If you are genetically predisposed to a health condition, it may make you feel hopeless. According to a new study, you may be able to beat genetics with a healthy diet.
The researchers found the gene that is the biggest indicator for whether or not a person will be predisposed to heart disease can be modified simply by eating a good amount of fruit and raw vegetables.
“We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it,” said Dr. Jamie Engert, joint principal investigator for the study, and a cardiovascular disease researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. “But it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could significantly weaken its effect.”
“Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in cardiovascular disease,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Ron Do.
The study is one of the largest ever to examine the association between genetics, diet and the predisposition for heart disease. There were more than 27,000 participants from various ethnic groups. What they found was that those who had the 9p21 gene, but had a high intake of fruit and raw vegetables, their risk for heart disease was reduced.
The looming question I have is what, if any, significance is there to the vegetables being raw? Nothing I saw on the announcement made anything of it. Is it a crucial aspect or just what was used in the study? Either way, being told to eat your fruits and veggies just got a little more important, if that was even possible.
(via: Daily Mail)
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