“Rethinking Health: The Power of Epigenetics” – Podcast Script

Host:
“Welcome to today’s episode. We’ll dive into a topic that’s reshaping medicine, psychology, and even how we see ourselves: epigenetics.
My guest is Eduard Rappold – author, researcher, and co-creator of the concept of applied epigenetics. Eduard, it’s great to have you here!”

Eduard:
“Thank you so much. I’m excited to share this with your audience. Epigenetics isn’t just science – it’s something that touches all of our lives.”

What is Epigenetics?

Host:
“Let’s start simple. People hear the word epigenetics – but most don’t really know what it means. Could you explain it in plain language?”

Eduard:
“Of course. Think of your DNA as the script of a play. Epigenetics is the director’s notes. It tells the actors – the genes – when to come on stage, how loud to speak, when to stay silent.
So the story is the same – but the way it’s performed can change completely.”

Host:
“That’s a powerful image. So environment is constantly rewriting how the script is played?”

Eduard:
“Exactly. Food, movement, sleep, stress, relationships – they all change how our genes are read.
Take the famous NASA twins – Scott and Mark Kelly. One spent a year in space, the other stayed on Earth. When he came back, scientists found epigenetic differences – even though they have identical DNA.”

Host:
“Wow. So experience literally gets under our skin.”

Eduard:
“Yes. And even more striking are studies on childhood. Researchers Michael Meaney and Moshe Szyf showed with rats: pups cared for by nurturing mothers had different stress-gene regulation than those neglected. That epigenetic mark lasted a lifetime. Love – or its absence – writes itself into biology.”

Primal Emotions and Stress

Host:
“You often speak about primal emotions. What do you mean, and why do they matter?”

Eduard:
“Primal emotions are deep, ancient feelings: fear, anger, shame, guilt. They helped humans survive. But in modern life, they often turn into chronic stress. And stress leaves epigenetic fingerprints – for example on genes for the stress hormone receptor, or the oxytocin receptor.”

Host:
“So our feelings are literally rewriting our genes?”

Eduard:
“Yes. Look at tree shrews – small mammals living in constant social stress. Their stress systems adapt epigenetically. Humans aren’t different. Chronic fear or shame accelerates inflammation, aging – even Alzheimer’s risk.”

The “WEIRD” Human and Morality

Host:
“You also talk about the ‘strange’ or ‘WEIRD’ human. What’s that about?”

Eduard:
“That idea comes from Joseph Henrich. WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic. These societies are unique – they shifted from shame-based cultures to guilt-based ones. That moral shift left epigenetic traces in our brains.”

Host:
“Moral codes as epigenetics – that sounds unusual.”

Eduard:
“Yes – but think about it. Institutions like church, courts, and schools had to manufacture morality. They turned shame into guilt to make individuals self-regulating. That shaped stress systems, dopamine pathways, oxytocin networks. Culture literally reprogrammed our biology.”

Can We Change Our Epigenetics?

Host:
“All right – this sounds powerful. But what can people do to influence their own epigenetics?”

Eduard:
“A lot! Think of it as epigenetic hygiene. Balanced diet, movement, quality sleep, reducing stress. Even meditation or music changes gene expression.

One fascinating example is SAM-e – short for S-adenosylmethionine. It’s the body’s primary methyl-group donor. That means whenever your DNA needs a methyl group to regulate gene activity – to switch a gene on or off in a healthy way – SAM-e is the main supplier. Without it, your epigenetic system can’t function properly.

Stress, aging, or liver problems can deplete SAM-e. But balanced nutrition – and sometimes supplementation – can restore it.
That’s why SAM-e is being researched not just for mood and joint health, but also as a protector of DNA stability and epigenetic balance.

You could say: SAM-e is the currency of methylation. Keeping it in balance is one of the keys to long-term brain health and resilience.”

Host:
“So food and molecules like SAM-e act as epigenetic medicine?”

Eduard:
“Exactly. But not just food. Psychotherapy, mindfulness, even resonance experiences like deep connection with others – they all reshape our gene activity. And medicine is testing real epigenetic drugs – like HDAC inhibitors – in cancer and Alzheimer’s research.”

Society and Ethics

Host:
“If epigenetics is so powerful – what does that mean for society?”

Eduard:
“It means huge responsibility. Trauma, poverty, pollution – they don’t just affect one life. They echo epigenetically into the next generation.
But the reverse is true too: care, education, safety, meaningful connection – they also get written into our biology and passed on.”

Host:
“So we’re not prisoners of our genes?”

Eduard:
“Exactly. We are co-authors. Erich Fromm once said: Freedom isn’t just the absence of constraint – it’s the ability to take responsibility. That’s what epigenetics teaches us.”

Closing

Host:
“If our listeners could remember just one message from this conversation – what should it be?”

Eduard:
“That every experience, every relationship, every choice leaves marks in our biological memory. We can shape those marks – for ourselves and for generations to come. Epigenetics turns science into lived responsibility.”

Host:
“Thank you, Eduard, for this inspiring conversation!”

Eduard:
“Thank you – and thanks to everyone who joined us.”

Eduard:
“Before we close, just a quick note: Everything we’ve shared today is for educational purposes only. It’s not a replacement for medical advice. So if you have health questions, please always talk to a qualified healthcare professional.

This episode was brought to you by NUGENIS – specialized in epigenetically active nutritional supplements.

I’m Eduard Rappold – thank you for listening, and take care of your health.”

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Eduard Rappold

Dr. Eduard Rappold, MSc ist ein erfahrener Forscher und Arzt, der sich seit Jahrzehnten für geriatrische PatientInnen einsetzt. In seinem Bemühen für Alzheimer-Erkrankte eine immer bessere Versorgung zu ermöglichen, wurde er 2003 mit dem Gesundheitspreis der Stadt Wien für das Ernährungszustandsmonitoring von Alzheimer-Kranken ausgezeichnet. Im Zuge seines Masterstudiums der Geriatrie hat er seine Entwicklung des Epigenetic Brain Protector wissenschaftlich fundiert und empirisch überprüft. Im September 2015 gründete er NUGENIS, ein Unternehmen, mit dem er Wissenschaft und Anwendung zusammenbringen möchte. Damit können Menschen unmittelbar von den Ergebnissen der Angewandten Epigenetik für ihre Gesundheit profitieren. Mit dem Epigenetic Brain Protector hat Dr. Eduard Rappold, MSc bereits für internationales Aufsehen gesorgt – auf der international wichtigsten Innovationsmesse, der iENA, wurde er 2015 mit einer Goldmedaille für hervorragende Leistungen zum Schutz vor Neurodegeneration ausgezeichnet. Auf den Webseiten nugenis.eu, epigenetik.at, spermidine-soyup.com und facebook.com/nugenis können Themen zur Epigenetik und Aktuelles nachgelesen werden.