We saw previously the scientific evidence that an association exists between opioids and DNA methylation. Specifically, we saw that people who were opioid dependent also exhibited DNA methylation in the promoter region of the OPRM1 gene. Now we are going to present scientific studies that show a correlation between the DNA methylation that is seen with opioid dependence and the symptoms experienced by an individual during opioid withdrawal. Again, specifically, what the science is demonstrating is that individuals with higher levels of methylation, exhibited worsening symptoms. Now, stop and think about that for a moment. People who had higher levels of methylation showed worse symptoms. This science should have resulted in immediate action by the FDA/CDC/pharmaceutical manufacturers/pharmaceutical distributors. But it didn’t. The first study is from 2014 and by Wachman et al. Dr. Elijah Wachman is a pediatrician. Dr. Wachman works with infants in the newborn nursery that have Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).
Scientific evidence for a correlation between the DNA methylation seen with opioids and severity of the symptoms exhibited by the individual graphic #1
Perhaps the most important section of the Wachman et all 2014 study is summarized in the conclusion:
“Increased Methylation within the OPRM1 promoter is associated with worse NAS outcomes….”
This one statement says it all. Not only is Methylation in the promoter region of the OPRM1 gene associated with opioids, the worse the methylation, the worse the symptoms experience by the individual. At least in newborns.
The second article that we will be presenting in support of a correlation between the DNA methylation seen with opioids and the severity of the symptoms exhibited will again be from Wachman et al this time from 2018.
Scientific evidence for a correlation between the DNA methylation seen with opioids and severity of the symptoms exhibited by the individual graphic #2
And again, we encourage the reader to examine and understand the article themselves. But again, it is our opinion, that this one sentence carries the importance of the second Wachman study:
“These results suggest an association of higher levels of OPRM1 Methylation at specific CPG sites and increased NAS severity, replicating prior findings”.
It is not possible to make it any clearer than the Wachman findings. Individuals that had higher levels of methylation showed more severe symptoms of withdrawal. These findings should be encouragement to every single individual that has ever experienced opioid withdrawal to do the DNA test and determine for themselves their level of damage done to their DNA by repeated opioid exposure.
We have now looked at scientific evidence for an association between opioid dependence and DNA methylation. We have also looked at scientific evidence for a correlation between the level of this DNA methylation and the severity of symptoms exhibited by an individual, at least in newborns. We now have one final category of scientific evidence for consideration: the scientific evidence that it is actually opioids that caused this methylation to occur in the first place. This scientific evidence is proof that opioids are a toxic drug to the human body.