ABSTRACT
Epigenetics includes the inheritable manipulations in gene expression towards a phenotype without any alteration in the underlying DNA sequence. This is a change in phenotype without any change in genotype. While genetics of an individual is permanent, epigenetics is variable and is subjected to several factors such as environment, age, lifestyle, and diseased conditions. Among these factors, dietary habits play an important role in deciding the epigenetic fate and are termed as nutritional epigenetics. Functional foods, beyond providing the basic nutrition, may offer a potentially positive effect on health by acting as epigenetic modulators. This modulatory action might be utilized both as a preventive as well as a therapeutic approach for the prevention or cure of various disease conditions such as metabolic disorders, cancer, and chronic inflammatory reactions, where epigenetic changes play a vital role. This interconnection between epigenetics and foods or rather functional food substantiate the proposal by Hippocrates: Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
