Diet Can Change Activity of Genes that Impact Health

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A biological process can change the affect of our genes on health, without changing the gene itself. Called “DNA methylation,” this process can determine if a given gene is active, or not. New research from the Friedman School’s Jiantao Ma, PhD, and Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, found diet quality was associated with the level of DNA methylation of certain genes; the DNA methylation in turn altered the association of these genes with health outcomes. In other words, what we eat may impact our health on a genetic level.

The researchers analyzed the diet quality of nearly 10,000 individuals using two common diet quality scores. They then looked at over 400,000 DNA methylation markers in the blood of these participants. In individuals with European ancestry, 30 methylation markers were associated with diet quality scores. Of these 30 markers, 12 were associated with mortality, and six were likely causal factors for cardiovascular risk factors (like body mass index, triglyceride levels, and type 2 diabetes).

This research suggests that a high quality diet (one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, legumes, whole grains, and plant oils and limits refined grains, added sugars, processed meats, and other high-saturated-fat and high-sodium foods) may alter your genetic predisposition to heart disease, regardless of your level of familial risk.

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