Noncoding DNA is known to be affected by environmental stressors, such as toxins and inadequate nutrition, as well as stressful emotions.17,18 The affected DNA transmits information that helps us prepare for life out of the womb by ensuring that we have the particular traits we’ll need to adapt to our environment.19 According to Rachel Yehuda, epigenetic changes biologically prepare us to cope with the traumas that our parents experienced.20 In preparation for similar stressors, we’re born with a specific set of tools to help us survive.
