Meet the Exposome: How Your Environment Quietly Shapes Your Health

You Should Know: Your health isn’t shaped by your habits alone. There’s also the air you breathe, water you drink, chemicals you’re exposed to, and even the neighborhood you live in. Scientists call this collection of lifetime exposures the exposome. Researchers are increasingly interested in how it influences disease risk and long-term health, and it’s even the topic of multiple discussions at the wellness and longevity Eudēmonia Summit this week in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

Going Deeper: Think of the exposome as the environmental counterpart to your genome. Scientists define it as “all the environmental influences a person experiences over a lifetime, starting before birth and continuing through old age.” Researchers are studying how these exposures interact with our biology over time, potentially contributing to conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. Some doctors say that for many common diseases, genes only explain one part of the risk.

Takeaway: You can’t control everything you’re exposed to, but you do have control, at least in part, over your lifestyle and habits. For example, you can minimize plastic exposure by using glass and stainless steel whenever possible; improve your air quality by investing in a HEPA air purifier and indoor plants; and support your health by prioritizing whole foods over ultra-processed ones.  

Bottom Line: Understanding the exposome could help scientists identify risks and better ways to prevent disease, but in the meantime, try not to stress over things you can’t control — focus on the ones you can.