Researchers found a genetic risk for cardiovascular disease that may be modifiable through a change in diet.
The team wrote in the journal PLoS Medicine that the risk of the disease was decreased in individuals who ate a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables.
“Despite having a high genetic risk for heart disease, a healthy lifestyle can actually turn off the gene,” Dr. Sonia Anand, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University, said in a press release.
The researchers said the results suggest that gene-environment interactions are important drivers of cardiovascular disease and raise the possibility that a sound diet can mediate the effects of the Chromosome 9p21.
The team analyzed the diets of over 27,000 people from around the world, including Europe, China and Latin America.
Anand said those who ate at least two servings of fruit and vegetables a day lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health,” said Anand.
The authors of the paper said the results will need to be confirmed in large studies that have similar genetic and dietary information.
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