Epigenetics is gradually transforming our understanding of health. At the intersection of genetics, nutrition and the environment, it opens the way to a more holistic, practical approach to care. Sarah Dognin, Doctor of Pharmacy and expert in functional biology, shares a vision grounded in her personal and professional experience, bringing together science, practice and education.
A health journey shaped by a search for solutions
Sarah Dognin’s journey began with a powerful personal experience: illness early in life and a long search for a diagnosis. As she explains, "I had serious health problems as a child" and "I spent a long time searching for medical answers". Faced with inadequate answers, she turned to alternative approaches: "Complementary medicine saved me because nobody could work out what was wrong."
This experience became a driving force in her life: "Health has always been my life’s goal." She chose pharmacy, convinced of the importance of access to care: "It was the only place where you could walk through the door and find a qualified healthcare professional without an appointment."
After 10 years in community pharmacy, she continued her personal quest: "I went on training courses during all my holidays", exploring different disciplines, including hypnosis, energy-based practices and acupuncture. A major turning point then came at a seminar in Switzerland: "A revelation!" She discovered previously unfamiliar laboratory assessments and an approach centred on food and nutrition.
These tools finally helped her understand her own body: "I finally understood and identified many biomarkers that needed rebalancing." She adjusted her diet and noticed a significant improvement: "It changed my life enormously; I have felt much better ever since."
She then decided to make this her profession, set up her own organisation and began supporting clients in collaboration with physicians. Later, she also became involved in university teaching and discovered nutrigenomics, before fully identifying her practice as epigenetics: "My expertise is epigenetics in practice."
Alongside her professional work, she has also become involved in health institutions with the aim of advancing practice. Since 2007, she has served in social security bodies, notably the local health insurance fund (CPAM) and a regional health agency (ARS). She subsequently joined the Rhône-Alpes pension and occupational health insurance fund (CARSAT), chairing its board for two terms, and now sits on the board of France’s National Old-Age Insurance Fund (CNAV).
Epigenetics in health: a paradigm shift
For Sarah Dognin, epigenetics profoundly challenges the conventional view of medicine. She recalls that medicine has long focused on genes: "We are always looking for the gene." But this approach sometimes shows its limitations, opening the way to another understanding.
She sums up this shift in perspective: "Epigenetics completely changes the paradigm." To illustrate, she uses a metaphor: "The gene is our software; epigenetics is what we do with that software."
At the heart of her practice, she emphasises the importance of nutrients: "We need to have all the raw materials in our bodies." Without them, the body has to adapt: "The body will inevitably make choices."
She also broadens the discussion to other factors: "Epigenetics is not just nutrition"; it also includes toxins, physical activity, sleep, emotions and more. In her view, this holistic approach responds to the changing nature of disease: "Today, diseases are increasingly complex, multifactorial and chronic."
"Our healthcare system focuses on symptoms and the diagnosis of a disease, with medical treatment to eliminate them. But there is a complementary route: repairing the tissues that drive the processes leading to symptoms."
She sees real scope for progress in cross-disciplinary working:
- "Physicians have a good understanding of laboratory assessments, sometimes of nutrition, but are less experienced in food and diet."
- "Dietitians understand food and diet very well, but are less comfortable with laboratory assessments."
For her, the solution lies in stronger collaboration: "There is real potential for synergy."
Finally, she stresses a key message for patients: "There is always something that can be done", even with a genetic predisposition. She adds: "You might never develop the condition, even if you have the gene."
ADN Academy : une ouverture vers de nouvelles pratiques
Concernant ADN Academy, Sarah Dognin évoque une transformation majeure des pratiques professionnelles. Elle résume en quelques mots : « l’ouverture, la nouveauté et une vraie complétude ».
She believes epigenetics can broaden healthcare professionals’ perspectives and therapeutic approaches: "It is a vast field" that can enrich their everyday practice.
For her, one point remains central: "Epigenetics requires biomarkers." Laboratory assessments are an essential foundation for objectively identifying imbalances and making approaches concrete.
She also highlights the reality of practice: "Healthcare professionals are constantly in contact with patients", who increasingly seek explanations and solutions.
In this context, training becomes essential: "I believe in sharing knowledge." She sees this kind of initiative as a response to changes in the healthcare system and patients’ expectations.
Key points…
Through her words and experience, Sarah Dognin presents an evolving view of health that is more holistic and practical. The epigenetics-in-practice approach she advocates goes beyond a strictly genetic perspective to incorporate the environment, diet and laboratory assessments.
Comme elle le rappelle, « il y a toujours une solution ». Une conviction qui redonne une place active au patient et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour les professionnels de santé. Grâce à des initiatives comme ADN Academy, cette approche trouve aujourd’hui un cadre pour se développer et se transmettre.
Interview with Sarah Dognin dit Cruissat — Doctor of Pharmacy — Specialist in the biology of performance and emotions: https://www.calmeva.com/
Link to her latest book: Vitale : Ma blessure, un chemin, notre avenir