It has long been known that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is heart-healthy, but just such a diet may also influence genes in a way that lower the risk for heart disease. A group of Canadian researchers has discovered that eating a healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables may actually encourage a positive effect on the genes that increase an individual’s risk for developing heart disease. Details on the study were recently published in PLoS Medicine.
According to study co-author Dr. Sonia Anand, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University, “We found that among those with the high-risk genotype, if they consumed a diet high in vegetables and fruits, their risk for heart attack did not increase despite their having the high-risk gene profile.”
For their analysis, the researchers studied more than 27,000 people—who possessed specific genetic variants known to be linked to an increased risk for developing heart disease—in their quest to determine whether environmental factors or genes play the biggest role in contributing to heart-related health risks.
The study included two data sources, one of which involved more than 8,000 people from a total of 52 countries; while the second was comprised of over 19,000 participants from Finland. Both sets of data contained information on the number of participants who had suffered heart-related events such as angina, heart attack and stroke, as well as those requiring bypass and angioplasty procedures, and those who suffered heart-related deaths. In addition, participant questionnaires regarding dietary habits were included.
The individuals from the first study were divided into three different diet groups based on answers to 19 food-related questions. The diet groups were classified as a “Western” diet that included eggs, meats, fried and salty food, sugar, and desserts; an “Oriental” diet of higher amounts of tofu, pickled foods, green leafy vegetables, soy sauce, and less sugar; and the “Prudent” diet that included raw vegetables, fruits, nuts ,and some dairy products. All of the Finnish participants were considered to be a part of the prudent group, since their diet included a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and berries.
