Heart Disease Gene May Be Counteracted By Healthy Diet
A gene associated with a significant increase in heart disease risk may be counteracted by a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, according to a new study.
In the international study, researchers at McMaster and McGill universities in Canada examined the link between the 9p21 gene variant and diet in more than 27,000 people of five ethnicities -- Arab, European, Chinese, Latin American and South Asian, Health Day reports.
The findings showed that the risk of heart attack in people with the 9p21 gene variant who ate a healthy diet composed mainly of raw vegetables, fruits and berries was similar to that of people without the high-risk gene variant, according to Health Day.
"We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables," joint principal investigator Sonia Anand, a researcher at the Population Health Research Institute and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster's School of Medicine, said in a McMaster University news release reported by Health Day. "Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health."
The researchers say the study hints at a link between genes and diet.
"Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in cardiovascular disease," added lead author Ron Do, who is now at the Center for Human Genetics Research at Massachusetts General Hospital but conducted the research as part of his doctoral program at McGill, as reported by Health Day. "Future research is necessary to understand the mechanism of this interaction, which will shed light on the underlying metabolic processes that the 9p21 gene is involved in."
Source: www.thirdage.com 12th Oct 2011