means more than seeing the glass as half full – it’s about joy!) are all factors in whether you’ll live a long, healthy, active life or progressively deteriorate and die prematurely. The good news is that you can take control of the whole process and even reverse aging! It’s never too late to start growing younger so start your journey to a younger you today.

We owe Dr. Lipton our gratitude not only for sharing with the world his research in epigenetics years before his findings were acceptable to the scientific community, but, more importantly, for teaching us how to use the new science to create and maintain a “new,” happy, healthy life.