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Even with a healthy lifestyle, genes are the deciding factor in whether someone gets a chronic illness, such as heart disease. Right? Well, maybe not. A new study suggests that we might be able to exercise some control over our genetic destiny—just by lifting a fork.
People with the genetic variant 9p21 have an increased risk for heart disease—one of the most common killers worldwide.
Researchers collected genetic and dietary information from more than 8,000 people of various ethnicities, as well as data from 20,000 Finish subjects. People who had the genetic variant, but who ate a diet rich in fruits, raw vegetables and nuts, ended up on average with a heart attack risk close to people who don't have this genetic propensity. While those with the trait who did not follow such a prudent diet had as much as twice the chance of having a heart attack. [Ron Do et al., "The Effect of Chromosome 9p21 Variants on Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified by Dietary Intake: Evidence from a Case/Control and a Prospective Study," in Public Library of Science Medicine, link to come]
So a healthful diet might actually be changing the expression of the gene, in effect turning it off. Which suggests that there might be more diet-gene interactions than you can shake a carrot stick at.
—Katherine Harmon
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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5 Comments
Add CommentDid this study actually look at gene expression?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDiseases can be caused by both deformity in genes as well as unhealthy food intake.So it is possible that both factors effect concurrently on certain organs in body.Never heard of gene-diet interactions before.Genes do not respond to diet. .
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Link already has arrived, and is here:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001106
Message to ASHIK. You should be careful before you make a definitive statement such as "genes do not respond to diet". The statement is false. There is a whole field of study called epigenetics that addresses just this issue. Basically it's now known that genes respond dynamically to the environment. Stress, diet, behavior, toxins and other factors activate chemical switches that regulate gene expression.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf genes don't respond to diet how do they form in the first place? Do you really think that the molecular strands that make up the body don't interact? If we don't absorb and interact with the molcules from our food how do you think we get any food value out of them? Every atom of the body is eventually discarded and replaced by a new atom of the same type. This comes from food, water and breathing.
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