Fruits and Vegetables Trump Genetics in Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Another study has highlighted the power of proper nutrition over genetic predisposition, finding that adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables overpowers genetic factors when it comes to your heart attack and cardiovascular disease risk. The study found that eating raw fruits and vegetables can actually alter the effects of the gene associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and having a heart attack.
Scientists genotyped 27,243 participants from 2 different studies to observe whether or not they had a particular gene variant known as the 9p21 gene. Participants with the gene, linked to a higher risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease according to a 2010 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., were found to have varied heart attack and cardiovascular disease risks depending on their consumption of fruit and vegetables. The higher the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables, the lower the cardiovascular  risk of the 9p21 gene variant group. In fact, those who ate a significant amount of fruits and vegetables lowered their risk to that of those without the gene variant.
Fruits and Vegetables are More Powerful Indicators of Cardiovascular Disease than Genetic Variants
Furthermore, those with the gene variant who ate a diet low in fruits and vegetables had a higher risk of heart attack or cardiovascular disease — significantly higher than those without the genetic variant.
“Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Ron Do, in a news release
The study shows how consumption of nutrient-dense raw foods overpower genetic predispositions that mainstream medical officials are always pushing as the #1 determining factor in disease development. Another study has found that exercise can conquer ‘fat genes’, which some scientists theorized were to blame for the obesity epidemic. Of course the obesity epidemic, and the rise of cardiovascular disease, is a result of the nation’s extremely poor nutrition. Many children live off a diet of fast food that contains genetically modified ingredients, high-fructose corn syrup, and other mystery ingredients. Genes may play a role in our development, but lifestyle changes ultimately can overpower genetic predispositions when it comes to improving and maintaining overall health.
