Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in both men and women in the United States. The sad part is that most of the risk factors can be controlled through proper diet and exercise but our genes has always been considered one of the factors we have no power over.
Well, not anymore!
A new study, published in the journal "PLoS Medicine" challenges the view that we are slaves to our genetic make-up. And it all comes down to, yet again, eating your vegetables.
According to the researchers, the genetic factor responsible for heart disease is small variations in the 9p21 gene. This has been shown in previous studies to increase risk by up to 30% but the exact risk varies from case to case. The PLoS study tested the effects of diet on the expression of this 9p21 gene in 27,000 people from different ethnic backgrounds. The study concluded that people who were at risk from 9p21 but ate a diet rich in raw vegetables, fruits and berries reduced their risk of heart disease to the point that the individual's risk was the same as someone without 9p21 variations.
In other words, a healthy diet effectively blocked the negative effects of the subject's genes.
More research is needed to completely understand the exact mechanism by which this occurs but it does strengthen the constant push towards eating healthy.
Note that the researchers specified the diet must include raw vegetables, fruits and berries. In many cases, cooking will destroy the healthy compounds in foods and, depending on the cooking method, can add all sorts of oils and fats.
I enjoyed the fact that the researchers used the phrase "prudent diet." Prudent involves a type of thought-process that takes into account the future effects of a decision and acts accordingly. So think about your meals and snack, plan them out. Try to avoid impulse eating.
This study provides pretty solid evidence that the food choices you make can drastically effect your cardiovascular health, despite a genetic predisposition.
